Narrative:

This event was the result of a miscom/misunderstanding between captain (me) and flight attendants that resulted in a passenger being allowed to enter the cockpit of a transport jet while in cruise. About 1 hour into a transcontinental flight (ewr to lax), one of the flight attendants came into the cockpit and asked if we knew there was a celebrity onboard. I wrote a note of welcome to the passenger, and asked if the flight attendant would deliver it to her. She asked if I would like to meet her. I said 'yes, but only if she wants to come up to the cockpit later.' then the flight attendant left. Later we hear a knock on the cockpit door and a different flight attendant enters with a young woman in plain clothes. I realized it was the actress we'd talked about a few hours before. I was shocked, but decided I'd better handle this situation as graciously as possible. Just as I was about to inform her that she should return to her seat, she said it before I had a chance to, and left the cockpit. Later, when the flight attendant I had originally spoken to returned to ask how I liked the young lady, I informed her that having a passenger in the cockpit was completely illegal. She said that she was aware of that, but thought I had 'authority/authorized' the visit. I told her that no captain has the authority/authorized to violate an far, and she was deeply apologetic. I made the assumption that the flight attendant understood that a passenger coming up to the cockpit 'later' meant after landing, not in-flight. In the future, I will be certain to speak in much clrer terms since there could be a possibility of misunderstanding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED INTO COCKPIT ON AN ACR FLT.

Narrative: THIS EVENT WAS THE RESULT OF A MISCOM/MISUNDERSTANDING BTWN CAPT (ME) AND FLT ATTENDANTS THAT RESULTED IN A PAX BEING ALLOWED TO ENTER THE COCKPIT OF A TRANSPORT JET WHILE IN CRUISE. ABOUT 1 HR INTO A TRANSCONTINENTAL FLT (EWR TO LAX), ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED IF WE KNEW THERE WAS A CELEBRITY ONBOARD. I WROTE A NOTE OF WELCOME TO THE PAX, AND ASKED IF THE FLT ATTENDANT WOULD DELIVER IT TO HER. SHE ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO MEET HER. I SAID 'YES, BUT ONLY IF SHE WANTS TO COME UP TO THE COCKPIT LATER.' THEN THE FLT ATTENDANT LEFT. LATER WE HEAR A KNOCK ON THE COCKPIT DOOR AND A DIFFERENT FLT ATTENDANT ENTERS WITH A YOUNG WOMAN IN PLAIN CLOTHES. I REALIZED IT WAS THE ACTRESS WE'D TALKED ABOUT A FEW HRS BEFORE. I WAS SHOCKED, BUT DECIDED I'D BETTER HANDLE THIS SIT AS GRACIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO INFORM HER THAT SHE SHOULD RETURN TO HER SEAT, SHE SAID IT BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO, AND LEFT THE COCKPIT. LATER, WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT I HAD ORIGINALLY SPOKEN TO RETURNED TO ASK HOW I LIKED THE YOUNG LADY, I INFORMED HER THAT HAVING A PAX IN THE COCKPIT WAS COMPLETELY ILLEGAL. SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS AWARE OF THAT, BUT THOUGHT I HAD 'AUTH' THE VISIT. I TOLD HER THAT NO CAPT HAS THE AUTH TO VIOLATE AN FAR, AND SHE WAS DEEPLY APOLOGETIC. I MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT UNDERSTOOD THAT A PAX COMING UP TO THE COCKPIT 'LATER' MEANT AFTER LNDG, NOT INFLT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE CERTAIN TO SPEAK IN MUCH CLRER TERMS SINCE THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY OF MISUNDERSTANDING.

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.