Medium large transport aircraft departed gate area without boarding a late passenger.

Attributes
ACN	423407
Time
Date	199812
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq
State Reference	NM
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	423407
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Pushback had just started, the ground crew (pushback crew) asked me if I would take another passenger. I said sure, ok. They started to pull me back to the gate, when I noticed a passenger run up the jetway stairs from the ramp onto the jetway. Some question, was this one of our employees to be able to come from the ramp. About the time I questioned who this person was, the station manager was telling the pushback crew to not come back and continue pushing the aircraft. A new agent in the jetway and the passenger were waving us to come back in. This created some confusion. But since the security of this passenger was questionable, we left him and continued on our way. On follow-up, I found out this passenger had then been arrested for breach of security to get access onto our ramp. He had darted down another jetway onto the ramp in an attempt to catch our flight. The new agent had not recognized what happened and was trying to help this passenger. The station manager and my own question about security kept us from violating a very serious security situation. Moral: always question if in doubt and some passenger will do anything to catch a flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACFT DEPARTED GATE AREA WITHOUT BOARDING A LATE PAX.

Narrative: PUSHBACK HAD JUST STARTED, THE GND CREW (PUSHBACK CREW) ASKED ME IF I WOULD TAKE ANOTHER PAX. I SAID SURE, OK. THEY STARTED TO PULL ME BACK TO THE GATE, WHEN I NOTICED A PAX RUN UP THE JETWAY STAIRS FROM THE RAMP ONTO THE JETWAY. SOME QUESTION, WAS THIS ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO COME FROM THE RAMP. ABOUT THE TIME I QUESTIONED WHO THIS PERSON WAS, THE STATION MGR WAS TELLING THE PUSHBACK CREW TO NOT COME BACK AND CONTINUE PUSHING THE ACFT. A NEW AGENT IN THE JETWAY AND THE PAX WERE WAVING US TO COME BACK IN. THIS CREATED SOME CONFUSION. BUT SINCE THE SECURITY OF THIS PAX WAS QUESTIONABLE, WE LEFT HIM AND CONTINUED ON OUR WAY. ON FOLLOW-UP, I FOUND OUT THIS PAX HAD THEN BEEN ARRESTED FOR BREACH OF SECURITY TO GET ACCESS ONTO OUR RAMP. HE HAD DARTED DOWN ANOTHER JETWAY ONTO THE RAMP IN AN ATTEMPT TO CATCH OUR FLT. THE NEW AGENT HAD NOT RECOGNIZED WHAT HAPPENED AND WAS TRYING TO HELP THIS PAX. THE STATION MGR AND MY OWN QUESTION ABOUT SECURITY KEPT US FROM VIOLATING A VERY SERIOUS SECURITY SIT. MORAL: ALWAYS QUESTION IF IN DOUBT AND SOME PAX WILL DO ANYTHING TO CATCH A FLT.

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.