An MD80 cabin crew, during boarding at dfw, were confronted by an unruly passenger.

Attributes
ACN	544190
Time
Date	200204
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw.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
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 2.5 flight attendant time total : 6.5 flight attendant time type : 60
ASRS Report	544190
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

We incurred extreme passenger misconduct during the boarding process and after. Started from before he even had his ticket pulled at the aircraft door. The agent experienced problems with him by not having all 3 of his family members seated together on a 35 min flight from dfw-aus, and almost didn't let him board the aircraft. Then he was seated and upset on the aircraft because he was separated from his wife and child (who were sitting together). I was one of the least involved flight attendants. I was observing all of the activity from the front or back of the aircraft. The captain had to speak to him 3 times as far as I know -- twice on the aircraft and once on jetbridge. I could tell the man was extremely upset. He was talking very loud and using big arm motions. During the captain's visits with the passenger, we reseated him with his family on the pilot's request he be silent the whole flight. When we reached aus, he (the passenger) had called the police, stating that the captain had touched his son in a harmful way while they were having one of the conversations on the jetbridge. I was told the captain was never near the child at any time during boarding and deplaning. The captain was in the cockpit doing preflight and post duties activities. The crew then had to speak with auths concerning the events.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CABIN CREW, DURING BOARDING AT DFW, WERE CONFRONTED BY AN UNRULY PAX.

Narrative: WE INCURRED EXTREME PAX MISCONDUCT DURING THE BOARDING PROCESS AND AFTER. STARTED FROM BEFORE HE EVEN HAD HIS TICKET PULLED AT THE ACFT DOOR. THE AGENT EXPERIENCED PROBS WITH HIM BY NOT HAVING ALL 3 OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS SEATED TOGETHER ON A 35 MIN FLT FROM DFW-AUS, AND ALMOST DIDN'T LET HIM BOARD THE ACFT. THEN HE WAS SEATED AND UPSET ON THE ACFT BECAUSE HE WAS SEPARATED FROM HIS WIFE AND CHILD (WHO WERE SITTING TOGETHER). I WAS ONE OF THE LEAST INVOLVED FLT ATTENDANTS. I WAS OBSERVING ALL OF THE ACTIVITY FROM THE FRONT OR BACK OF THE ACFT. THE CAPT HAD TO SPEAK TO HIM 3 TIMES AS FAR AS I KNOW -- TWICE ON THE ACFT AND ONCE ON JETBRIDGE. I COULD TELL THE MAN WAS EXTREMELY UPSET. HE WAS TALKING VERY LOUD AND USING BIG ARM MOTIONS. DURING THE CAPT'S VISITS WITH THE PAX, WE RESEATED HIM WITH HIS FAMILY ON THE PLT'S REQUEST HE BE SILENT THE WHOLE FLT. WHEN WE REACHED AUS, HE (THE PAX) HAD CALLED THE POLICE, STATING THAT THE CAPT HAD TOUCHED HIS SON IN A HARMFUL WAY WHILE THEY WERE HAVING ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS ON THE JETBRIDGE. I WAS TOLD THE CAPT WAS NEVER NEAR THE CHILD AT ANY TIME DURING BOARDING AND DEPLANING. THE CAPT WAS IN THE COCKPIT DOING PREFLT AND POST DUTIES ACTIVITIES. THE CREW THEN HAD TO SPEAK WITH AUTHS CONCERNING THE EVENTS.

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.