Narrative:

During boarding, a passenger made a 'non specific' weapons joke. This was witnessed by the 'a' flight attendant, gate agent, and a passenger. A supervisor was called to the jetway. None of the 3 who witnessed this person's comment could identify who had made the joke, nor did they feel it was an actual threat. The supervisor determined that the passenger witness was completely comfortable continuing on. After pushback, further crew comments and discussion led us to believe there were more passenger aware of and concerned about the possibility of a 'specific' threat. Although that was not the case, we elected to return to the gate. Upon return to the gate, passenger were deplaned and checked at security. The goof who made the bad joke confessed it was him. He was removed from the flight and we continued. I am filing the report because after all was said and done, the question came up 'should we have left the gate in the first place?' this entire episode could have been avoided if the 'a' flight attendant would have removed the man who made the weapons joke from the plane rather than allowing him to disappear to the back of the plane, where 5 mins later none of the 3 or 4 witnesses could identify who he was. Additionally, when we called las to notify them we were returning to the gate, someone there (without being asked to) chose to handle our return as a 'specific' threat. Police were called, las airport operations were called, and an entire herd of air carrier people showed up as well. (None of this was requested by the flight crew.) this entire effort was so out of control it looked like a circus. Communication and coordination fell apart from a to Z. Failure #1: flight attendant fails to remove the offending passenger. Failure #2: flight crew fails to demand a more complete resolution before push. Failure #3: ground chooses to make it a specific threat on their own. Failure #4: total failure to coordinate ground efforts by las procedures. What if we had a real bomb? People need to be reading our procedures. Supplemental information from acn 510686: the passenger that made the comment confessed he was just joking. We left him and all baggage behind in las vegas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PUSHED BACK B737 FLT RETURNS TO THE GATE AFTER A 'NON SPECIFIC' WEAPONS JOKE TOLD BY A PAX WAS CAUSE FOR REFLECTION AND INVESTIGATION AT LAS, NV.

Narrative: DURING BOARDING, A PAX MADE A 'NON SPECIFIC' WEAPONS JOKE. THIS WAS WITNESSED BY THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT, GATE AGENT, AND A PAX. A SUPVR WAS CALLED TO THE JETWAY. NONE OF THE 3 WHO WITNESSED THIS PERSON'S COMMENT COULD IDENT WHO HAD MADE THE JOKE, NOR DID THEY FEEL IT WAS AN ACTUAL THREAT. THE SUPVR DETERMINED THAT THE PAX WITNESS WAS COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE CONTINUING ON. AFTER PUSHBACK, FURTHER CREW COMMENTS AND DISCUSSION LED US TO BELIEVE THERE WERE MORE PAX AWARE OF AND CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A 'SPECIFIC' THREAT. ALTHOUGH THAT WAS NOT THE CASE, WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE GATE. UPON RETURN TO THE GATE, PAX WERE DEPLANED AND CHKED AT SECURITY. THE GOOF WHO MADE THE BAD JOKE CONFESSED IT WAS HIM. HE WAS REMOVED FROM THE FLT AND WE CONTINUED. I AM FILING THE RPT BECAUSE AFTER ALL WAS SAID AND DONE, THE QUESTION CAME UP 'SHOULD WE HAVE LEFT THE GATE IN THE FIRST PLACE?' THIS ENTIRE EPISODE COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT WOULD HAVE REMOVED THE MAN WHO MADE THE WEAPONS JOKE FROM THE PLANE RATHER THAN ALLOWING HIM TO DISAPPEAR TO THE BACK OF THE PLANE, WHERE 5 MINS LATER NONE OF THE 3 OR 4 WITNESSES COULD IDENT WHO HE WAS. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN WE CALLED LAS TO NOTIFY THEM WE WERE RETURNING TO THE GATE, SOMEONE THERE (WITHOUT BEING ASKED TO) CHOSE TO HANDLE OUR RETURN AS A 'SPECIFIC' THREAT. POLICE WERE CALLED, LAS ARPT OPS WERE CALLED, AND AN ENTIRE HERD OF ACR PEOPLE SHOWED UP AS WELL. (NONE OF THIS WAS REQUESTED BY THE FLC.) THIS ENTIRE EFFORT WAS SO OUT OF CTL IT LOOKED LIKE A CIRCUS. COM AND COORD FELL APART FROM A TO Z. FAILURE #1: FLT ATTENDANT FAILS TO REMOVE THE OFFENDING PAX. FAILURE #2: FLC FAILS TO DEMAND A MORE COMPLETE RESOLUTION BEFORE PUSH. FAILURE #3: GND CHOOSES TO MAKE IT A SPECIFIC THREAT ON THEIR OWN. FAILURE #4: TOTAL FAILURE TO COORDINATE GND EFFORTS BY LAS PROCS. WHAT IF WE HAD A REAL BOMB? PEOPLE NEED TO BE READING OUR PROCS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 510686: THE PAX THAT MADE THE COMMENT CONFESSED HE WAS JUST JOKING. WE LEFT HIM AND ALL BAGGAGE BEHIND IN LAS VEGAS.

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.