Narrative:

During taxi out at den, the flight attendant approached the cockpit with a note in her hand. I, the captain, elected to stop the airplane and read the note. We informed ATC that we needed to stop. The ground controller said we could stop. We had a passenger that would not put his seatbelt on. I informed ground control of the problem and he was very helpful and said we could stop and park anywhere we wanted to and asked if we needed any assistance. I told him that we did not need any assistance at this point, just a few mins to sort out the problem. The note was from a doctor dated on apr/xa/94 stating that the patient was exempt from wearing his seatbelt in a car and an airplane because he was a pow and could possibly have flashbacks. I had the first officer go back to the cabin to speak with the passenger. While the first officer was in the back, ground control radioed me and asked if I could move to another location, because there was other aircraft now behind us that needed to get by. I informed the controller that I didn't want to move until the first officer returned to the flight deck. Approximately 1 min later, the controller again asked if I could move. I again told him that I didn't want to move until the first officer returned to the flight deck. Shortly thereafter, the first officer returned to the flight deck and we told ground control that we could now move to another location. While the first officer was in the back, I spoke with our company dispatch and was informed that the passenger indeed needed to wear his seatbelt while the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated. The first officer was able to convince the passenger to wear his seatbelt. We then proceeded with the flight without any further problems. We were asked to phone the tower at den. I phoned the tower when we arrived at our destination. The tower supervisor wanted to know why we couldn't move because we were blocking traffic behind us. I explained the whole situation (I think he understood). I just want to re-emphasize that when the situation first arose, the ground controller did tell us we could stop anywhere we wanted to. I used my PIC authority/authorized to best deal with this situation. I guess when we're dealing with passenger we're going to occasionally run into problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, DORNIER 328. DURING TAXI OUT IN DEN, CAPT RECEIVED NOTE FROM CABIN ATTENDANT, PAX NOT WEARING SEATBELT, RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM CTLR TO PULL OVER, FO WENT BACK, PAX STRAPPED IN. DEN TWR SUPVR REVIEW WITH CAPT AT DEST.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT AT DEN, THE FLT ATTENDANT APCHED THE COCKPIT WITH A NOTE IN HER HAND. I, THE CAPT, ELECTED TO STOP THE AIRPLANE AND READ THE NOTE. WE INFORMED ATC THAT WE NEEDED TO STOP. THE GND CTLR SAID WE COULD STOP. WE HAD A PAX THAT WOULD NOT PUT HIS SEATBELT ON. I INFORMED GND CTL OF THE PROB AND HE WAS VERY HELPFUL AND SAID WE COULD STOP AND PARK ANYWHERE WE WANTED TO AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED ANY ASSISTANCE. I TOLD HIM THAT WE DID NOT NEED ANY ASSISTANCE AT THIS POINT, JUST A FEW MINS TO SORT OUT THE PROB. THE NOTE WAS FROM A DOCTOR DATED ON APR/XA/94 STATING THAT THE PATIENT WAS EXEMPT FROM WEARING HIS SEATBELT IN A CAR AND AN AIRPLANE BECAUSE HE WAS A POW AND COULD POSSIBLY HAVE FLASHBACKS. I HAD THE FO GO BACK TO THE CABIN TO SPEAK WITH THE PAX. WHILE THE FO WAS IN THE BACK, GND CTL RADIOED ME AND ASKED IF I COULD MOVE TO ANOTHER LOCATION, BECAUSE THERE WAS OTHER ACFT NOW BEHIND US THAT NEEDED TO GET BY. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE UNTIL THE FO RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK. APPROX 1 MIN LATER, THE CTLR AGAIN ASKED IF I COULD MOVE. I AGAIN TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE UNTIL THE FO RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE FO RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK AND WE TOLD GND CTL THAT WE COULD NOW MOVE TO ANOTHER LOCATION. WHILE THE FO WAS IN THE BACK, I SPOKE WITH OUR COMPANY DISPATCH AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PAX INDEED NEEDED TO WEAR HIS SEATBELT WHILE THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN WAS ILLUMINATED. THE FO WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE THE PAX TO WEAR HIS SEATBELT. WE THEN PROCEEDED WITH THE FLT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBS. WE WERE ASKED TO PHONE THE TWR AT DEN. I PHONED THE TWR WHEN WE ARRIVED AT OUR DEST. THE TWR SUPVR WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE COULDN'T MOVE BECAUSE WE WERE BLOCKING TFC BEHIND US. I EXPLAINED THE WHOLE SIT (I THINK HE UNDERSTOOD). I JUST WANT TO RE-EMPHASIZE THAT WHEN THE SIT FIRST AROSE, THE GND CTLR DID TELL US WE COULD STOP ANYWHERE WE WANTED TO. I USED MY PIC AUTH TO BEST DEAL WITH THIS SIT. I GUESS WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH PAX WE'RE GOING TO OCCASIONALLY RUN INTO PROBS.

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.