MD80 flight attendant saw a dog kennel that was too big to fit under the passenger seat.

Attributes
ACN	524157
Time
Date	200108
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : phl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 6
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 2 flight attendant time total : 2 flight attendant time type : 55
ASRS Report	524157
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : flight attendant in charge
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Company Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

A very large (hard) dog carrier was boarded and was not noticed until after pushback, when I spotted it during my safety demonstration. I immediately advised the #1 flight attendant, who in turn advised the captain. We were told to put the dog and dog carrier in aft lavatory, which we did. After in the air, the passenger immediately went back to the lavatory where they took the dog out of the carrier and held on lap. They would not put dog back in carrier or return to their seats to fasten their seatbelts. The man screamed at us in russian using all kinds of hand gestures. After the #1 flight attendant and copilot tried time and again to get them to abide (comply), the captain let them take an empty passenger seat in back with the carrier next to them, strapped in the seat. They were good about leaving the dog in the carrier at this time, but as soon as we touched down, out the dog came once again. It is my opinion the dog carrier should never have been boarded in the first place. How we missed it coming on I don't know. I feel we should have returned to the gate and disembarked passenger and dog. These people could have cared less about any of our rules. However, once in the air, I didn't feel an emergency landing was necessary, even though the carrier was not FAA properly stowed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT ATTENDANT SAW A DOG KENNEL THAT WAS TOO BIG TO FIT UNDER THE PAX SEAT.

Narrative: A VERY LARGE (HARD) DOG CARRIER WAS BOARDED AND WAS NOT NOTICED UNTIL AFTER PUSHBACK, WHEN I SPOTTED IT DURING MY SAFETY DEMO. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT, WHO IN TURN ADVISED THE CAPT. WE WERE TOLD TO PUT THE DOG AND DOG CARRIER IN AFT LAVATORY, WHICH WE DID. AFTER IN THE AIR, THE PAX IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO THE LAVATORY WHERE THEY TOOK THE DOG OUT OF THE CARRIER AND HELD ON LAP. THEY WOULD NOT PUT DOG BACK IN CARRIER OR RETURN TO THEIR SEATS TO FASTEN THEIR SEATBELTS. THE MAN SCREAMED AT US IN RUSSIAN USING ALL KINDS OF HAND GESTURES. AFTER THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND COPLT TRIED TIME AND AGAIN TO GET THEM TO ABIDE (COMPLY), THE CAPT LET THEM TAKE AN EMPTY PAX SEAT IN BACK WITH THE CARRIER NEXT TO THEM, STRAPPED IN THE SEAT. THEY WERE GOOD ABOUT LEAVING THE DOG IN THE CARRIER AT THIS TIME, BUT AS SOON AS WE TOUCHED DOWN, OUT THE DOG CAME ONCE AGAIN. IT IS MY OPINION THE DOG CARRIER SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN BOARDED IN THE FIRST PLACE. HOW WE MISSED IT COMING ON I DON'T KNOW. I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND DISEMBARKED PAX AND DOG. THESE PEOPLE COULD HAVE CARED LESS ABOUT ANY OF OUR RULES. HOWEVER, ONCE IN THE AIR, I DIDN'T FEEL AN EMER LNDG WAS NECESSARY, EVEN THOUGH THE CARRIER WAS NOT FAA PROPERLY STOWED.

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.