Narrative:

Conducted crew security briefing prior to boarding including my request to be informed of any suspicious behavior by passenger. Approximately five mins before scheduled departure, the flight attendant came to the cockpit to inform me of unusual behavior by a passenger who moved himself from seat X0 to an aisle seat in coach towards the rear of the cabin. It struck us as very unusual for someone who has paid for first class to move to coach. He said he was claustrophobic and wanted to have more open space. He also said that he told the agents this when he checked in. His passport was canadian and showed recent trips to barbados with few if any other entries. He stated that he flew our airlines all the time. In light of our elevated level of national security and with due regard to recent security circulars and bulletins issued by governmental agencies I deemed it prudent to take a few minutes to investigate this individual a little further due to his unusual behavior. I proceeded to the check in desk and enlisted the help of a supervisor who was very cooperative. The agents knew nothing of his claim to have alerted them of his claustrophobia and his passport did not indicate frequent travel. I requested that the agent inform him that for security reasons we were going to require him to situation in his original assigned seat 'non aisle.' the agent did confer with him and then moved him to seat X1 which is an aisle seat. I restated to the agent that I wanted him in his original window seat because it afforded an added measure of security for our flight attendants. The agent called customer service and after consult removed the passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX REMOVED BEFORE DEP DUE TO SUSPICIOUS CONDUCT.

Narrative: CONDUCTED CREW SECURITY BRIEFING PRIOR TO BOARDING INCLUDING MY REQUEST TO BE INFORMED OF ANY SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR BY PAX. APPROX FIVE MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP, THE FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT TO INFORM ME OF UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR BY A PAX WHO MOVED HIMSELF FROM SEAT X0 TO AN AISLE SEAT IN COACH TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE CABIN. IT STRUCK US AS VERY UNUSUAL FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS PAID FOR FIRST CLASS TO MOVE TO COACH. HE SAID HE WAS CLAUSTROPHOBIC AND WANTED TO HAVE MORE OPEN SPACE. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE TOLD THE AGENTS THIS WHEN HE CHKED IN. HIS PASSPORT WAS CANADIAN AND SHOWED RECENT TRIPS TO BARBADOS WITH FEW IF ANY OTHER ENTRIES. HE STATED THAT HE FLEW OUR AIRLINES ALL THE TIME. IN LIGHT OF OUR ELEVATED LEVEL OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND WITH DUE REGARD TO RECENT SECURITY CIRCULARS AND BULLETINS ISSUED BY GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES I DEEMED IT PRUDENT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO INVESTIGATE THIS INDIVIDUAL A LITTLE FURTHER DUE TO HIS UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR. I PROCEEDED TO THE CHK IN DESK AND ENLISTED THE HELP OF A SUPVR WHO WAS VERY COOPERATIVE. THE AGENTS KNEW NOTHING OF HIS CLAIM TO HAVE ALERTED THEM OF HIS CLAUSTROPHOBIA AND HIS PASSPORT DID NOT INDICATE FREQUENT TRAVEL. I REQUESTED THAT THE AGENT INFORM HIM THAT FOR SECURITY REASONS WE WERE GOING TO REQUIRE HIM TO SIT IN HIS ORIGINAL ASSIGNED SEAT 'NON AISLE.' THE AGENT DID CONFER WITH HIM AND THEN MOVED HIM TO SEAT X1 WHICH IS AN AISLE SEAT. I RESTATED TO THE AGENT THAT I WANTED HIM IN HIS ORIGINAL WINDOW SEAT BECAUSE IT AFFORDED AN ADDED MEASURE OF SECURITY FOR OUR FLT ATTENDANTS. THE AGENT CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND AFTER CONSULT REMOVED THE PAX.

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.