Narrative:

Deadheaded from dfw to pick up flight shv to dfw. Flight had diverted to shv en route to dfw from fra. Crew had gone illegal. We were to fly passenger to dfw. Shv customs cleared flight and cabin crew on general decs (deplaned custom services). Customs in shv hand wrote a notation on general decs (deplaned custom services) stating domestic crew was exempt from customs clearance. Passenger deplaned at dfw to clear customs. General decs (deplaned custom services) was taken to customs. Gate agent opened terminal door for crew and we exited the boarding area. On my way home I was called by crew scheduling notifying me to return to dfw and clear customs. I called dfw customs from home and was told I should have cleared customs in dfw because was a continuation of flight. After being educated by dfw customs it was decided that coming back to the airport to clear customs was unnecessary. The whole air carrier X crew was completely unaware of the requirement to clear customs at dfw even though we were a domestic crew originating from shv having been exempt on the general decs (deplaned custom services) by shv customs. We did not let ourselves out of the boarding area (the gate agent opened the door, crews don't have keys) and we did not intentionally bypass customs. Domestic crews need to be made aware of this requirement to clear customs for this type of situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RELIEF FLC OF AN MD11 FAILED TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS AT DFW AFTER FLYING AN INTL CONTINUATION FLT FROM SHV TO DFW.

Narrative: DEADHEADED FROM DFW TO PICK UP FLT SHV TO DFW. FLT HAD DIVERTED TO SHV ENRTE TO DFW FROM FRA. CREW HAD GONE ILLEGAL. WE WERE TO FLY PAX TO DFW. SHV CUSTOMS CLRED FLT AND CABIN CREW ON GENERAL DECS (DEPLANED CUSTOM SVCS). CUSTOMS IN SHV HAND WROTE A NOTATION ON GENERAL DECS (DEPLANED CUSTOM SVCS) STATING DOMESTIC CREW WAS EXEMPT FROM CUSTOMS CLRNC. PAX DEPLANED AT DFW TO CLR CUSTOMS. GENERAL DECS (DEPLANED CUSTOM SVCS) WAS TAKEN TO CUSTOMS. GATE AGENT OPENED TERMINAL DOOR FOR CREW AND WE EXITED THE BOARDING AREA. ON MY WAY HOME I WAS CALLED BY CREW SCHEDULING NOTIFYING ME TO RETURN TO DFW AND CLR CUSTOMS. I CALLED DFW CUSTOMS FROM HOME AND WAS TOLD I SHOULD HAVE CLRED CUSTOMS IN DFW BECAUSE WAS A CONTINUATION OF FLT. AFTER BEING EDUCATED BY DFW CUSTOMS IT WAS DECIDED THAT COMING BACK TO THE ARPT TO CLR CUSTOMS WAS UNNECESSARY. THE WHOLE ACR X CREW WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE REQUIREMENT TO CLR CUSTOMS AT DFW EVEN THOUGH WE WERE A DOMESTIC CREW ORIGINATING FROM SHV HAVING BEEN EXEMPT ON THE GENERAL DECS (DEPLANED CUSTOM SVCS) BY SHV CUSTOMS. WE DID NOT LET OURSELVES OUT OF THE BOARDING AREA (THE GATE AGENT OPENED THE DOOR, CREWS DON'T HAVE KEYS) AND WE DID NOT INTENTIONALLY BYPASS CUSTOMS. DOMESTIC CREWS NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF THIS REQUIREMENT TO CLR CUSTOMS FOR THIS TYPE OF SIT.

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.