Narrative:

I am writing this letter to describe the chain of events on feb/fri/01 on flight from bfl to phx. I was the first officer (CL65). We had a departure time of XA00 with a wheels up time of XA05-XA07 after the XA00 hour. The flight boarded normally. The captain was outside loading bags, I was inside preparing for an on-time departure. 3 mins before departure, the captain now standing in galley with flight attendant. While I was completing the manifest, I heard there were 51 passenger on board a 50 passenger jet. I waited for the captain to return to the flight deck. At that moment I was thinking the gate agent was taking care of the 51ST passenger. The next thing I know, the captain was asking me if it would bother me to have a jump seater. I replied 'no.' never thought to ask the captain what their qualifications might be. I made the mistake of trusting the captain/PIC in discriminating who would occupy the jump seat. It turned out the jump seater was not qualified to ride and on a full fare ticket. I assure you that if I was PIC/captain of the flight, I would have handled this situation differently and let the agent take care of the problem, or make sure he was qualified as per far part 121.547. I was unaware of how to correct the situation after the damage had been done, to express my concerns. I have learned from it and continue to have a strong commitment towards aviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 PAX PERMITTED TO RIDE IN JUMP SEAT SINCE THERE WERE 1 TOO MANY PAX BOARDING FLT FOR THE AMOUNT OF PAX SEATS.

Narrative: I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO DESCRIBE THE CHAIN OF EVENTS ON FEB/FRI/01 ON FLT FROM BFL TO PHX. I WAS THE FO (CL65). WE HAD A DEP TIME OF XA00 WITH A WHEELS UP TIME OF XA05-XA07 AFTER THE XA00 HR. THE FLT BOARDED NORMALLY. THE CAPT WAS OUTSIDE LOADING BAGS, I WAS INSIDE PREPARING FOR AN ON-TIME DEP. 3 MINS BEFORE DEP, THE CAPT NOW STANDING IN GALLEY WITH FLT ATTENDANT. WHILE I WAS COMPLETING THE MANIFEST, I HEARD THERE WERE 51 PAX ON BOARD A 50 PAX JET. I WAITED FOR THE CAPT TO RETURN TO THE FLT DECK. AT THAT MOMENT I WAS THINKING THE GATE AGENT WAS TAKING CARE OF THE 51ST PAX. THE NEXT THING I KNOW, THE CAPT WAS ASKING ME IF IT WOULD BOTHER ME TO HAVE A JUMP SEATER. I REPLIED 'NO.' NEVER THOUGHT TO ASK THE CAPT WHAT THEIR QUALIFICATIONS MIGHT BE. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF TRUSTING THE CAPT/PIC IN DISCRIMINATING WHO WOULD OCCUPY THE JUMP SEAT. IT TURNED OUT THE JUMP SEATER WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO RIDE AND ON A FULL FARE TICKET. I ASSURE YOU THAT IF I WAS PIC/CAPT OF THE FLT, I WOULD HAVE HANDLED THIS SIT DIFFERENTLY AND LET THE AGENT TAKE CARE OF THE PROB, OR MAKE SURE HE WAS QUALIFIED AS PER FAR PART 121.547. I WAS UNAWARE OF HOW TO CORRECT THE SIT AFTER THE DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONE, TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS. I HAVE LEARNED FROM IT AND CONTINUE TO HAVE A STRONG COMMITMENT TOWARDS AVIATION.

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.