Narrative:

During the boarding of flight, ewer-lax, jul/sat/01, flight attendant #4 entered the cockpit to tell me that an older gentleman had just boarded the aircraft and appeared to have been drinking and that she smelled alcohol. I asked her if the passenger was causing any problems. Her answer was 'no.' I then asked what the passenger was doing. Her answer was 'sitting in his seat.' judging from flight attendant's answer and the fact that the gate agents allowed the passenger to board, I decided to allow the passenger to stay on board. Approximately 3 hours into the flight, flight attendant #4 entered the cockpit to tell first officer and me that the male passenger was disturbing some of the passenger seated next to him. I told flight attendant #4 to keep me updated on the situation. Approximately 30 mins later flight attendant #4 entered the cockpit to tell me that the passenger was now swearing and continuing to disturb some of the passenger seated around him. Flight attendant #4 asked if one of us would come back to the cabin to talk to the passenger. When first officer returned to the cockpit he stated to me that 'the passenger was annoying some of the passenger, but we do not have a problem.' about 40 mins later flight attendant #4 entered the cockpit and was angry and emotional. She asked if first officer could return to the cabin to talk to the passenger. First officer returned to the cabin and talked to the passenger. Upon returning to the cockpit, first officer explained to me that he had talked to the passenger again and said in his view the passenger was tired of the flight attendants constantly telling him what he could do and what he could not do. First officer then stated again 'the passenger was annoying some of the passenger, but we do not have a problem.' subsequently, flight attendant #4 reentered the cockpit several times to characterize to first officer and me what she was saying and how she was interacting with the passenger. Flight attendant was now extremely angry and highly emotional. Repeatedly, I directed flight attendant #4 to control her emotions and anger because she was exacerbating the situation. Flight attendant chose to ignore my direction and continued her anger and vindictive approach with the passenger. First officer and I then discussed flight attendant's actions and concluded that absent flight attendant, angry approach, the situation in the cabin would be mitigated. Flight attendant's decision to repeatedly ignore my direction had the potential of escalating the situation and putting the passenger and crew in danger. After my discussion with first officer, I left the cockpit to go to the lavatory. When I exited the forward lavatory, flight attendant #1 and several other flight attendants were standing in the first class galley. Flight attendant #4 walked up to me, held up her arm, pointed at my face and yelled 'you don't know what you're doing, I'm sorry to say.' this angry outburst in front of the flight attendants and within earshot of the first class passenger had the net effect of abrogating my ability to maintain the respect of the other flight attendants, which was most noticeable for the rest of the flight. I decided not to respond to the statement. I entered the cockpit and began making preparations for our descent and landing. Flight attendant #1 entered the cockpit and requested a male customer service representative to meet the flight. First officer called air carrier operations 3 times to request a male customer service representative. The 3RD time first officer called operations was at the gate when we noticed there was no representative at the gate to meet the flight. After almost all of the passenger were deplaned, first officer and I took our bags and left the aircraft and noticed the customer service representative on the jet bridge approaching the aircraft. Flight X landed in lax ahead of schedule and the passenger departed the aircraft uneventfully before the customer service representative arrived. 3 days later on jul/tue/01, as I was signing in for the same sequence, lax chief pilot met me in operations and asked if he could speak to me. I discussed the events that occurred which are explained above. During our discussion captain indicated to me that flight attendant had come into his office to talk about flight X. Captain indicated to me that flight attendant stated that our problem passenger had made a hijack threat. I told captain that this was the first I had heard of ahijack threat. After my meeting with captain I proceeded to the airplane and began preparing the cockpit for departure. Flight attendant #1 was once again the #1 flight attendant. Flight attendant came into the cockpit and began yelling at me in front of my new first officer and within earshot of several flight attendants standing near the cockpit, about the fact that on our previous flight first officer and I did not call a male 'mod' as requested. After flight attendant left the cockpit first officer stated to me 'I was uncomfortable with that. That was uncalled for and unprofessional.' during cruise, flight attendant felt compelled to privately apologize on 2 separate occasions to first officer for her actions. This lack of professionalism and overt insubordination compromised my authority/authorized as captain and ability to effectively communicate with the rest of the crew. I am extremely appalled that the flight attendants collectively decided that it was inconsequential to tell first officer and I that we had a hijack threat. The decision not to tell the pilots that a hijack threat was made rendered us unable to assess the severity of the situation. It is air carrier X's policy to consider all threats to be serious. This clearly put the passenger and crew in danger and also falls into the category of criminal negligence. Also, flight attendant #1's demand for a 'male customer service representative' to meet the aircraft, flight attendant #1 contends she requested an 'mod,' was apparently her injudicious solution to a hijack threat that was privileged information of only the flight attendants. I am requesting a formal written response regarding this matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX WHO APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DRINKING WAS BOARDED. ENRTE HE CAUSED DIFFICULTY WITH OTHER PAX AND CABIN CREW. INTERACTION BTWN CABIN AND COCKPIT CREW DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY. AN APPARENT HIJACK THREAT WAS NOT COMMUNICATED TO THE CAPT.

Narrative: DURING THE BOARDING OF FLT, EWER-LAX, JUL/SAT/01, FLT ATTENDANT #4 ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO TELL ME THAT AN OLDER GENTLEMAN HAD JUST BOARDED THE ACFT AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DRINKING AND THAT SHE SMELLED ALCOHOL. I ASKED HER IF THE PAX WAS CAUSING ANY PROBS. HER ANSWER WAS 'NO.' I THEN ASKED WHAT THE PAX WAS DOING. HER ANSWER WAS 'SITTING IN HIS SEAT.' JUDGING FROM FLT ATTENDANT'S ANSWER AND THE FACT THAT THE GATE AGENTS ALLOWED THE PAX TO BOARD, I DECIDED TO ALLOW THE PAX TO STAY ON BOARD. APPROX 3 HRS INTO THE FLT, FLT ATTENDANT #4 ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO TELL FO AND ME THAT THE MALE PAX WAS DISTURBING SOME OF THE PAX SEATED NEXT TO HIM. I TOLD FLT ATTENDANT #4 TO KEEP ME UPDATED ON THE SIT. APPROX 30 MINS LATER FLT ATTENDANT #4 ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO TELL ME THAT THE PAX WAS NOW SWEARING AND CONTINUING TO DISTURB SOME OF THE PAX SEATED AROUND HIM. FLT ATTENDANT #4 ASKED IF ONE OF US WOULD COME BACK TO THE CABIN TO TALK TO THE PAX. WHEN FO RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT HE STATED TO ME THAT 'THE PAX WAS ANNOYING SOME OF THE PAX, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE A PROB.' ABOUT 40 MINS LATER FLT ATTENDANT #4 ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND WAS ANGRY AND EMOTIONAL. SHE ASKED IF FO COULD RETURN TO THE CABIN TO TALK TO THE PAX. FO RETURNED TO THE CABIN AND TALKED TO THE PAX. UPON RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT, FO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT HE HAD TALKED TO THE PAX AGAIN AND SAID IN HIS VIEW THE PAX WAS TIRED OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CONSTANTLY TELLING HIM WHAT HE COULD DO AND WHAT HE COULD NOT DO. FO THEN STATED AGAIN 'THE PAX WAS ANNOYING SOME OF THE PAX, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE A PROB.' SUBSEQUENTLY, FLT ATTENDANT #4 REENTERED THE COCKPIT SEVERAL TIMES TO CHARACTERIZE TO FO AND ME WHAT SHE WAS SAYING AND HOW SHE WAS INTERACTING WITH THE PAX. FLT ATTENDANT WAS NOW EXTREMELY ANGRY AND HIGHLY EMOTIONAL. REPEATEDLY, I DIRECTED FLT ATTENDANT #4 TO CTL HER EMOTIONS AND ANGER BECAUSE SHE WAS EXACERBATING THE SIT. FLT ATTENDANT CHOSE TO IGNORE MY DIRECTION AND CONTINUED HER ANGER AND VINDICTIVE APCH WITH THE PAX. FO AND I THEN DISCUSSED FLT ATTENDANT'S ACTIONS AND CONCLUDED THAT ABSENT FLT ATTENDANT, ANGRY APCH, THE SIT IN THE CABIN WOULD BE MITIGATED. FLT ATTENDANT'S DECISION TO REPEATEDLY IGNORE MY DIRECTION HAD THE POTENTIAL OF ESCALATING THE SIT AND PUTTING THE PAX AND CREW IN DANGER. AFTER MY DISCUSSION WITH FO, I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO GO TO THE LAVATORY. WHEN I EXITED THE FORWARD LAVATORY, FLT ATTENDANT #1 AND SEVERAL OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS WERE STANDING IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY. FLT ATTENDANT #4 WALKED UP TO ME, HELD UP HER ARM, POINTED AT MY FACE AND YELLED 'YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, I'M SORRY TO SAY.' THIS ANGRY OUTBURST IN FRONT OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND WITHIN EARSHOT OF THE FIRST CLASS PAX HAD THE NET EFFECT OF ABROGATING MY ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE RESPECT OF THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS, WHICH WAS MOST NOTICEABLE FOR THE REST OF THE FLT. I DECIDED NOT TO RESPOND TO THE STATEMENT. I ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR OUR DSCNT AND LNDG. FLT ATTENDANT #1 ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND REQUESTED A MALE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE TO MEET THE FLT. FO CALLED ACR OPS 3 TIMES TO REQUEST A MALE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE. THE 3RD TIME FO CALLED OPS WAS AT THE GATE WHEN WE NOTICED THERE WAS NO REPRESENTATIVE AT THE GATE TO MEET THE FLT. AFTER ALMOST ALL OF THE PAX WERE DEPLANED, FO AND I TOOK OUR BAGS AND LEFT THE ACFT AND NOTICED THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE ON THE JET BRIDGE APCHING THE ACFT. FLT X LANDED IN LAX AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND THE PAX DEPARTED THE ACFT UNEVENTFULLY BEFORE THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED. 3 DAYS LATER ON JUL/TUE/01, AS I WAS SIGNING IN FOR THE SAME SEQUENCE, LAX CHIEF PLT MET ME IN OPS AND ASKED IF HE COULD SPEAK TO ME. I DISCUSSED THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED WHICH ARE EXPLAINED ABOVE. DURING OUR DISCUSSION CAPT INDICATED TO ME THAT FLT ATTENDANT HAD COME INTO HIS OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT FLT X. CAPT INDICATED TO ME THAT FLT ATTENDANT STATED THAT OUR PROB PAX HAD MADE A HIJACK THREAT. I TOLD CAPT THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST I HAD HEARD OF AHIJACK THREAT. AFTER MY MEETING WITH CAPT I PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPLANE AND BEGAN PREPARING THE COCKPIT FOR DEP. FLT ATTENDANT #1 WAS ONCE AGAIN THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT. FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN YELLING AT ME IN FRONT OF MY NEW FO AND WITHIN EARSHOT OF SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANTS STANDING NEAR THE COCKPIT, ABOUT THE FACT THAT ON OUR PREVIOUS FLT FO AND I DID NOT CALL A MALE 'MOD' AS REQUESTED. AFTER FLT ATTENDANT LEFT THE COCKPIT FO STATED TO ME 'I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT. THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR AND UNPROFESSIONAL.' DURING CRUISE, FLT ATTENDANT FELT COMPELLED TO PRIVATELY APOLOGIZE ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO FO FOR HER ACTIONS. THIS LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM AND OVERT INSUBORDINATION COMPROMISED MY AUTH AS CAPT AND ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH THE REST OF THE CREW. I AM EXTREMELY APPALLED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS COLLECTIVELY DECIDED THAT IT WAS INCONSEQUENTIAL TO TELL FO AND I THAT WE HAD A HIJACK THREAT. THE DECISION NOT TO TELL THE PLTS THAT A HIJACK THREAT WAS MADE RENDERED US UNABLE TO ASSESS THE SEVERITY OF THE SIT. IT IS ACR X'S POLICY TO CONSIDER ALL THREATS TO BE SERIOUS. THIS CLRLY PUT THE PAX AND CREW IN DANGER AND ALSO FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE. ALSO, FLT ATTENDANT #1'S DEMAND FOR A 'MALE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE' TO MEET THE ACFT, FLT ATTENDANT #1 CONTENDS SHE REQUESTED AN 'MOD,' WAS APPARENTLY HER INJUDICIOUS SOLUTION TO A HIJACK THREAT THAT WAS PRIVILEGED INFO OF ONLY THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I AM REQUESTING A FORMAL WRITTEN RESPONSE REGARDING THIS MATTER.

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.