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Flight attendant, A300, jfk-sju, passenger couple threatened to harm flight attendant, took her picture, momentarily blinding flight attendant while doing safety check. Police detained passenger.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 455439 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199911 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zny.artcc |
| State Reference | NY |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial cruise : level descent : approach ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5 |
| Experience | flight attendant time airline total : 23 flight attendant time total : 23 flight attendant time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 455439 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge |
| Qualification | flight attendant : currently qualified |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Cabin Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance Company |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
Narrative:
Passenger demanded special meal/was not ordered. Had also been demanding bottled water every 20 mins. Received water from several crew members. Paperwork indicates had tried to upgrade at gate and was denied. Passenger stated was able to act and do anything they wanted. Airline X would compensate in some financial way. Wanted names of crew members -- not given. Took camera and flashed right in my face. Stole my name off tag and threatened me. I had no confrontation, just requested from cockpit to call sju police. The passenger said they would use my name and picture to hurt me. Female worked for a magazine. Sju police tried to get film. Passenger refused. Passenger went to restroom with camera. After that, claimed there was no film in camera. Passenger were verbally abusive using 4 letter words. Kept trying to engage me into a confrontation -- even in police office. I did not speak to them. I am concerned that they have my picture and name, since they threatened to use it in some way to 'hurt' me. These passenger stated they would not want my job, because they could do to me anything they wanted and airline X would be on their side. I've reported this to airline X and the union. They also stated FAA would never 'bother them and it would go against crew member.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter decided to have the captain call for the san juan police to meet the aircraft, when the woman temporarily blinded her with her camera flash, while the reporter was doing her final safety check. The captain agreed that this constituted 'interference with a crew member's duties.' the reporter would like to find out what penalties, if any, were leveled at the couple, but she is too frightened to call her airline and find out that, if nothing was done to them, then they are free to intimidate other crew members on future flts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT ATTENDANT, A300, JFK-SJU, PAX COUPLE THREATENED TO HARM FLT ATTENDANT, TOOK HER PICTURE, MOMENTARILY BLINDING FLT ATTENDANT WHILE DOING SAFETY CHK. POLICE DETAINED PAX.
Narrative: PAX DEMANDED SPECIAL MEAL/WAS NOT ORDERED. HAD ALSO BEEN DEMANDING BOTTLED WATER EVERY 20 MINS. RECEIVED WATER FROM SEVERAL CREW MEMBERS. PAPERWORK INDICATES HAD TRIED TO UPGRADE AT GATE AND WAS DENIED. PAX STATED WAS ABLE TO ACT AND DO ANYTHING THEY WANTED. AIRLINE X WOULD COMPENSATE IN SOME FINANCIAL WAY. WANTED NAMES OF CREW MEMBERS -- NOT GIVEN. TOOK CAMERA AND FLASHED RIGHT IN MY FACE. STOLE MY NAME OFF TAG AND THREATENED ME. I HAD NO CONFRONTATION, JUST REQUESTED FROM COCKPIT TO CALL SJU POLICE. THE PAX SAID THEY WOULD USE MY NAME AND PICTURE TO HURT ME. FEMALE WORKED FOR A MAGAZINE. SJU POLICE TRIED TO GET FILM. PAX REFUSED. PAX WENT TO RESTROOM WITH CAMERA. AFTER THAT, CLAIMED THERE WAS NO FILM IN CAMERA. PAX WERE VERBALLY ABUSIVE USING 4 LETTER WORDS. KEPT TRYING TO ENGAGE ME INTO A CONFRONTATION -- EVEN IN POLICE OFFICE. I DID NOT SPEAK TO THEM. I AM CONCERNED THAT THEY HAVE MY PICTURE AND NAME, SINCE THEY THREATENED TO USE IT IN SOME WAY TO 'HURT' ME. THESE PAX STATED THEY WOULD NOT WANT MY JOB, BECAUSE THEY COULD DO TO ME ANYTHING THEY WANTED AND AIRLINE X WOULD BE ON THEIR SIDE. I'VE RPTED THIS TO AIRLINE X AND THE UNION. THEY ALSO STATED FAA WOULD NEVER 'BOTHER THEM AND IT WOULD GO AGAINST CREW MEMBER.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR DECIDED TO HAVE THE CAPT CALL FOR THE SAN JUAN POLICE TO MEET THE ACFT, WHEN THE WOMAN TEMPORARILY BLINDED HER WITH HER CAMERA FLASH, WHILE THE RPTR WAS DOING HER FINAL SAFETY CHK. THE CAPT AGREED THAT THIS CONSTITUTED 'INTERFERENCE WITH A CREW MEMBER'S DUTIES.' THE RPTR WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT PENALTIES, IF ANY, WERE LEVELED AT THE COUPLE, BUT SHE IS TOO FRIGHTENED TO CALL HER AIRLINE AND FIND OUT THAT, IF NOTHING WAS DONE TO THEM, THEN THEY ARE FREE TO INTIMIDATE OTHER CREW MEMBERS ON FUTURE FLTS.
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.