Narrative:

Flight was being boarded. The flight attendant was asking each passenger for their boarding pass. A female replied that her husband was at the bottom of the stairs with her boarding pass. The flight attendant made a mental note of this irregularity and the female was seated. Before the remaining passenger could be boarded, special agent of the FAA presented himself and began to question the flight attendant. Upon hearing the discussion the captain inquired if there was a problem. The special agent came forward to the door of the flight deck and explained his duties. The flight attendant upon completion of boarding confronted the female passenger regarding the lack of a boarding pass. The special agent and female departed from the aircraft. The suggestion was that the crew had violated security procedures. According to a company bulletin of july 1998, the flight attendant is no longer required to check the boarding pass of each individual passenger. The flight was completed without incident. Supplemental information from acn 409107: the gentleman came forward and produced identify as special agent, FAA aviation security investigations office, enforcement unit. He informed me that he was following up on a previous incident where a passenger had boarded a flight without a ticket or boarding pass. Today, he was apparently checking our boarding pass procedure for security reasons. A woman who when asked to see her boarding pass by the flight attendant, stated that her husband had both boarding passes. She went to her seat so as to not block the rest of passenger boarding. Special agent boarded, idented himself, began to question the flight attendant and asked for her name. There was no prior indication whatsoever to the crew of any breach of security. Our manifest showed security ok. There was never a husband at the foot of the stairs, so obviously this scenario was set up by the FAA because the lady got up without comment, walked off the aircraft and across the ramp with the special agent. It is unclr to me as to why the FAA was even investigating boarding pass procedure, when they are no longer required to be checked. Flight attendant is one of our best flight attendants and is very diligent and professional in her work. She handled this situation quite well and I believe that neither she nor any of my crew performed any duties contrary to FARS or company policy. Supplemental information from acn 409153: an FAA inspector boarded showing me his badge. He proceeded to ask me who the station manager was there at ft myers and I told him I did not know. He, at that time, said something about a passenger boarding without a boarding pass and I told him there was a matter about that I needed to clear up with the female passenger. I gave the passenger the benefit of the doubt and waited to see if she had a spouse to board the aircraft with her boarding pass. I was going to approach her after I knew all passenger were on board and her spouse had not shown up as she had stated. The FAA showed up before I completed my steps to ensure this passenger did not board without a boarding pass and I felt he undermined my ability to take care of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 3 RPTS FROM AN SF340 CREW REGARDING AN ALLEGED SECURITY BREACH WHILE BOARDING PAX AT RSW, FL.

Narrative: FLT WAS BEING BOARDED. THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS ASKING EACH PAX FOR THEIR BOARDING PASS. A FEMALE REPLIED THAT HER HUSBAND WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS WITH HER BOARDING PASS. THE FLT ATTENDANT MADE A MENTAL NOTE OF THIS IRREGULARITY AND THE FEMALE WAS SEATED. BEFORE THE REMAINING PAX COULD BE BOARDED, SPECIAL AGENT OF THE FAA PRESENTED HIMSELF AND BEGAN TO QUESTION THE FLT ATTENDANT. UPON HEARING THE DISCUSSION THE CAPT INQUIRED IF THERE WAS A PROB. THE SPECIAL AGENT CAME FORWARD TO THE DOOR OF THE FLT DECK AND EXPLAINED HIS DUTIES. THE FLT ATTENDANT UPON COMPLETION OF BOARDING CONFRONTED THE FEMALE PAX REGARDING THE LACK OF A BOARDING PASS. THE SPECIAL AGENT AND FEMALE DEPARTED FROM THE ACFT. THE SUGGESTION WAS THAT THE CREW HAD VIOLATED SECURITY PROCS. ACCORDING TO A COMPANY BULLETIN OF JULY 1998, THE FLT ATTENDANT IS NO LONGER REQUIRED TO CHK THE BOARDING PASS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL PAX. THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 409107: THE GENTLEMAN CAME FORWARD AND PRODUCED IDENT AS SPECIAL AGENT, FAA AVIATION SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS OFFICE, ENFORCEMENT UNIT. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS FOLLOWING UP ON A PREVIOUS INCIDENT WHERE A PAX HAD BOARDED A FLT WITHOUT A TICKET OR BOARDING PASS. TODAY, HE WAS APPARENTLY CHKING OUR BOARDING PASS PROC FOR SECURITY REASONS. A WOMAN WHO WHEN ASKED TO SEE HER BOARDING PASS BY THE FLT ATTENDANT, STATED THAT HER HUSBAND HAD BOTH BOARDING PASSES. SHE WENT TO HER SEAT SO AS TO NOT BLOCK THE REST OF PAX BOARDING. SPECIAL AGENT BOARDED, IDENTED HIMSELF, BEGAN TO QUESTION THE FLT ATTENDANT AND ASKED FOR HER NAME. THERE WAS NO PRIOR INDICATION WHATSOEVER TO THE CREW OF ANY BREACH OF SECURITY. OUR MANIFEST SHOWED SECURITY OK. THERE WAS NEVER A HUSBAND AT THE FOOT OF THE STAIRS, SO OBVIOUSLY THIS SCENARIO WAS SET UP BY THE FAA BECAUSE THE LADY GOT UP WITHOUT COMMENT, WALKED OFF THE ACFT AND ACROSS THE RAMP WITH THE SPECIAL AGENT. IT IS UNCLR TO ME AS TO WHY THE FAA WAS EVEN INVESTIGATING BOARDING PASS PROC, WHEN THEY ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO BE CHKED. FLT ATTENDANT IS ONE OF OUR BEST FLT ATTENDANTS AND IS VERY DILIGENT AND PROFESSIONAL IN HER WORK. SHE HANDLED THIS SIT QUITE WELL AND I BELIEVE THAT NEITHER SHE NOR ANY OF MY CREW PERFORMED ANY DUTIES CONTRARY TO FARS OR COMPANY POLICY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 409153: AN FAA INSPECTOR BOARDED SHOWING ME HIS BADGE. HE PROCEEDED TO ASK ME WHO THE STATION MGR WAS THERE AT FT MYERS AND I TOLD HIM I DID NOT KNOW. HE, AT THAT TIME, SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A PAX BOARDING WITHOUT A BOARDING PASS AND I TOLD HIM THERE WAS A MATTER ABOUT THAT I NEEDED TO CLR UP WITH THE FEMALE PAX. I GAVE THE PAX THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AND WAITED TO SEE IF SHE HAD A SPOUSE TO BOARD THE ACFT WITH HER BOARDING PASS. I WAS GOING TO APCH HER AFTER I KNEW ALL PAX WERE ON BOARD AND HER SPOUSE HAD NOT SHOWN UP AS SHE HAD STATED. THE FAA SHOWED UP BEFORE I COMPLETED MY STEPS TO ENSURE THIS PAX DID NOT BOARD WITHOUT A BOARDING PASS AND I FELT HE UNDERMINED MY ABILITY TO TAKE CARE OF THE SIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.