Narrative:

Prior to passenger boarding, I was advised to expect a federal agent traveling with his weapon onboard. I had the agent boarded prior to the passenger. I carefully checked his credentials and also his driver license with picture identification. As this agent was traveling alone, we discussed that should a hijacking or terrorist incident occur, his weapon could become a liability, as he had no one to cover his '6 O'clock.' we both agreed that the safest course of action would be for him to situation on a cockpit jumpseat for this flight. We also discussed that should a hijacking attempt or terrorist incident occur he would only use his weapon, in-flight if the cockpit door was breached. After landing, and after we disabled the aircraft, we would enter the cabin as a group to assist the flight attendant and passenger, and he would use his weapon as necessary. Therefore, I exercised captain's emergency authority to authorize the federal agent to ride in the cockpit on this flight. From the emergency chapter of the company flight operations manual, 'it is not intended that an occurrence or condition become critical before the captain exercise emergency authority.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PIC USED HIS COMMAND AUTHORITY TO ALLOW AN ARMED POSTAL EMPLOYEE TO OCCUPY THE JUMP SEAT FOR THE FLT OUT OF EWR, NY.

Narrative: PRIOR TO PAX BOARDING, I WAS ADVISED TO EXPECT A FEDERAL AGENT TRAVELING WITH HIS WEAPON ONBOARD. I HAD THE AGENT BOARDED PRIOR TO THE PAX. I CAREFULLY CHECKED HIS CREDENTIALS AND ALSO HIS DRIVER LICENSE WITH PICTURE ID. AS THIS AGENT WAS TRAVELING ALONE, WE DISCUSSED THAT SHOULD A HIJACKING OR TERRORIST INCIDENT OCCUR, HIS WEAPON COULD BECOME A LIABILITY, AS HE HAD NO ONE TO COVER HIS '6 O'CLOCK.' WE BOTH AGREED THAT THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE FOR HIM TO SIT ON A COCKPIT JUMPSEAT FOR THIS FLT. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THAT SHOULD A HIJACKING ATTEMPT OR TERRORIST INCIDENT OCCUR HE WOULD ONLY USE HIS WEAPON, INFLT IF THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS BREACHED. AFTER LNDG, AND AFTER WE DISABLED THE ACFT, WE WOULD ENTER THE CABIN AS A GROUP TO ASSIST THE FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX, AND HE WOULD USE HIS WEAPON AS NECESSARY. THEREFORE, I EXERCISED CAPT'S EMER AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE THE FEDERAL AGENT TO RIDE IN THE COCKPIT ON THIS FLT. FROM THE EMER CHAPTER OF THE COMPANY FLT OPS MANUAL, 'IT IS NOT INTENDED THAT AN OCCURRENCE OR CONDITION BECOME CRITICAL BEFORE THE CAPT EXERCISE EMER AUTHORITY.

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.