Narrative:

Delay due to security breach at lax. This flight incurred a lengthy delay due to a 'security breach' and the ultimate decision to not allow the needs of 'schedule' to override the necessity of common sense. Approximately 5 mins prior to departure time, some discussion was occurring near the front of the aircraft, and a flight attendant came up and informed me that there was a concern by the gate agent of an unidented person that stepped off the aircraft. The flight attendant said that the agent noticed an unidented person coming off the jetbridge and asked him where he was going. The unidented person said he just helped someone on board with their bags. The agent asked who the unidented person helped. The unidented person then turned and began walking away. The agent called out the unidented person, but the unidented person picked up his pace and left the area toward the front of the terminal. Having heard this, I asked to see the agent. The agent came up and related the story to me and her concern about a possible security breach. I agreed and we discussed some options. Other company personnel showed up that took command, and began various discussions. We all agreed to remove all the passenger from the aircraft with their carry-ONS, and to inspect the aircraft for leftover bags and inspect closer for any other possible items that did not belong. A flight attendant that overheard us discussing what happened said she remembered a person hanging around the boarding area during boarding. At one point, the person came up to her and asked her some questions that were related to airport security, and whether or not anyone could gain access to the terminal area. The flight attendant distinctly recalled the person, and it turned out to be the unidented person. He conducted the search with other personnel after all the passenger left. When he was done, he described what they did which included searching lavatories, seat pockets, under seats, etc. I asked him if they lifted all the seat cushions, which he answered affirmative. He asked me if this was all adequate, and how soon we could consider departing. I asked him to stand by while I talked with the crew. (By this time, the cabin crew was very concerned about the entire issue of safety and the adequacy of the search.) while talking to the crew, it was discovered that the search conducted by him, the part about looking under the seat cushions, was false, as observed by most of the flight attendants. They were in the aircraft during the search and did not see more than 2 or 3 cushions lifted. This lie by him had all of us very concerned about the adequacy of the search. Additionally, one of the flight attendants said she had heard, while in the terminal, from another air carrier employee, that there was an active security threat at lax. (There was an actual memo sent to all employees regarding this issue, of which I acquired a copy.) considering all the information mentioned, I informed him that the crew and I would be uncomfortable taking the trip out. I also mentioned to him that his lying to me did not help matters at all. I then asked him what the possibility was of them getting bomb sniffing dogs and a couple of air carrier mechanics to go through the aircraft. He informed me that it would be a very long process with major delays, but proceeded to the phone and was looking at options. The station managing director then showed up and sat with me in the cockpit. He asked me if there was anything he could do to satisfy me as to the security of the aircraft. He suggested that he personally, with a crew of selected mgrs, go through the aircraft while I observed, to ensure that all areas were checked. I said that if he also included a couple of mechanics to search the hidden areas, that I would be satisfied and would take the aircraft. I informed him, however, I doubted that the cabin crew would agree, in light of the lie that was laid on them by him. He then decided to go ahead with the full bomb squad search and informed the police representative that was on the aircraft to make the necessary arrangements. In closing, I would like to give credit to the original gate agent, whose name I did not get, for following proper procedure in questioning the unidented person, then checking with the cabin crew to see if anyone saw the unidented person get on or off. I would also like to give credit to all lax personnel, for ultimately treating this incident seriously, and with the respect and dignity extended to myself and the aircraft crew. An interesting side note to this incident: from about departure time till the time the passenger were removed from the aircraft, we received 3 closeouts with revisions -- all of them said 'security ok' at the bottom.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW HAD SECURITY BREACH ON ACFT.

Narrative: DELAY DUE TO SECURITY BREACH AT LAX. THIS FLT INCURRED A LENGTHY DELAY DUE TO A 'SECURITY BREACH' AND THE ULTIMATE DECISION TO NOT ALLOW THE NEEDS OF 'SCHEDULE' TO OVERRIDE THE NECESSITY OF COMMON SENSE. APPROX 5 MINS PRIOR TO DEP TIME, SOME DISCUSSION WAS OCCURRING NEAR THE FRONT OF THE ACFT, AND A FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A CONCERN BY THE GATE AGENT OF AN UNIDENTED PERSON THAT STEPPED OFF THE ACFT. THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID THAT THE AGENT NOTICED AN UNIDENTED PERSON COMING OFF THE JETBRIDGE AND ASKED HIM WHERE HE WAS GOING. THE UNIDENTED PERSON SAID HE JUST HELPED SOMEONE ON BOARD WITH THEIR BAGS. THE AGENT ASKED WHO THE UNIDENTED PERSON HELPED. THE UNIDENTED PERSON THEN TURNED AND BEGAN WALKING AWAY. THE AGENT CALLED OUT THE UNIDENTED PERSON, BUT THE UNIDENTED PERSON PICKED UP HIS PACE AND LEFT THE AREA TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE TERMINAL. HAVING HEARD THIS, I ASKED TO SEE THE AGENT. THE AGENT CAME UP AND RELATED THE STORY TO ME AND HER CONCERN ABOUT A POSSIBLE SECURITY BREACH. I AGREED AND WE DISCUSSED SOME OPTIONS. OTHER COMPANY PERSONNEL SHOWED UP THAT TOOK COMMAND, AND BEGAN VARIOUS DISCUSSIONS. WE ALL AGREED TO REMOVE ALL THE PAX FROM THE ACFT WITH THEIR CARRY-ONS, AND TO INSPECT THE ACFT FOR LEFTOVER BAGS AND INSPECT CLOSER FOR ANY OTHER POSSIBLE ITEMS THAT DID NOT BELONG. A FLT ATTENDANT THAT OVERHEARD US DISCUSSING WHAT HAPPENED SAID SHE REMEMBERED A PERSON HANGING AROUND THE BOARDING AREA DURING BOARDING. AT ONE POINT, THE PERSON CAME UP TO HER AND ASKED HER SOME QUESTIONS THAT WERE RELATED TO ARPT SECURITY, AND WHETHER OR NOT ANYONE COULD GAIN ACCESS TO THE TERMINAL AREA. THE FLT ATTENDANT DISTINCTLY RECALLED THE PERSON, AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE UNIDENTED PERSON. HE CONDUCTED THE SEARCH WITH OTHER PERSONNEL AFTER ALL THE PAX LEFT. WHEN HE WAS DONE, HE DESCRIBED WHAT THEY DID WHICH INCLUDED SEARCHING LAVATORIES, SEAT POCKETS, UNDER SEATS, ETC. I ASKED HIM IF THEY LIFTED ALL THE SEAT CUSHIONS, WHICH HE ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE. HE ASKED ME IF THIS WAS ALL ADEQUATE, AND HOW SOON WE COULD CONSIDER DEPARTING. I ASKED HIM TO STAND BY WHILE I TALKED WITH THE CREW. (BY THIS TIME, THE CABIN CREW WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENTIRE ISSUE OF SAFETY AND THE ADEQUACY OF THE SEARCH.) WHILE TALKING TO THE CREW, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE SEARCH CONDUCTED BY HIM, THE PART ABOUT LOOKING UNDER THE SEAT CUSHIONS, WAS FALSE, AS OBSERVED BY MOST OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THEY WERE IN THE ACFT DURING THE SEARCH AND DID NOT SEE MORE THAN 2 OR 3 CUSHIONS LIFTED. THIS LIE BY HIM HAD ALL OF US VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ADEQUACY OF THE SEARCH. ADDITIONALLY, ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID SHE HAD HEARD, WHILE IN THE TERMINAL, FROM ANOTHER ACR EMPLOYEE, THAT THERE WAS AN ACTIVE SECURITY THREAT AT LAX. (THERE WAS AN ACTUAL MEMO SENT TO ALL EMPLOYEES REGARDING THIS ISSUE, OF WHICH I ACQUIRED A COPY.) CONSIDERING ALL THE INFO MENTIONED, I INFORMED HIM THAT THE CREW AND I WOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE TAKING THE TRIP OUT. I ALSO MENTIONED TO HIM THAT HIS LYING TO ME DID NOT HELP MATTERS AT ALL. I THEN ASKED HIM WHAT THE POSSIBILITY WAS OF THEM GETTING BOMB SNIFFING DOGS AND A COUPLE OF ACR MECHS TO GO THROUGH THE ACFT. HE INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULD BE A VERY LONG PROCESS WITH MAJOR DELAYS, BUT PROCEEDED TO THE PHONE AND WAS LOOKING AT OPTIONS. THE STATION MANAGING DIRECTOR THEN SHOWED UP AND SAT WITH ME IN THE COCKPIT. HE ASKED ME IF THERE WAS ANYTHING HE COULD DO TO SATISFY ME AS TO THE SECURITY OF THE ACFT. HE SUGGESTED THAT HE PERSONALLY, WITH A CREW OF SELECTED MGRS, GO THROUGH THE ACFT WHILE I OBSERVED, TO ENSURE THAT ALL AREAS WERE CHKED. I SAID THAT IF HE ALSO INCLUDED A COUPLE OF MECHS TO SEARCH THE HIDDEN AREAS, THAT I WOULD BE SATISFIED AND WOULD TAKE THE ACFT. I INFORMED HIM, HOWEVER, I DOUBTED THAT THE CABIN CREW WOULD AGREE, IN LIGHT OF THE LIE THAT WAS LAID ON THEM BY HIM. HE THEN DECIDED TO GO AHEAD WITH THE FULL BOMB SQUAD SEARCH AND INFORMED THE POLICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT WAS ON THE ACFT TO MAKE THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS. IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE ORIGINAL GATE AGENT, WHOSE NAME I DID NOT GET, FOR FOLLOWING PROPER PROC IN QUESTIONING THE UNIDENTED PERSON, THEN CHKING WITH THE CABIN CREW TO SEE IF ANYONE SAW THE UNIDENTED PERSON GET ON OR OFF. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GIVE CREDIT TO ALL LAX PERSONNEL, FOR ULTIMATELY TREATING THIS INCIDENT SERIOUSLY, AND WITH THE RESPECT AND DIGNITY EXTENDED TO MYSELF AND THE ACFT CREW. AN INTERESTING SIDE NOTE TO THIS INCIDENT: FROM ABOUT DEP TIME TILL THE TIME THE PAX WERE REMOVED FROM THE ACFT, WE RECEIVED 3 CLOSEOUTS WITH REVISIONS -- ALL OF THEM SAID 'SECURITY OK' AT THE BOTTOM.

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.