Narrative:

Approximately 15 mins prior to departure time as the las passenger were loading, the purser came to the cockpit and asked if I was aware that there were two federal air marshals on board. I had not been informed or had in fact boarded. I went back inside the terminal to ask the agents if there were any security concerns or anything about the flight that I needed to know. They replied all was well. When I asked if there were fam's on board, they replied that there were, but that they were supposed to be escorted to the plane and had just shown up on a late arriving flight. I asked to speak to a supervisor. The dispatcher informed me that there remained a requirement for the captain to be notified of the fam presence. Security told me that the fam's were supposed to identify themselves discretely so the captain could check for proper identification. The problem now was how to check the fam credentials with passenger already on board without disclosing the fam presence. With the concurrence of security decided to make a PA saying that there had been a screening irregularity during the boarding process and that it would be necessary to rescreen the first class passenger. The passenger deplaned and were rescreened. I had the agent insure that the fam's were the last passenger to be rescreened. After the last passenger was rescreened, I approached the fam's and advised them of the procedure I was required to adhere to. The individual who apparently was the team leader said he had identified himself to the flight attendant. I told him that it was required that the captain check for proper identification. In spite of a late departure, we arrived early in mia. Even though the fam's arrived late, it should be clear to them that they must check in with the captain. Had we had other authorized leo's on board, they would never had know it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GATE AGENT FAILS TO NOTIFY CAPT OF FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS (FAM) ABOARD THE ACFT.

Narrative: APPROX 15 MINS PRIOR TO DEP TIME AS THE LAS PAX WERE LOADING, THE PURSER CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED IF I WAS AWARE THAT THERE WERE TWO FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS ON BOARD. I HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OR HAD IN FACT BOARDED. I WENT BACK INSIDE THE TERMINAL TO ASK THE AGENTS IF THERE WERE ANY SECURITY CONCERNS OR ANYTHING ABOUT THE FLT THAT I NEEDED TO KNOW. THEY REPLIED ALL WAS WELL. WHEN I ASKED IF THERE WERE FAM'S ON BOARD, THEY REPLIED THAT THERE WERE, BUT THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ESCORTED TO THE PLANE AND HAD JUST SHOWN UP ON A LATE ARRIVING FLT. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPVR. THE DISPATCHER INFORMED ME THAT THERE REMAINED A REQUIREMENT FOR THE CAPT TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAM PRESENCE. SECURITY TOLD ME THAT THE FAM'S WERE SUPPOSED TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES DISCRETELY SO THE CAPT COULD CHK FOR PROPER IDENTIFICATION. THE PROB NOW WAS HOW TO CHK THE FAM CREDENTIALS WITH PAX ALREADY ON BOARD WITHOUT DISCLOSING THE FAM PRESENCE. WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF SECURITY DECIDED TO MAKE A PA SAYING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A SCREENING IRREGULARITY DURING THE BOARDING PROCESS AND THAT IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO RESCREEN THE FIRST CLASS PAX. THE PAX DEPLANED AND WERE RESCREENED. I HAD THE AGENT INSURE THAT THE FAM'S WERE THE LAST PAX TO BE RESCREENED. AFTER THE LAST PAX WAS RESCREENED, I APCHED THE FAM'S AND ADVISED THEM OF THE PROC I WAS REQUIRED TO ADHERE TO. THE INDIVIDUAL WHO APPARENTLY WAS THE TEAM LEADER SAID HE HAD IDENTIFIED HIMSELF TO THE FLT ATTENDANT. I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS REQUIRED THAT THE CAPT CHK FOR PROPER IDENTIFICATION. IN SPITE OF A LATE DEP, WE ARRIVED EARLY IN MIA. EVEN THOUGH THE FAM'S ARRIVED LATE, IT SHOULD BE CLR TO THEM THAT THEY MUST CHECK IN WITH THE CAPT. HAD WE HAD OTHER AUTHORIZED LEO'S ON BOARD, THEY WOULD NEVER HAD KNOW IT.

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.