Narrative:

During the end of passenger boarding, a passenger came forward from rear of aircraft and stated that he had left his computer and needed to get off and get it. I asked to see his boarding pass and told him that he needed to take all his belongings with him. I also told him he would need to let the gate agent know he was deplaning and give them his boarding pass. The passenger seemed anxious and in a hurry. I informed the #1 flight attendant (assisting first class passenger) that a passenger had deplaned. A few mins later, I saw some activity near the rear lavatories and flight attendant #4 coming forward. Flight attendant #4 told myself and flight attendant #1 that some passenger in the rear of the aircraft had said that the gentleman that got off had moved from row to row and then went into the lavatory with 2 bags and came out without them and left the aircraft. Flight attendant #1 reported this to the captain and the boarding agent. Airline security was notified by the agent and captain felt that the aircraft should be deplaned and checked thoroughly before departure. All passenger were deplaned with their carry-on items, as well as the crew and their luggage. I gave a description of the passenger to personnel/auths and the events, as I was aware of them. I explained that, to the best of my knowledge the passenger had a black leather jacket over his shoulder and small plastic bag (like from drugstore, etc) in his hand, as he deplaned. The aircraft was searched by auths/personnel and the aircraft was found to be clear/clean of all items and safe to reboard. Crew and passenger were reboarded and the flight departed approximately 1 hour late. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that she assumed that the man had left his computer in the boarding area or in his car. When the boarding process was complete and the flight was ready to go, the man had still not returned. The agent tried to shut the door, but the captain insisted that the plane be searched and security got on with bomb sniffing dogs. While waiting for the plane to be searched, the crew ran a check on the man in the podium's computer and found that he was a frequent traveler on their airline. Security did not check or x-ray the personal carry-on luggage of the passenger and the crew members. The passenger were relieved and grateful that the captain wouldn't leave without the plane being searched.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B727-200, MIA-MSY. DURING BOARDING, SUSPICIOUS PAX GOT OFF TO GET HIS COMPUTER. PAX GOT OFF WITH CARRY-ON, CAPT HAD PLANE SEARCHED.

Narrative: DURING THE END OF PAX BOARDING, A PAX CAME FORWARD FROM REAR OF ACFT AND STATED THAT HE HAD LEFT HIS COMPUTER AND NEEDED TO GET OFF AND GET IT. I ASKED TO SEE HIS BOARDING PASS AND TOLD HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO TAKE ALL HIS BELONGINGS WITH HIM. I ALSO TOLD HIM HE WOULD NEED TO LET THE GATE AGENT KNOW HE WAS DEPLANING AND GIVE THEM HIS BOARDING PASS. THE PAX SEEMED ANXIOUS AND IN A HURRY. I INFORMED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT (ASSISTING FIRST CLASS PAX) THAT A PAX HAD DEPLANED. A FEW MINS LATER, I SAW SOME ACTIVITY NEAR THE REAR LAVATORIES AND FLT ATTENDANT #4 COMING FORWARD. FLT ATTENDANT #4 TOLD MYSELF AND FLT ATTENDANT #1 THAT SOME PAX IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT HAD SAID THAT THE GENTLEMAN THAT GOT OFF HAD MOVED FROM ROW TO ROW AND THEN WENT INTO THE LAVATORY WITH 2 BAGS AND CAME OUT WITHOUT THEM AND LEFT THE ACFT. FLT ATTENDANT #1 RPTED THIS TO THE CAPT AND THE BOARDING AGENT. AIRLINE SECURITY WAS NOTIFIED BY THE AGENT AND CAPT FELT THAT THE ACFT SHOULD BE DEPLANED AND CHKED THOROUGHLY BEFORE DEP. ALL PAX WERE DEPLANED WITH THEIR CARRY-ON ITEMS, AS WELL AS THE CREW AND THEIR LUGGAGE. I GAVE A DESCRIPTION OF THE PAX TO PERSONNEL/AUTHS AND THE EVENTS, AS I WAS AWARE OF THEM. I EXPLAINED THAT, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THE PAX HAD A BLACK LEATHER JACKET OVER HIS SHOULDER AND SMALL PLASTIC BAG (LIKE FROM DRUGSTORE, ETC) IN HIS HAND, AS HE DEPLANED. THE ACFT WAS SEARCHED BY AUTHS/PERSONNEL AND THE ACFT WAS FOUND TO BE CLR/CLEAN OF ALL ITEMS AND SAFE TO REBOARD. CREW AND PAX WERE REBOARDED AND THE FLT DEPARTED APPROX 1 HR LATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT SHE ASSUMED THAT THE MAN HAD LEFT HIS COMPUTER IN THE BOARDING AREA OR IN HIS CAR. WHEN THE BOARDING PROCESS WAS COMPLETE AND THE FLT WAS READY TO GO, THE MAN HAD STILL NOT RETURNED. THE AGENT TRIED TO SHUT THE DOOR, BUT THE CAPT INSISTED THAT THE PLANE BE SEARCHED AND SECURITY GOT ON WITH BOMB SNIFFING DOGS. WHILE WAITING FOR THE PLANE TO BE SEARCHED, THE CREW RAN A CHK ON THE MAN IN THE PODIUM'S COMPUTER AND FOUND THAT HE WAS A FREQUENT TRAVELER ON THEIR AIRLINE. SECURITY DID NOT CHK OR X-RAY THE PERSONAL CARRY-ON LUGGAGE OF THE PAX AND THE CREW MEMBERS. THE PAX WERE RELIEVED AND GRATEFUL THAT THE CAPT WOULDN'T LEAVE WITHOUT THE PLANE BEING SEARCHED.

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.