Narrative:

While boarding, the first flight attendant advised me that the passenger in seat xx had a strong odor of alcohol about him and had requested a drink. I directed flight attendant not to serve him any alcohol beverages. A few moments later, the passenger appeared in the cockpit door to take exception to my decision. As soon as he started talking, I could smell the odor of alcohol on his breath. I explained the FARS about alcohol and intoxication to him, however, he continued to be argumentative. I explained that we were very busy about 5 mins before departure, and asked him to take his seat. He refused and questioned my authority/authorized to deny him his free drinks. At this time I left cockpit and went up the jet bridge to have the agent call security and have the passenger removed from the aircraft. The passenger followed me up the jet bridge and we went through the whole discussion again at the agent desk. I then returned to the cockpit to prepare for departure. The passenger reboarded the aircraft, took his seat and refused to deplane. While we were waiting for security to show up, the passenger had a change of heart and came forward to apologize. He explained that he had been traveling 17 hours, was tired, and having a bad day. He assured me that he could behave for the flight to ord and intended to sleep the way. I decided to allow him to come along because he seemed sincere. However, in retrospect, I should have left him at sfo. For the first half of the flight he was loud, obnoxious and verbally abusive, using profane language. Supplemental information from acn 429020: just before security came, the passenger came back to the cockpit and said he would behave. The captain decided to let him stay on. Once in the air, the passenger did not drink, but made almost continual demands on the flight attendant for most of the trip to chicago.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CREW OF AN ACR MD80 ALLOWED AN INTOXICATED AND ABUSIVE PAX TO REMAIN ON BOARD AND LATER REGRETTED THAT DECISION.

Narrative: WHILE BOARDING, THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED ME THAT THE PAX IN SEAT XX HAD A STRONG ODOR OF ALCOHOL ABOUT HIM AND HAD REQUESTED A DRINK. I DIRECTED FLT ATTENDANT NOT TO SERVE HIM ANY ALCOHOL BEVERAGES. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE PAX APPEARED IN THE COCKPIT DOOR TO TAKE EXCEPTION TO MY DECISION. AS SOON AS HE STARTED TALKING, I COULD SMELL THE ODOR OF ALCOHOL ON HIS BREATH. I EXPLAINED THE FARS ABOUT ALCOHOL AND INTOXICATION TO HIM, HOWEVER, HE CONTINUED TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE. I EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE VERY BUSY ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE DEP, AND ASKED HIM TO TAKE HIS SEAT. HE REFUSED AND QUESTIONED MY AUTH TO DENY HIM HIS FREE DRINKS. AT THIS TIME I LEFT COCKPIT AND WENT UP THE JET BRIDGE TO HAVE THE AGENT CALL SECURITY AND HAVE THE PAX REMOVED FROM THE ACFT. THE PAX FOLLOWED ME UP THE JET BRIDGE AND WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE DISCUSSION AGAIN AT THE AGENT DESK. I THEN RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO PREPARE FOR DEP. THE PAX REBOARDED THE ACFT, TOOK HIS SEAT AND REFUSED TO DEPLANE. WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR SECURITY TO SHOW UP, THE PAX HAD A CHANGE OF HEART AND CAME FORWARD TO APOLOGIZE. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD BEEN TRAVELING 17 HRS, WAS TIRED, AND HAVING A BAD DAY. HE ASSURED ME THAT HE COULD BEHAVE FOR THE FLT TO ORD AND INTENDED TO SLEEP THE WAY. I DECIDED TO ALLOW HIM TO COME ALONG BECAUSE HE SEEMED SINCERE. HOWEVER, IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE LEFT HIM AT SFO. FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE FLT HE WAS LOUD, OBNOXIOUS AND VERBALLY ABUSIVE, USING PROFANE LANGUAGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 429020: JUST BEFORE SECURITY CAME, THE PAX CAME BACK TO THE COCKPIT AND SAID HE WOULD BEHAVE. THE CAPT DECIDED TO LET HIM STAY ON. ONCE IN THE AIR, THE PAX DID NOT DRINK, BUT MADE ALMOST CONTINUAL DEMANDS ON THE FLT ATTENDANT FOR MOST OF THE TRIP TO CHICAGO.

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.