Narrative:

While parked at the gate in iad at approximately XA40 the ground security coordinator informed me that she smelled alcohol on the #1 flight attendant's breath. I asked the first officer if he had smelled anything on her breath, while at the hotel, on the hotel van, or while on the airplane. He replied no. I did not smell anything either. Please note that the main cabin door was already closed at this point and the gsc was calling me via the interphone on the airplane's nose gear. I called back and spoke to the #1 flight attendant via the cabin interphone and told her about the gsc's concern. I asked her whether or not she had been drinking or had violated the company's 8 hour no drinking rule. She informed me that she had not violated the rule. As neither I, the first officer, the 3 other flight attendants or the passenger smelled anything on her, I elected to continue the flight as scheduled. When we landed at destination, the flight attendant was given a blood alcohol test. The results of the test were negative. I believe that I made the correct decision as nobody else smelled alcohol on her breath and after looking through the company manuals in my possession there was no guidance in the manuals on what to do in this situation. I believe that the gsc waited to inform me of this after the main cabin door was closed because she did not want to have to deal with this. If anyone besides her had smelled alcohol on the flight attendant's breath, the flight would have never left the gate. I think that some corrective actions that must take place are: 1) the company manuals must contain guidance on what to do in this situation, 2) if alcohol is smelled on a crew member's breath it needs to be verified by another person. In the future if anyone makes a comment about alcohol on someone on my crew, I will investigate the accusation more thoroughly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GATE SECURITY ADVISED CAPT OVER INTERPHONE AFTER CABIN DOOR SHUT THAT SHE SMELLED ALCOHOL ON THE BREATH OF #1 CABIN ATTENDANT.

Narrative: WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE IN IAD AT APPROX XA40 THE GND SECURITY COORDINATOR INFORMED ME THAT SHE SMELLED ALCOHOL ON THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT'S BREATH. I ASKED THE FO IF HE HAD SMELLED ANYTHING ON HER BREATH, WHILE AT THE HOTEL, ON THE HOTEL VAN, OR WHILE ON THE AIRPLANE. HE REPLIED NO. I DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING EITHER. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MAIN CABIN DOOR WAS ALREADY CLOSED AT THIS POINT AND THE GSC WAS CALLING ME VIA THE INTERPHONE ON THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE GEAR. I CALLED BACK AND SPOKE TO THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT VIA THE CABIN INTERPHONE AND TOLD HER ABOUT THE GSC'S CONCERN. I ASKED HER WHETHER OR NOT SHE HAD BEEN DRINKING OR HAD VIOLATED THE COMPANY'S 8 HR NO DRINKING RULE. SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD NOT VIOLATED THE RULE. AS NEITHER I, THE FO, THE 3 OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS OR THE PAX SMELLED ANYTHING ON HER, I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT AS SCHEDULED. WHEN WE LANDED AT DEST, THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS GIVEN A BLOOD ALCOHOL TEST. THE RESULTS OF THE TEST WERE NEGATIVE. I BELIEVE THAT I MADE THE CORRECT DECISION AS NOBODY ELSE SMELLED ALCOHOL ON HER BREATH AND AFTER LOOKING THROUGH THE COMPANY MANUALS IN MY POSSESSION THERE WAS NO GUIDANCE IN THE MANUALS ON WHAT TO DO IN THIS SIT. I BELIEVE THAT THE GSC WAITED TO INFORM ME OF THIS AFTER THE MAIN CABIN DOOR WAS CLOSED BECAUSE SHE DID NOT WANT TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS. IF ANYONE BESIDES HER HAD SMELLED ALCOHOL ON THE FLT ATTENDANT'S BREATH, THE FLT WOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT THE GATE. I THINK THAT SOME CORRECTIVE ACTIONS THAT MUST TAKE PLACE ARE: 1) THE COMPANY MANUALS MUST CONTAIN GUIDANCE ON WHAT TO DO IN THIS SIT, 2) IF ALCOHOL IS SMELLED ON A CREW MEMBER'S BREATH IT NEEDS TO BE VERIFIED BY ANOTHER PERSON. IN THE FUTURE IF ANYONE MAKES A COMMENT ABOUT ALCOHOL ON SOMEONE ON MY CREW, I WILL INVESTIGATE THE ACCUSATION MORE THOROUGHLY.

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.