Narrative:

Flight attendant came to the cockpit before departure and informed me that an elderly man made an off-hand comment that he had a bomb in his handbag. I initially decided to have him removed, but the agent and the flight attendant led me to believe that he had no idea what he was saying. He is 80+ yrs old. The other flight attendants found out about this and decided he should be taken off. The first officer offered to go back and talk to him. He spoke with the man and went through his bag and found nothing. He felt the man was completely harmless and did not realize the impact of his comment. I then turned to flight attendant #1 and asked him if he felt ok about letting him continue with us. He said he had no problem and did not think anyone else did. About 2 mins later, flight attendant #1 opened the cockpit door and advised me that some of the flight attendant's did not feel right about the situation. I informed him that if everyone was not in agreement, then the passenger should be removed. We removed the elderly gentleman and confirmed with the agent that he had no checked in bags. Supplemental information from acn 465950: agent and first officer brought passenger to aft galley to search his bags. Agent did not do a thorough search nor followed security procedures. Flight attendants raised objection to passenger traveling on flight because security procedures were not followed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE PLT AND CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B757, MIA-DFW. BOARDING. ELDERLY MAN SAID HE HAD BOMB IN HIS BAG. FO AND AGENT SEARCHED BAG. CAPT HAD MAN REMOVED.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT BEFORE DEP AND INFORMED ME THAT AN ELDERLY MAN MADE AN OFF-HAND COMMENT THAT HE HAD A BOMB IN HIS HANDBAG. I INITIALLY DECIDED TO HAVE HIM REMOVED, BUT THE AGENT AND THE FLT ATTENDANT LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS SAYING. HE IS 80+ YRS OLD. THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS AND DECIDED HE SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF. THE FO OFFERED TO GO BACK AND TALK TO HIM. HE SPOKE WITH THE MAN AND WENT THROUGH HIS BAG AND FOUND NOTHING. HE FELT THE MAN WAS COMPLETELY HARMLESS AND DID NOT REALIZE THE IMPACT OF HIS COMMENT. I THEN TURNED TO FLT ATTENDANT #1 AND ASKED HIM IF HE FELT OK ABOUT LETTING HIM CONTINUE WITH US. HE SAID HE HAD NO PROB AND DID NOT THINK ANYONE ELSE DID. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER, FLT ATTENDANT #1 OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND ADVISED ME THAT SOME OF THE FA'S DID NOT FEEL RIGHT ABOUT THE SIT. I INFORMED HIM THAT IF EVERYONE WAS NOT IN AGREEMENT, THEN THE PAX SHOULD BE REMOVED. WE REMOVED THE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN AND CONFIRMED WITH THE AGENT THAT HE HAD NO CHKED IN BAGS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 465950: AGENT AND FO BROUGHT PAX TO AFT GALLEY TO SEARCH HIS BAGS. AGENT DID NOT DO A THOROUGH SEARCH NOR FOLLOWED SECURITY PROCS. FLT ATTENDANTS RAISED OBJECTION TO PAX TRAVELING ON FLT BECAUSE SECURITY PROCS WERE NOT FOLLOWED.

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.