Narrative:

When I arrived at the gate for sign-in, I was approached by both of the gate agents working the flight. They told me a family of 4 (mr and mrs and 2 children) had been denied boarding by company and every other air carrier operating out of buf because the mother's behavior was irrational, abusive and bordered on violent -- a company agent was shoved -- and was now waiting to board my flight. The dispute apparently centered around the medical needs of her 2 children who had allergic sensitivity to peanuts, and she had been demanding many unreasonable extra services be granted her family on the flight -- seats sterilized, other passenger searched and any carry-on items containing peanuts confiscated, no food containing peanut oil served to anyone on the plane. A third agent arrived, repeated the entire story to me and said company was reviewing all the details with headquarters and they would decide if the family would be boarded on my flight. Next, 3 buffalo police department officers arrived. Officer X told me that he and other officers had to threaten the mother with handcuffs and a trip to jail the previous day to get her to stop being verbally abusive to company personnel and other passenger. He suggested it was not a good idea to have her on the plane. None of my cabin crew felt comfortable with having the family on board even though they were currently behaving themselves. Against the wishes of the sro who had now decided to board them, I denied boarding because I felt the parents posed a significant safety risk to the other passenger, my crew and aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FAMILY OF 4 IS DENIED BOARDING ON AN ACR FOR THE SECOND DAY BECAUSE OF THEIR PREVIOUS CONDUCT AND THE RECOMMENDATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.

Narrative: WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE GATE FOR SIGN-IN, I WAS APCHED BY BOTH OF THE GATE AGENTS WORKING THE FLT. THEY TOLD ME A FAMILY OF 4 (MR AND MRS AND 2 CHILDREN) HAD BEEN DENIED BOARDING BY COMPANY AND EVERY OTHER ACR OPERATING OUT OF BUF BECAUSE THE MOTHER'S BEHAVIOR WAS IRRATIONAL, ABUSIVE AND BORDERED ON VIOLENT -- A COMPANY AGENT WAS SHOVED -- AND WAS NOW WAITING TO BOARD MY FLT. THE DISPUTE APPARENTLY CTRED AROUND THE MEDICAL NEEDS OF HER 2 CHILDREN WHO HAD ALLERGIC SENSITIVITY TO PEANUTS, AND SHE HAD BEEN DEMANDING MANY UNREASONABLE EXTRA SVCS BE GRANTED HER FAMILY ON THE FLT -- SEATS STERILIZED, OTHER PAX SEARCHED AND ANY CARRY-ON ITEMS CONTAINING PEANUTS CONFISCATED, NO FOOD CONTAINING PEANUT OIL SERVED TO ANYONE ON THE PLANE. A THIRD AGENT ARRIVED, REPEATED THE ENTIRE STORY TO ME AND SAID COMPANY WAS REVIEWING ALL THE DETAILS WITH HEADQUARTERS AND THEY WOULD DECIDE IF THE FAMILY WOULD BE BOARDED ON MY FLT. NEXT, 3 BUFFALO POLICE DEPT OFFICERS ARRIVED. OFFICER X TOLD ME THAT HE AND OTHER OFFICERS HAD TO THREATEN THE MOTHER WITH HANDCUFFS AND A TRIP TO JAIL THE PREVIOUS DAY TO GET HER TO STOP BEING VERBALLY ABUSIVE TO COMPANY PERSONNEL AND OTHER PAX. HE SUGGESTED IT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE HER ON THE PLANE. NONE OF MY CABIN CREW FELT COMFORTABLE WITH HAVING THE FAMILY ON BOARD EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE CURRENTLY BEHAVING THEMSELVES. AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE SRO WHO HAD NOW DECIDED TO BOARD THEM, I DENIED BOARDING BECAUSE I FELT THE PARENTS POSED A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK TO THE OTHER PAX, MY CREW AND ACFT.

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.