A300 flight attendant found a box cutter in a passenger seat during boarding procedure.

Attributes
ACN	602945
Time
Date	200312
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	602945
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

40 mins prior to departure from bos, flight attendant found a box cutter on seat 25C. I immediately took it to the agent and stopped initial boarding. Soc, tsa, company and airport security were notified. Passenger were asked to deplane. Security slip was in the cockpit, so I called maintenance to see if work was performed in that area and cutter accidentally dropped. The maintenance supervisor came to the plane with an identical box cutter issued to maintenance from stores. This was shown to massachusetts state police and company security and all others involved. The plane was searched by state police with dogs, company security and company security manager and declared 'secok.' passenger reboarded and we departed 1 hour 35 mins late. I suggest all box cutters in company stores be labeled and numbered and when given to maintenance personnel they record the number and who it is issued to.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 FLT ATTENDANT FOUND A BOX CUTTER IN A PAX SEAT DURING BOARDING PROC.

Narrative: 40 MINS PRIOR TO DEP FROM BOS, FLT ATTENDANT FOUND A BOX CUTTER ON SEAT 25C. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE AGENT AND STOPPED INITIAL BOARDING. SOC, TSA, COMPANY AND ARPT SECURITY WERE NOTIFIED. PAX WERE ASKED TO DEPLANE. SECURITY SLIP WAS IN THE COCKPIT, SO I CALLED MAINT TO SEE IF WORK WAS PERFORMED IN THAT AREA AND CUTTER ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED. THE MAINT SUPVR CAME TO THE PLANE WITH AN IDENTICAL BOX CUTTER ISSUED TO MAINT FROM STORES. THIS WAS SHOWN TO MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE AND COMPANY SECURITY AND ALL OTHERS INVOLVED. THE PLANE WAS SEARCHED BY STATE POLICE WITH DOGS, COMPANY SECURITY AND COMPANY SECURITY MGR AND DECLARED 'SECOK.' PAX REBOARDED AND WE DEPARTED 1 HR 35 MINS LATE. I SUGGEST ALL BOX CUTTERS IN COMPANY STORES BE LABELED AND NUMBERED AND WHEN GIVEN TO MAINT PERSONNEL THEY RECORD THE NUMBER AND WHO IT IS ISSUED TO.

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.