The cabin crew of an MD80, en route ord to sea were confronted by an unruly passenger.

Attributes
ACN	532319
Time
Date	200111
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 13 flight attendant time total : 13 flight attendant time type : 10
ASRS Report	532319
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 11.5 flight attendant time total : 11.5 flight attendant time type : 50
ASRS Report	531877
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : person #2 (fa #4)
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

I finished my safety checks after the demonstration and sat in my jump seat. Flight attendant #4 came to the back and grabbed her manual and went to the passenger in seat xyz. I could hear nothing. I saw her point to a page in the manual and offer the book to the passenger. She conferred with flight attendant #1 and then I saw her using the interphone. I did not know what was going on. Flight attendant #4 came to the back, put away her manual and took her jump seat. I saw she looked agitated and upset. More calls were made to her and from her on the interphone. After a brief period of time (5-7 mins) we took off. After takeoff, she told me that the passenger in seat xyz would not comply with her safety check. He did not want to put his computer under the seat in front of him or raise his seat back forward. Apparently, when she told him a second time he became verbally abusive and yelled at her. That's when she retrieved her manual. She said she wanted him removed because he would not comply and he was verbally abusive. She also felt uneasy and threatened by him. She told me that she called the captain to inform him that she would like to go back to the gate and remove passenger in seat xyz because she felt threatened. He apparently replied 'what does the #1 flight attendant think?' apparently, the captain wanted the #1 flight attendant to make the final call. The #4 flight attendant told me that she was upset because flight attendant #1 had not dealt with passenger in seat xyz and flight attendant #3 had also received attitude from him. Bottom line: flight attendant #4 felt uneasy for the rest of the flight and did not feel comfortable going into the first class cabin. In light of sep/11/01, my personal opinion is the passenger should have been removed at the request of any one of the flight attendants. We cannot have a threatening work environment in today's world. Especially since we are constantly reminded that the cockpit is going to remain closed no matter what is happening in the cabin.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CABIN CREW OF AN MD80, ENRTE ORD TO SEA WERE CONFRONTED BY AN UNRULY PAX.

Narrative: I FINISHED MY SAFETY CHKS AFTER THE DEMO AND SAT IN MY JUMP SEAT. FLT ATTENDANT #4 CAME TO THE BACK AND GRABBED HER MANUAL AND WENT TO THE PAX IN SEAT XYZ. I COULD HEAR NOTHING. I SAW HER POINT TO A PAGE IN THE MANUAL AND OFFER THE BOOK TO THE PAX. SHE CONFERRED WITH FLT ATTENDANT #1 AND THEN I SAW HER USING THE INTERPHONE. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. FLT ATTENDANT #4 CAME TO THE BACK, PUT AWAY HER MANUAL AND TOOK HER JUMP SEAT. I SAW SHE LOOKED AGITATED AND UPSET. MORE CALLS WERE MADE TO HER AND FROM HER ON THE INTERPHONE. AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME (5-7 MINS) WE TOOK OFF. AFTER TKOF, SHE TOLD ME THAT THE PAX IN SEAT XYZ WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH HER SAFETY CHK. HE DID NOT WANT TO PUT HIS COMPUTER UNDER THE SEAT IN FRONT OF HIM OR RAISE HIS SEAT BACK FORWARD. APPARENTLY, WHEN SHE TOLD HIM A SECOND TIME HE BECAME VERBALLY ABUSIVE AND YELLED AT HER. THAT'S WHEN SHE RETRIEVED HER MANUAL. SHE SAID SHE WANTED HIM REMOVED BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT COMPLY AND HE WAS VERBALLY ABUSIVE. SHE ALSO FELT UNEASY AND THREATENED BY HIM. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE CALLED THE CAPT TO INFORM HIM THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE GATE AND REMOVE PAX IN SEAT XYZ BECAUSE SHE FELT THREATENED. HE APPARENTLY REPLIED 'WHAT DOES THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT THINK?' APPARENTLY, THE CAPT WANTED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO MAKE THE FINAL CALL. THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS UPSET BECAUSE FLT ATTENDANT #1 HAD NOT DEALT WITH PAX IN SEAT XYZ AND FLT ATTENDANT #3 HAD ALSO RECEIVED ATTITUDE FROM HIM. BOTTOM LINE: FLT ATTENDANT #4 FELT UNEASY FOR THE REST OF THE FLT AND DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING INTO THE FIRST CLASS CABIN. IN LIGHT OF SEP/11/01, MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THE PAX SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED AT THE REQUEST OF ANY ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. WE CANNOT HAVE A THREATENING WORK ENVIRONMENT IN TODAY'S WORLD. ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARE CONSTANTLY REMINDED THAT THE COCKPIT IS GOING TO REMAIN CLOSED NO MATTER WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE CABIN.

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.