Narrative:

Approximately 30 mins after takeoff, the relief first officer noticed crash axe missing from aft bulkhead. The cockpit crew searched the cockpit for the axe, but could not find it. We notified dispatch and the flight attendants of the situation. Company security decided it would be permissible for flight to continue subject to the captain's approval. As the location of the axe could not accurately be accounted for, the captain decided the safest course of action was to return to egkk and research the aircraft and passenger. Supplemental information from acn 596494: operations called the inbound crew to see if they had any idea where the axe might be. No one could find or had any knowledge about the axe. Since no one knew where the axe was, we felt it could possibly be hidden in the cabin. That is a security threat. The first officer could not say positively that the axe was stowed on the preflight. He thought he remembered seeing it. We talked about defending the cockpit with the fire extinguisher. The flight attendants were informed about the missing axe. They were unwilling to continue the flight because of the unknown security threat. A return to land at egkk was coordinated with dispatch. After gate arrival, a search of the aircraft was conducted by security personnel. All passenger were screened as they reboarded. No axe was found. A replacement axe was then stowed in the cockpit. All crewmembers and station personnel were satisfied with the security measures and the results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B767 DISCOVERED CRASH AXE MISSING FROM COCKPIT AFTER DEP FOR TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING. UNABLE TO DETERMINE ITS LOCATION, SECURITY CONCERNS LEAD TO A RETURN TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: APPROX 30 MINS AFTER TKOF, THE RELIEF FO NOTICED CRASH AXE MISSING FROM AFT BULKHEAD. THE COCKPIT CREW SEARCHED THE COCKPIT FOR THE AXE, BUT COULD NOT FIND IT. WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF THE SIT. COMPANY SECURITY DECIDED IT WOULD BE PERMISSIBLE FOR FLT TO CONTINUE SUBJECT TO THE CAPT'S APPROVAL. AS THE LOCATION OF THE AXE COULD NOT ACCURATELY BE ACCOUNTED FOR, THE CAPT DECIDED THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO RETURN TO EGKK AND RESEARCH THE ACFT AND PAX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 596494: OPS CALLED THE INBOUND CREW TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY IDEA WHERE THE AXE MIGHT BE. NO ONE COULD FIND OR HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE AXE. SINCE NO ONE KNEW WHERE THE AXE WAS, WE FELT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE HIDDEN IN THE CABIN. THAT IS A SECURITY THREAT. THE FO COULD NOT SAY POSITIVELY THAT THE AXE WAS STOWED ON THE PREFLT. HE THOUGHT HE REMEMBERED SEEING IT. WE TALKED ABOUT DEFENDING THE COCKPIT WITH THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INFORMED ABOUT THE MISSING AXE. THEY WERE UNWILLING TO CONTINUE THE FLT BECAUSE OF THE UNKNOWN SECURITY THREAT. A RETURN TO LAND AT EGKK WAS COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH. AFTER GATE ARRIVAL, A SEARCH OF THE ACFT WAS CONDUCTED BY SECURITY PERSONNEL. ALL PAX WERE SCREENED AS THEY REBOARDED. NO AXE WAS FOUND. A REPLACEMENT AXE WAS THEN STOWED IN THE COCKPIT. ALL CREWMEMBERS AND STATION PERSONNEL WERE SATISFIED WITH THE SECURITY MEASURES AND THE RESULTS.

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.