Narrative:

I was flight attendant #1 on flight from phx-ord. During boarding, while preparing my galley, a male passenger boarded and an alarm sound was coming from his cell phone. Moments later, I asked the #4 flight attendant if she heard it also and she did. I asked her to keep an eye on him. After we pushed from the gate, flight attendant #4 informed me the passenger's alarm on his phone was continuing to sound and she once again instructed him to turn off the phone. I informed the captain of the problem and he instructed me that, if it went off again, to take his phone away and remove the battery and keep the phone in the galley during flight. After takeoff, a passenger call light came on. The #4 flight attendant proceeded to answer the call. A passenger seated next to the male was complaining that the alarm was going off. #4 flight attendant brought phone to first class galley. When I took the battery out of the phone, white paper fell out. I informed the captain. He asked if the passenger was belligerent or unruly. #4 flight attendant said the passenger gave her the phone without any disruptive behavior, but seemed a 'bit off.' she could not detect any alcohol smell. As we continued on the flight, I went to coach cabin to pick up and noticed the passenger had his head on his tray table. Then, he quickly lifted his head and stared into space. I informed the captain. There were no more disruptions on our flight. Security met our flight in chicago and escorted the male passenger and his phone off the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE NOTICED PAX BEHAVIOR WHO DID NOT SEEM TO BE AWARE HIS CELL PHONE ALARM WAS GOING OFF. CELL PHONE CONFISCATED BY FLT ATTENDANT.

Narrative: I WAS FLT ATTENDANT #1 ON FLT FROM PHX-ORD. DURING BOARDING, WHILE PREPARING MY GALLEY, A MALE PAX BOARDED AND AN ALARM SOUND WAS COMING FROM HIS CELL PHONE. MOMENTS LATER, I ASKED THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT IF SHE HEARD IT ALSO AND SHE DID. I ASKED HER TO KEEP AN EYE ON HIM. AFTER WE PUSHED FROM THE GATE, FLT ATTENDANT #4 INFORMED ME THE PAX'S ALARM ON HIS PHONE WAS CONTINUING TO SOUND AND SHE ONCE AGAIN INSTRUCTED HIM TO TURN OFF THE PHONE. I INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE PROB AND HE INSTRUCTED ME THAT, IF IT WENT OFF AGAIN, TO TAKE HIS PHONE AWAY AND REMOVE THE BATTERY AND KEEP THE PHONE IN THE GALLEY DURING FLT. AFTER TKOF, A PAX CALL LIGHT CAME ON. THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT PROCEEDED TO ANSWER THE CALL. A PAX SEATED NEXT TO THE MALE WAS COMPLAINING THAT THE ALARM WAS GOING OFF. #4 FLT ATTENDANT BROUGHT PHONE TO FIRST CLASS GALLEY. WHEN I TOOK THE BATTERY OUT OF THE PHONE, WHITE PAPER FELL OUT. I INFORMED THE CAPT. HE ASKED IF THE PAX WAS BELLIGERENT OR UNRULY. #4 FLT ATTENDANT SAID THE PAX GAVE HER THE PHONE WITHOUT ANY DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR, BUT SEEMED A 'BIT OFF.' SHE COULD NOT DETECT ANY ALCOHOL SMELL. AS WE CONTINUED ON THE FLT, I WENT TO COACH CABIN TO PICK UP AND NOTICED THE PAX HAD HIS HEAD ON HIS TRAY TABLE. THEN, HE QUICKLY LIFTED HIS HEAD AND STARED INTO SPACE. I INFORMED THE CAPT. THERE WERE NO MORE DISRUPTIONS ON OUR FLT. SECURITY MET OUR FLT IN CHICAGO AND ESCORTED THE MALE PAX AND HIS PHONE OFF THE 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.