Narrative:

On sep/xa/99, I was the captain of a B727 for a flight from las to iah. The flight left las approximately 1.5 hours late due to a maintenance problem that was repaired in las prior to departure. A lot of the passenger appeared annoyed due to our late departure. Some time during the flight, one of the flight attendants came to the flight deck and informed me that a female passenger was distraught and verbally abusive. I asked her to try and calm things down. Later, I was again informed that the same passenger was still very obnoxious, cursing, etc. I asked the flight attendant if she could handle the situation and she said she would try. Apparently, this passenger could not be appeased, since I was again informed of this passenger's intolerable behavior. At that time I instructed the lead flight attendant to issue a level 1 in-flight disturbance warning (written) to the passenger per our flight operations manual. I assume that had the intended effect, since I heard no more about the situation. Approaching iah, a call was made to our station agent stating there was a level 1 in-flight disturbance on board. I also requested the ground security coordinator meet the aircraft on arrival per our flight operations manual. Upon arrival at the gate, I asked the flight attendants to point out the unruly passenger. I observed her deplane. She walked normally and did not appear to be intoxicated or 'under the influence.' I later found out that the lead flight attendant alleged in her report that the passenger was intoxicated. I never got that impression from the information that was given to me at the time, although very aggravating, I don't think that verbal abuse and obnoxious behavior of this person was a dangerous threat to the aircraft or occupants warranting a divert for her removal. If the situation had gotten physical, I believe a divert would be in order. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he didn't have any dealings with the woman, but he thought that she shouldn't have been arrested for using abusive language, which in fact, she was met by airport police. The fact that he didn't directly deal with her, he felt was cause for him to hesitate writing this report, but he felt justice hadn't been served, and that the flight attendants made much ado about nothing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, B727-200, LAS-IAH, PURSER WANTED INTOXICATED, VERBALLY ABUSIVE LADY PAX ARRESTED IN IAH. CAPT CALLED, BUT DISAGREED THAT THE PAX WAS DRUNK.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/99, I WAS THE CAPT OF A B727 FOR A FLT FROM LAS TO IAH. THE FLT LEFT LAS APPROX 1.5 HRS LATE DUE TO A MAINT PROB THAT WAS REPAIRED IN LAS PRIOR TO DEP. A LOT OF THE PAX APPEARED ANNOYED DUE TO OUR LATE DEP. SOME TIME DURING THE FLT, ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAME TO THE FLT DECK AND INFORMED ME THAT A FEMALE PAX WAS DISTRAUGHT AND VERBALLY ABUSIVE. I ASKED HER TO TRY AND CALM THINGS DOWN. LATER, I WAS AGAIN INFORMED THAT THE SAME PAX WAS STILL VERY OBNOXIOUS, CURSING, ETC. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT IF SHE COULD HANDLE THE SIT AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD TRY. APPARENTLY, THIS PAX COULD NOT BE APPEASED, SINCE I WAS AGAIN INFORMED OF THIS PAX'S INTOLERABLE BEHAVIOR. AT THAT TIME I INSTRUCTED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO ISSUE A LEVEL 1 INFLT DISTURBANCE WARNING (WRITTEN) TO THE PAX PER OUR FLT OPS MANUAL. I ASSUME THAT HAD THE INTENDED EFFECT, SINCE I HEARD NO MORE ABOUT THE SIT. APCHING IAH, A CALL WAS MADE TO OUR STATION AGENT STATING THERE WAS A LEVEL 1 INFLT DISTURBANCE ON BOARD. I ALSO REQUESTED THE GND SECURITY COORDINATOR MEET THE ACFT ON ARR PER OUR FLT OPS MANUAL. UPON ARR AT THE GATE, I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO POINT OUT THE UNRULY PAX. I OBSERVED HER DEPLANE. SHE WALKED NORMALLY AND DID NOT APPEAR TO BE INTOXICATED OR 'UNDER THE INFLUENCE.' I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT ALLEGED IN HER RPT THAT THE PAX WAS INTOXICATED. I NEVER GOT THAT IMPRESSION FROM THE INFO THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME AT THE TIME, ALTHOUGH VERY AGGRAVATING, I DON'T THINK THAT VERBAL ABUSE AND OBNOXIOUS BEHAVIOR OF THIS PERSON WAS A DANGEROUS THREAT TO THE ACFT OR OCCUPANTS WARRANTING A DIVERT FOR HER REMOVAL. IF THE SIT HAD GOTTEN PHYSICAL, I BELIEVE A DIVERT WOULD BE IN ORDER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY DEALINGS WITH THE WOMAN, BUT HE THOUGHT THAT SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR USING ABUSIVE LANGUAGE, WHICH IN FACT, SHE WAS MET BY ARPT POLICE. THE FACT THAT HE DIDN'T DIRECTLY DEAL WITH HER, HE FELT WAS CAUSE FOR HIM TO HESITATE WRITING THIS RPT, BUT HE FELT JUSTICE HADN'T BEEN SERVED, AND THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS MADE MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

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.