Cabin attendant report, S80, ord-den. Seatbelt sign on, father took son to lavatory, told to be care...

Attributes
ACN	482315
Time
Date	200008
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : c90.tracon
State Reference	IL
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 7
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 1.5 flight attendant time total : 1.5 flight attendant time type : 90
ASRS Report	482315
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

I was the #2 flight attendant in charge of the main cabin. All doors were shut. I was walking up the aisle to get extra meals (they were passenger responsibility to grab meals in bag and bring on board) when a passenger grabbed my arm and demanded meals for him and his family of 3 (wife, 2 boys ages 2 and 4), so I handed 4 to them and went and sat down in my jump seat for takeoff. We were still climbing (not yet close to 10000 ft) when the passenger and son came back to use the lavatory. I told them to 'be extra careful, the fasten seatbelt sign is still on.' he grabbed child by both arms, yelling at me to tell his 4 yr old he can't go, and thrusted his son on me, then taking the lavatory door and slamming it into me. I was still seated in my jump seat. I then notified the captain, and I told the passenger to go up front to talk to the captain, when he began yelling at me to get away from him, and he is a passenger with rights. So I had the captain come back, talk to him, and tell him his options. He was quiet for the rest of the flight. The problem was taken care of, but I personally don't think anyone should go through verbal or physical abuse at any job. I think he should have been removed from the plane or not allowed to fly. No second chances! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that when the man and child came back to use the lavatory, when the seatbelt sign was still on, she started to remove the red strap (that the flight attendants have to hook up for takeoff) for him to use the lavatory, while, she was telling him to be careful. That's when he physically picked up his son and put him under his arm pit and thrust the boy at the reporter. She was a little bit frightened. It was the captain who suggested that he come back to talk to the man in the first class galley. When the man refused, the captain came back to coach and told the man to follow him to the aft galley. The captain gave him the option of diverting to take him off, or for him to settle down and they'd go on to denver.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, ORD-DEN. SEATBELT SIGN ON, FATHER TOOK SON TO LAVATORY, TOLD TO BE CAREFUL AND RESPONDED BY PICKING CHILD UP AND THRUST IN CABIN ATTENDANT'S FACE, ALMOST HIT HER BY SLAMMING LAVATORY DOOR. CAPT CAME BACK, THREATENED TO DIVERT.

Narrative: I WAS THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE OF THE MAIN CABIN. ALL DOORS WERE SHUT. I WAS WALKING UP THE AISLE TO GET EXTRA MEALS (THEY WERE PAX RESPONSIBILITY TO GRAB MEALS IN BAG AND BRING ON BOARD) WHEN A PAX GRABBED MY ARM AND DEMANDED MEALS FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY OF 3 (WIFE, 2 BOYS AGES 2 AND 4), SO I HANDED 4 TO THEM AND WENT AND SAT DOWN IN MY JUMP SEAT FOR TKOF. WE WERE STILL CLBING (NOT YET CLOSE TO 10000 FT) WHEN THE PAX AND SON CAME BACK TO USE THE LAVATORY. I TOLD THEM TO 'BE EXTRA CAREFUL, THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN IS STILL ON.' HE GRABBED CHILD BY BOTH ARMS, YELLING AT ME TO TELL HIS 4 YR OLD HE CAN'T GO, AND THRUSTED HIS SON ON ME, THEN TAKING THE LAVATORY DOOR AND SLAMMING IT INTO ME. I WAS STILL SEATED IN MY JUMP SEAT. I THEN NOTIFIED THE CAPT, AND I TOLD THE PAX TO GO UP FRONT TO TALK TO THE CAPT, WHEN HE BEGAN YELLING AT ME TO GET AWAY FROM HIM, AND HE IS A PAX WITH RIGHTS. SO I HAD THE CAPT COME BACK, TALK TO HIM, AND TELL HIM HIS OPTIONS. HE WAS QUIET FOR THE REST OF THE FLT. THE PROB WAS TAKEN CARE OF, BUT I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK ANYONE SHOULD GO THROUGH VERBAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE AT ANY JOB. I THINK HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PLANE OR NOT ALLOWED TO FLY. NO SECOND CHANCES! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHEN THE MAN AND CHILD CAME BACK TO USE THE LAVATORY, WHEN THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS STILL ON, SHE STARTED TO REMOVE THE RED STRAP (THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE TO HOOK UP FOR TKOF) FOR HIM TO USE THE LAVATORY, WHILE, SHE WAS TELLING HIM TO BE CAREFUL. THAT'S WHEN HE PHYSICALLY PICKED UP HIS SON AND PUT HIM UNDER HIS ARM PIT AND THRUST THE BOY AT THE RPTR. SHE WAS A LITTLE BIT FRIGHTENED. IT WAS THE CAPT WHO SUGGESTED THAT HE COME BACK TO TALK TO THE MAN IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY. WHEN THE MAN REFUSED, THE CAPT CAME BACK TO COACH AND TOLD THE MAN TO FOLLOW HIM TO THE AFT GALLEY. THE CAPT GAVE HIM THE OPTION OF DIVERTING TO TAKE HIM OFF, OR FOR HIM TO SETTLE DOWN AND THEY'D GO ON TO DENVER.

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, S80, ord-den. Seatbelt sign on, father took son to lavatory, told to be careful and responded by picking child up and thrust in cabin attendant's face, almost hit her by slamming lavatory door. Captain came back, threatened to divert.