Narrative:

Just prior to departure at lax, I was informed that a passenger disturbance was in progress in coach. A passenger X was demanding a window seat and would not situation down. I asked the purser to inform the passenger that she was to situation down or she would be asked to deplane. The purser subsequently informed me that the problem had been resolved, and we departed. Later, while in cruise, the flight attendants called to inform me that the same passenger was pestering the male passenger seated next to her and had become belligerent. When flight attendants attempted to placate her, she began using profanity and became verbally abusive towards several flight attendants. Several mins later, the passenger was observed lighting a lighter in the vicinity of her purse. A flight attendant immediately intervened, taking the lighter and purse away from the passenger. The purse was searched for possible flammable or explosive items, and the passenger was advised that she was restr to her seat for the duration of the flight. 2 male passenger were detailed to watch her and ensure that she did not leave her seat. Her carry-on baggage was taken and locked in a galley cart to prevent her from accessing any items. Air carrier X soc was contacted by phone patch and a diversion was discussed. In the interim, flight attendants informed me that the passenger had fallen asleep, and that they were of the opinion that the individual was under the influence of drugs and possibly alcohol, and of reduced risk to the flight. The information was primary in my decision to continue on to jfk, as any further disruption would have resulted in a decision to divert for police assistance. The interference with the flight attendant crew and the approximately 45 mins constituted a level 1 threat. The flight was met by station personnel, and jfk airport authority/authorized uniformed officers at kennedy. The passenger was briefly questioned and then released. Her attitude was that the whole situation was a miscom and that she had done nothing wrong. I have been informed by soc that air carrier X intends to honor passenger X's ticket on her return flight. Given the fact that it costs over $2000 to divert a flight to disembark a passenger, it is my opinion and the opinion of all 9 flight attendants, that air carrier X is taking an unnecessary financial risk in accepting this passenger for revenue her ticket provides. We do not, as a normal course of business, delay an aircraft for passenger who come late for our flts, and I don't think we should risk delaying our customers due to the inappropriate and dangerous behavior of an individual, who has no business on an airliner in the first place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT BY A PAX IS DEALT WITH SUCCESSFULLY THROUGHOUT A TRANSCONTINENTAL FLT, BUT THE CREW HAS CRITICISM FOR HOW THEIR COMPANY FOLLOWED UP WITH THE PROB AFTER THE ARR.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO DEP AT LAX, I WAS INFORMED THAT A PAX DISTURBANCE WAS IN PROGRESS IN COACH. A PAX X WAS DEMANDING A WINDOW SEAT AND WOULD NOT SIT DOWN. I ASKED THE PURSER TO INFORM THE PAX THAT SHE WAS TO SIT DOWN OR SHE WOULD BE ASKED TO DEPLANE. THE PURSER SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED ME THAT THE PROB HAD BEEN RESOLVED, AND WE DEPARTED. LATER, WHILE IN CRUISE, THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT THE SAME PAX WAS PESTERING THE MALE PAX SEATED NEXT TO HER AND HAD BECOME BELLIGERENT. WHEN FLT ATTENDANTS ATTEMPTED TO PLACATE HER, SHE BEGAN USING PROFANITY AND BECAME VERBALLY ABUSIVE TOWARDS SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANTS. SEVERAL MINS LATER, THE PAX WAS OBSERVED LIGHTING A LIGHTER IN THE VICINITY OF HER PURSE. A FLT ATTENDANT IMMEDIATELY INTERVENED, TAKING THE LIGHTER AND PURSE AWAY FROM THE PAX. THE PURSE WAS SEARCHED FOR POSSIBLE FLAMMABLE OR EXPLOSIVE ITEMS, AND THE PAX WAS ADVISED THAT SHE WAS RESTR TO HER SEAT FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. 2 MALE PAX WERE DETAILED TO WATCH HER AND ENSURE THAT SHE DID NOT LEAVE HER SEAT. HER CARRY-ON BAGGAGE WAS TAKEN AND LOCKED IN A GALLEY CART TO PREVENT HER FROM ACCESSING ANY ITEMS. ACR X SOC WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE PATCH AND A DIVERSION WAS DISCUSSED. IN THE INTERIM, FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED ME THAT THE PAX HAD FALLEN ASLEEP, AND THAT THEY WERE OF THE OPINION THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS AND POSSIBLY ALCOHOL, AND OF REDUCED RISK TO THE FLT. THE INFO WAS PRIMARY IN MY DECISION TO CONTINUE ON TO JFK, AS ANY FURTHER DISRUPTION WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A DECISION TO DIVERT FOR POLICE ASSISTANCE. THE INTERFERENCE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW AND THE APPROX 45 MINS CONSTITUTED A LEVEL 1 THREAT. THE FLT WAS MET BY STATION PERSONNEL, AND JFK ARPT AUTH UNIFORMED OFFICERS AT KENNEDY. THE PAX WAS BRIEFLY QUESTIONED AND THEN RELEASED. HER ATTITUDE WAS THAT THE WHOLE SIT WAS A MISCOM AND THAT SHE HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY SOC THAT ACR X INTENDS TO HONOR PAX X'S TICKET ON HER RETURN FLT. GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT COSTS OVER $2000 TO DIVERT A FLT TO DISEMBARK A PAX, IT IS MY OPINION AND THE OPINION OF ALL 9 FLT ATTENDANTS, THAT ACR X IS TAKING AN UNNECESSARY FINANCIAL RISK IN ACCEPTING THIS PAX FOR REVENUE HER TICKET PROVIDES. WE DO NOT, AS A NORMAL COURSE OF BUSINESS, DELAY AN ACFT FOR PAX WHO COME LATE FOR OUR FLTS, AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD RISK DELAYING OUR CUSTOMERS DUE TO THE INAPPROPRIATE AND DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR OF AN INDIVIDUAL, WHO HAS NO BUSINESS ON AN AIRLINER IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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.