Narrative:

Was in my seat at XA25Z. A police officer showed up and told me that the police had just received a note that was placed on a car (presume a police car) with the following: 'air carrier flight xyz on may/mon mia-cun will not make it to cun. It will crash over miami.' I immediately called company and had dispatch on the line, too. We were pretty numb at this time, not liking this one bit. It was obviously somebody who knew what they were talking about. I asked company what would happen if none of us 6 crew members wanted to go and the answer was that they would have some reserve crews fly this. Well, I then got involved myself. Basically, I had the airplane moved to the penalty box where bomb sniffing dogs went over all the about 100 bags outside on the tarmac. Then the dogs went inside the aircraft and searched all over. I had mentioned to the company that as an extra precaution, I wanted the bags to go through the ctx machines too. He said fine. However, as I got briefed some time later, they were putting the bags on the aircraft, not wanting to do the ctx machine, too. I complained and got a manager on the phone and said that I wanted the ctx machines as well. He agreed to my request and got the ball rolling saying it would create another 2-3 hour delay. Who cares? Not that I don't trust the dogs, but I must say that when I insisted on the procedure everybody went along and did it and it only delayed the departure by another 1 hour 15 mins the aircraft came back to the gate and I demanded a full search of all carry-ONS plus body search of each passenger. I had 2 passenger removed after being informed of a weird pnr plus they had names sounding like they were from india or pakistan. Basically the one passenger's wife seriously insisted that he should not go to cun but cancel. That was enough for me. They then got interviewed by the fbi. I, too, had 8000 pounds of ferry fuel removed just in case. 2 flight attendants wanted to be removed which I of course did, calling tracking to inform them. I also stated that I would not accept a flight attendant supervisor reprimanding them for not going. I briefed the 2 reserve flight attendants and they went along after I briefed them. After everybody was boarded, I made a detailed PA in front of all the passenger why I thought it was now safe to fly this airplane. Conclusion: very pleased to have everybody at all levels agree to my safety demands. Had great support from the police, FAA, fbi, local, etc. Recommendations: have dogs but also ctx machines used for every future positive threat. We need to do everything we can do. I learned on the spot but I would much rather have a procedure similar to mine taught when we do security training. It would have been a lot easier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW, WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE, PRIOR TO DEP, WERE VISITED BY LCL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL WHO ADVISED THEM OF A BOMB THREAT INVOLVING THEIR FLT.

Narrative: WAS IN MY SEAT AT XA25Z. A POLICE OFFICER SHOWED UP AND TOLD ME THAT THE POLICE HAD JUST RECEIVED A NOTE THAT WAS PLACED ON A CAR (PRESUME A POLICE CAR) WITH THE FOLLOWING: 'ACR FLT XYZ ON MAY/MON MIA-CUN WILL NOT MAKE IT TO CUN. IT WILL CRASH OVER MIAMI.' I IMMEDIATELY CALLED COMPANY AND HAD DISPATCH ON THE LINE, TOO. WE WERE PRETTY NUMB AT THIS TIME, NOT LIKING THIS ONE BIT. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY SOMEBODY WHO KNEW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. I ASKED COMPANY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF NONE OF US 6 CREW MEMBERS WANTED TO GO AND THE ANSWER WAS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE SOME RESERVE CREWS FLY THIS. WELL, I THEN GOT INVOLVED MYSELF. BASICALLY, I HAD THE AIRPLANE MOVED TO THE PENALTY BOX WHERE BOMB SNIFFING DOGS WENT OVER ALL THE ABOUT 100 BAGS OUTSIDE ON THE TARMAC. THEN THE DOGS WENT INSIDE THE ACFT AND SEARCHED ALL OVER. I HAD MENTIONED TO THE COMPANY THAT AS AN EXTRA PRECAUTION, I WANTED THE BAGS TO GO THROUGH THE CTX MACHINES TOO. HE SAID FINE. HOWEVER, AS I GOT BRIEFED SOME TIME LATER, THEY WERE PUTTING THE BAGS ON THE ACFT, NOT WANTING TO DO THE CTX MACHINE, TOO. I COMPLAINED AND GOT A MGR ON THE PHONE AND SAID THAT I WANTED THE CTX MACHINES AS WELL. HE AGREED TO MY REQUEST AND GOT THE BALL ROLLING SAYING IT WOULD CREATE ANOTHER 2-3 HR DELAY. WHO CARES? NOT THAT I DON'T TRUST THE DOGS, BUT I MUST SAY THAT WHEN I INSISTED ON THE PROC EVERYBODY WENT ALONG AND DID IT AND IT ONLY DELAYED THE DEP BY ANOTHER 1 HR 15 MINS THE ACFT CAME BACK TO THE GATE AND I DEMANDED A FULL SEARCH OF ALL CARRY-ONS PLUS BODY SEARCH OF EACH PAX. I HAD 2 PAX REMOVED AFTER BEING INFORMED OF A WEIRD PNR PLUS THEY HAD NAMES SOUNDING LIKE THEY WERE FROM INDIA OR PAKISTAN. BASICALLY THE ONE PAX'S WIFE SERIOUSLY INSISTED THAT HE SHOULD NOT GO TO CUN BUT CANCEL. THAT WAS ENOUGH FOR ME. THEY THEN GOT INTERVIEWED BY THE FBI. I, TOO, HAD 8000 LBS OF FERRY FUEL REMOVED JUST IN CASE. 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WANTED TO BE REMOVED WHICH I OF COURSE DID, CALLING TRACKING TO INFORM THEM. I ALSO STATED THAT I WOULD NOT ACCEPT A FLT ATTENDANT SUPVR REPRIMANDING THEM FOR NOT GOING. I BRIEFED THE 2 RESERVE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THEY WENT ALONG AFTER I BRIEFED THEM. AFTER EVERYBODY WAS BOARDED, I MADE A DETAILED PA IN FRONT OF ALL THE PAX WHY I THOUGHT IT WAS NOW SAFE TO FLY THIS AIRPLANE. CONCLUSION: VERY PLEASED TO HAVE EVERYBODY AT ALL LEVELS AGREE TO MY SAFETY DEMANDS. HAD GREAT SUPPORT FROM THE POLICE, FAA, FBI, LCL, ETC. RECOMMENDATIONS: HAVE DOGS BUT ALSO CTX MACHINES USED FOR EVERY FUTURE POSITIVE THREAT. WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN DO. I LEARNED ON THE SPOT BUT I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE A PROC SIMILAR TO MINE TAUGHT WHEN WE DO SECURITY TRAINING. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT EASIER.

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.