Narrative:

During the last 30 mins of flight, flight attendant xxxxx called me and advised me that passenger complained of cigarette smoke smell in the cabin. As flight attendant XXX tried to verify this, the mother of the alleged smoker told flight attendant that she thinks her 15 yr old son was smoking in the lavatory. Flight attendant XXX challenged this passenger and he denied any wrong doing. Cigarette ash was found in lavatory floor mats as well as inside toilet bowl. The obvious scent of cigarette as well, too. Dispatch was advised. Our in-range call to XXX operations included the request for police to meet us at the gate. XXX was called to check if smoke detector was tampered with. Normal inspection of lavatory waste bin was also asked for. Police detained the person at gate and asked me if I was pressing charges. I said yes. This could have resulted in aircraft and/or life loss should a fire had developed. So, he went on to call FAA authority/authorized. Later he told me that FAA representative was not coming to deal with this, so passenger was let go. The passenger involved was a 15 yr old minor. I assumed that his mother and younger brother were next to him. I believe that they were denied boarding on their next leg to austin, tx.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMJ CAPT RPTED THAT A MINOR PAX WAS SMOKING IN THE LAVATORY DURING A FLT.

Narrative: DURING THE LAST 30 MINS OF FLT, FLT ATTENDANT XXXXX CALLED ME AND ADVISED ME THAT PAX COMPLAINED OF CIGARETTE SMOKE SMELL IN THE CABIN. AS FLT ATTENDANT XXX TRIED TO VERIFY THIS, THE MOTHER OF THE ALLEGED SMOKER TOLD FLT ATTENDANT THAT SHE THINKS HER 15 YR OLD SON WAS SMOKING IN THE LAVATORY. FLT ATTENDANT XXX CHALLENGED THIS PAX AND HE DENIED ANY WRONG DOING. CIGARETTE ASH WAS FOUND IN LAVATORY FLOOR MATS AS WELL AS INSIDE TOILET BOWL. THE OBVIOUS SCENT OF CIGARETTE AS WELL, TOO. DISPATCH WAS ADVISED. OUR IN-RANGE CALL TO XXX OPS INCLUDED THE REQUEST FOR POLICE TO MEET US AT THE GATE. XXX WAS CALLED TO CHK IF SMOKE DETECTOR WAS TAMPERED WITH. NORMAL INSPECTION OF LAVATORY WASTE BIN WAS ALSO ASKED FOR. POLICE DETAINED THE PERSON AT GATE AND ASKED ME IF I WAS PRESSING CHARGES. I SAID YES. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN ACFT AND/OR LIFE LOSS SHOULD A FIRE HAD DEVELOPED. SO, HE WENT ON TO CALL FAA AUTH. LATER HE TOLD ME THAT FAA REPRESENTATIVE WAS NOT COMING TO DEAL WITH THIS, SO PAX WAS LET GO. THE PAX INVOLVED WAS A 15 YR OLD MINOR. I ASSUMED THAT HIS MOTHER AND YOUNGER BROTHER WERE NEXT TO HIM. I BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE DENIED BOARDING ON THEIR NEXT LEG TO AUSTIN, TX.

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.