Narrative:

My first officer and I were exhausted. We flew 5 legs, had multiple delays and maintenance problems, and no breaks. Our last flight, cwa-mke, was all we had left to fly. I told the 2 rampers we were ready to board. They said we only had 1 passenger. I then saw the rampers bring the passenger not through the terminal, but rather behind the ticket counter, through the bag room, on the ramp, and into the plane. I knew this was not right. I left the cockpit and asked the rampers why they brought the passenger through the bag room. They said he was a non revenue passenger. I asked if he had been through security, and they said 'no.' I asked 'why not?' and they said security had left the airport 4 hours earlier, at XA00. The rampers said that the station manager instructs them that non revenue passenger do not need to go through security for the late night flight, and that only revenue passenger must go through security. As a flight crew, we are not trained in passenger issues like this, so I thought that it must be ok, if that's what the station manager instructs the rampers. We started the engines and left the gate, but then stopped to discuss the situation. My first officer and I concluded that none of this made sense, and seemed to be wrong. I returned to the gate, shut down, and deplaned the passenger. I told the rampers to get the security people out to the airport to screen the passenger. They arrived 30 mins later, screened him, and then we took off. We also fully inspected the aircraft cabin (after first boarding the passenger) before taking off. In retrospect, I think I was very fatigued and incorrectly decided to taxi out initially. It took me a few moments to stop and think the whole situation through, and I'm glad we taxied back to the gate. More importantly, we might have a station manager who is misleading employees, and/or the ramper employees are not conducting security procedures as required by law. I intend to discuss this with company management to ensure that this practice is never repeated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A BEECH 1900 RETURNED TO GATE AFTER LEARNING THAT THE ONLY PAX HAD NOT BEEN SCREENED THROUGH ARPT GATE SECURITY.

Narrative: MY FO AND I WERE EXHAUSTED. WE FLEW 5 LEGS, HAD MULTIPLE DELAYS AND MAINT PROBS, AND NO BREAKS. OUR LAST FLT, CWA-MKE, WAS ALL WE HAD LEFT TO FLY. I TOLD THE 2 RAMPERS WE WERE READY TO BOARD. THEY SAID WE ONLY HAD 1 PAX. I THEN SAW THE RAMPERS BRING THE PAX NOT THROUGH THE TERMINAL, BUT RATHER BEHIND THE TICKET COUNTER, THROUGH THE BAG ROOM, ON THE RAMP, AND INTO THE PLANE. I KNEW THIS WAS NOT RIGHT. I LEFT THE COCKPIT AND ASKED THE RAMPERS WHY THEY BROUGHT THE PAX THROUGH THE BAG ROOM. THEY SAID HE WAS A NON REVENUE PAX. I ASKED IF HE HAD BEEN THROUGH SECURITY, AND THEY SAID 'NO.' I ASKED 'WHY NOT?' AND THEY SAID SECURITY HAD LEFT THE ARPT 4 HRS EARLIER, AT XA00. THE RAMPERS SAID THAT THE STATION MGR INSTRUCTS THEM THAT NON REVENUE PAX DO NOT NEED TO GO THROUGH SECURITY FOR THE LATE NIGHT FLT, AND THAT ONLY REVENUE PAX MUST GO THROUGH SECURITY. AS A FLC, WE ARE NOT TRAINED IN PAX ISSUES LIKE THIS, SO I THOUGHT THAT IT MUST BE OK, IF THAT'S WHAT THE STATION MGR INSTRUCTS THE RAMPERS. WE STARTED THE ENGS AND LEFT THE GATE, BUT THEN STOPPED TO DISCUSS THE SIT. MY FO AND I CONCLUDED THAT NONE OF THIS MADE SENSE, AND SEEMED TO BE WRONG. I RETURNED TO THE GATE, SHUT DOWN, AND DEPLANED THE PAX. I TOLD THE RAMPERS TO GET THE SECURITY PEOPLE OUT TO THE ARPT TO SCREEN THE PAX. THEY ARRIVED 30 MINS LATER, SCREENED HIM, AND THEN WE TOOK OFF. WE ALSO FULLY INSPECTED THE ACFT CABIN (AFTER FIRST BOARDING THE PAX) BEFORE TAKING OFF. IN RETROSPECT, I THINK I WAS VERY FATIGUED AND INCORRECTLY DECIDED TO TAXI OUT INITIALLY. IT TOOK ME A FEW MOMENTS TO STOP AND THINK THE WHOLE SIT THROUGH, AND I'M GLAD WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE MIGHT HAVE A STATION MGR WHO IS MISLEADING EMPLOYEES, AND/OR THE RAMPER EMPLOYEES ARE NOT CONDUCTING SECURITY PROCS AS REQUIRED BY LAW. I INTEND TO DISCUSS THIS WITH COMPANY MGMNT TO ENSURE THAT THIS PRACTICE IS NEVER REPEATED.

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.