Cabin attendant report, B767, mia-gru. Passenger, traveling with family, made bomb threat to get an ...

Attributes
ACN	468243
Time
Date	200003
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 8
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 13 flight attendant time total : 13 flight attendant time type : 25
ASRS Report	468243
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct cabin event other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : cab #1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

A passenger traveling with wife, nanny, 2 small children, told a flight attendant and agent, pulling his ticket, that if he didn't get a business class upgrade from coach, that he was going to put a bomb on board. The passenger repeated this statement a second time. The captain was informed and detained passenger to check his passport and informed the passenger that he 'really shouldn't say things like that,' but let the passenger board anyway. He informed the purser that he felt the passenger was no threat due to 'language barrier and having been traveling with his kids all day from disneyworld.' I personally asked the captain if he was aware of the sabotage and bomb threat portion of flight attendant training that we are required to attend. I also stated that there is a large sign at the security check point, stating that joking about bombs, etc, is against the law and not acceptable and that had the passenger made that statement at security he would not have been let through, but would be talking to the fbi. The captain said if the flight attendants weren't comfortable with it, that he would have passenger removed from aircraft, which he eventually did at the flight attendants' request. The passenger's family and luggage remained on board (carry-on and checked). I was not impressed that 1) the agent let him on board, 2) the captain let him on board -- both bypassing what is very stringently and concisely outlined as unacceptable behavior and qualifies as a bomb threat, which is a terrorist act/federal offense. I am not sure as to what happened to passenger after we left. I did hear them tell him that he would have to go on the flight the next morning (probably with a complimentary upgrade for his inconvenience!). Please be assured that flight attendants do not condone letting passenger slide in sits like this, and we strive to set an example and hold up our right to a safe work environment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B767, MIA-GRU. PAX, TRAVELING WITH FAMILY, MADE BOMB THREAT TO GET AN UPGRADE TO CABIN ATTENDANT AND AGENT PULLING TICKETS. PAX REMOVED PER CABIN ATTENDANT REQUEST.

Narrative: A PAX TRAVELING WITH WIFE, NANNY, 2 SMALL CHILDREN, TOLD A FLT ATTENDANT AND AGENT, PULLING HIS TICKET, THAT IF HE DIDN'T GET A BUSINESS CLASS UPGRADE FROM COACH, THAT HE WAS GOING TO PUT A BOMB ON BOARD. THE PAX REPEATED THIS STATEMENT A SECOND TIME. THE CAPT WAS INFORMED AND DETAINED PAX TO CHK HIS PASSPORT AND INFORMED THE PAX THAT HE 'REALLY SHOULDN'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT,' BUT LET THE PAX BOARD ANYWAY. HE INFORMED THE PURSER THAT HE FELT THE PAX WAS NO THREAT DUE TO 'LANGUAGE BARRIER AND HAVING BEEN TRAVELING WITH HIS KIDS ALL DAY FROM DISNEYWORLD.' I PERSONALLY ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WAS AWARE OF THE SABOTAGE AND BOMB THREAT PORTION OF FLT ATTENDANT TRAINING THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND. I ALSO STATED THAT THERE IS A LARGE SIGN AT THE SECURITY CHK POINT, STATING THAT JOKING ABOUT BOMBS, ETC, IS AGAINST THE LAW AND NOT ACCEPTABLE AND THAT HAD THE PAX MADE THAT STATEMENT AT SECURITY HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LET THROUGH, BUT WOULD BE TALKING TO THE FBI. THE CAPT SAID IF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WEREN'T COMFORTABLE WITH IT, THAT HE WOULD HAVE PAX REMOVED FROM ACFT, WHICH HE EVENTUALLY DID AT THE FLT ATTENDANTS' REQUEST. THE PAX'S FAMILY AND LUGGAGE REMAINED ON BOARD (CARRY-ON AND CHKED). I WAS NOT IMPRESSED THAT 1) THE AGENT LET HIM ON BOARD, 2) THE CAPT LET HIM ON BOARD -- BOTH BYPASSING WHAT IS VERY STRINGENTLY AND CONCISELY OUTLINED AS UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR AND QUALIFIES AS A BOMB THREAT, WHICH IS A TERRORIST ACT/FEDERAL OFFENSE. I AM NOT SURE AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO PAX AFTER WE LEFT. I DID HEAR THEM TELL HIM THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO GO ON THE FLT THE NEXT MORNING (PROBABLY WITH A COMPLIMENTARY UPGRADE FOR HIS INCONVENIENCE!). PLEASE BE ASSURED THAT FLT ATTENDANTS DO NOT CONDONE LETTING PAX SLIDE IN SITS LIKE THIS, AND WE STRIVE TO SET AN EXAMPLE AND HOLD UP OUR RIGHT TO A SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT.

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.

Cabin attendant report, B767, mia-gru. Passenger, traveling with family, made bomb threat to get an upgrade to cabin attendant and agent pulling tickets. Passenger removed per cabin attendant request.