A320 flight crew are warned of a possible passenger disturbance during cruise flight by FAA flight c...

Attributes
ACN	547613
Time
Date	200205
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : yxu.vortac
State Reference	ON
Altitude	msl single value : 39000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czyz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	arrival : vfr enroute airway : j36.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 95 flight time total : 12400 flight time type : 811
ASRS Report	547613
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct
Independent Detector	other other : 3 (dispatch)
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance FAA Company ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Received message from dispatch 53 mins into flight. Have you had any passenger disturbances onboard on this flight? Confirmed no with the purser and replied no, why do you ask? Dispatch responded, FAA command center heard you might have had a disturbance onboard, and so were trying to confirm their information. We shall pass along your response. Still no problems in the cabin. Suspected dispatch might be looking for an operations normal confirmation although the phraseology was not correct. Elected to send one anyway. Dispatch responded quickly, thank you. Will advise all. Requested from dispatch more information on source of threat, etc. ATC then asked if we were aware of a potential problem. We replied we were talking to dispatch about it. They hinted we might soon have company and we replied we understood what they were implying (ie intercept). Several msgs exchanged with dispatch concerning nature of threat phone call, possibly diverting, gun threat, etc. Called a level 2 based on indication a threat might evolve. Used level 2 checklist, 1ST officer advocated divert to grr, dispatch recommended, no divert, elected to continue based on no cabin irreg of any type. Passenger and flight attendant's seated for 'turbulence.' normal approach/landing. Passenger not notified of threat except delta omc. No visual or TCAS ind of escort.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC ARE WARNED OF A POSSIBLE PAX DISTURBANCE DURING CRUISE FLT BY FAA FLT CENTER VIA DISPATCHER. SINCE CHK WITH CABIN CREW FOUND NO UNUSUAL ACTIVITY, COMPANY DISPATCHER CLEARED TO CONTINUE TO DEST UNEVENTFULLY TO DEST.FLT PROCEEDED.

Narrative: RECEIVED MSG FROM DISPATCH 53 MINS INTO FLT. HAVE YOU HAD ANY PAX DISTURBANCES ONBOARD ON THIS FLT? CONFIRMED NO WITH THE PURSER AND REPLIED NO, WHY DO YOU ASK? DISPATCH RESPONDED, FAA COMMAND CENTER HEARD YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD A DISTURBANCE ONBOARD, AND SO WERE TRYING TO CONFIRM THEIR INFO. WE SHALL PASS ALONG YOUR RESPONSE. STILL NO PROBS IN THE CABIN. SUSPECTED DISPATCH MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR AN OPS NORMAL CONFIRMATION ALTHOUGH THE PHRASEOLOGY WAS NOT CORRECT. ELECTED TO SEND ONE ANYWAY. DISPATCH RESPONDED QUICKLY, THANK YOU. WILL ADVISE ALL. REQUESTED FROM DISPATCH MORE INFO ON SOURCE OF THREAT, ETC. ATC THEN ASKED IF WE WERE AWARE OF A POTENTIAL PROB. WE REPLIED WE WERE TALKING TO DISPATCH ABOUT IT. THEY HINTED WE MIGHT SOON HAVE COMPANY AND WE REPLIED WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY WERE IMPLYING (IE INTERCEPT). SEVERAL MSGS EXCHANGED WITH DISPATCH CONCERNING NATURE OF THREAT PHONE CALL, POSSIBLY DIVERTING, GUN THREAT, ETC. CALLED A LEVEL 2 BASED ON INDICATION A THREAT MIGHT EVOLVE. USED LEVEL 2 CHKLIST, 1ST OFFICER ADVOCATED DIVERT TO GRR, DISPATCH RECOMMENDED, NO DIVERT, ELECTED TO CONTINUE BASED ON NO CABIN IRREG OF ANY TYPE. PAX AND FLT ATTENDANT'S SEATED FOR 'TURB.' NORMAL APCH/LNDG. PAX NOT NOTIFIED OF THREAT EXCEPT DELTA OMC. NO VISUAL OR TCAS IND OF ESCORT.

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.

A320 flight crew are warned of a possible passenger disturbance during cruise flight by FAA flight center via dispatcher. Since check with cabin crew found no unusual activity, company dispatcher cleared to continue to destination uneventfully to destination.flight proceeded.