An MD80 flight attendant reported that a passenger was smoking in the forward lavatory which was det...

Attributes
ACN	607716
Time
Date	200312
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zid.artcc
State Reference	IN
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 5
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 20 flight attendant time total : 20
ASRS Report	607716
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct cabin event : passenger contraband non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

While serving dinner to the first class passenger, I noticed a young man emerge from the first class lavatory. As he walked through the cabin on his way to his seat in main cabin, myself and several passenger detected a very strong cigarette smoke odor. At the same time, the captain called on the interphone and asked me why he could smell cigarette smoke in the cockpit. I immediately checked the lavatory but found no fire or physical evidence of the passenger having smoked in there, just a very strong smell. Myself and a main cabin flight attendant brought the passenger forward and questioned him. He denied having smoked, however, he returned to his seat and then came to us with a broken piece of cigarette and told us that was what we had smelled. He claimed that he never lit it. The main cabin flight attendant then noticed he had a prescription bottle at his seat which he handed over to her when she asked for it. It was for xanax. We got his name off the prescription bottle, not the passenger manifest as it was incomplete. He claimed to have taken several xanax. Meanwhile, the captain had contacted dispatch about the incident and he was having the auths meet the flight. The pilot manual states that auths must be notified if the passenger is suspected of smoking in a lavatory -- this is not the same wording that is in our manual. Ours states we are to issue a 'passenger in-flight disturbance report,' which we did. Mco police officers met the flight, asked me to describe the incident and point out the passenger to them. They questioned him at length. The captain and I both filled out a report for the police officers. Because we were at 'orange,' the mco police told us that the fbi had to be notified and that they (the fbi) would ultimately decide what to do with the passenger. They were in the process of calling the fbi when we were allowed to leave for our hotel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT A PAX WAS SMOKING IN THE FORWARD LAVATORY WHICH WAS DETECTED BY THE CAPT ON THE FLT DECK DURING A FLT FROM ORD TO MCO.

Narrative: WHILE SERVING DINNER TO THE FIRST CLASS PAX, I NOTICED A YOUNG MAN EMERGE FROM THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. AS HE WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN ON HIS WAY TO HIS SEAT IN MAIN CABIN, MYSELF AND SEVERAL PAX DETECTED A VERY STRONG CIGARETTE SMOKE ODOR. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CAPT CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE AND ASKED ME WHY HE COULD SMELL CIGARETTE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. I IMMEDIATELY CHKED THE LAVATORY BUT FOUND NO FIRE OR PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF THE PAX HAVING SMOKED IN THERE, JUST A VERY STRONG SMELL. MYSELF AND A MAIN CABIN FLT ATTENDANT BROUGHT THE PAX FORWARD AND QUESTIONED HIM. HE DENIED HAVING SMOKED, HOWEVER, HE RETURNED TO HIS SEAT AND THEN CAME TO US WITH A BROKEN PIECE OF CIGARETTE AND TOLD US THAT WAS WHAT WE HAD SMELLED. HE CLAIMED THAT HE NEVER LIT IT. THE MAIN CABIN FLT ATTENDANT THEN NOTICED HE HAD A PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE AT HIS SEAT WHICH HE HANDED OVER TO HER WHEN SHE ASKED FOR IT. IT WAS FOR XANAX. WE GOT HIS NAME OFF THE PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE, NOT THE PAX MANIFEST AS IT WAS INCOMPLETE. HE CLAIMED TO HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL XANAX. MEANWHILE, THE CAPT HAD CONTACTED DISPATCH ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND HE WAS HAVING THE AUTHS MEET THE FLT. THE PLT MANUAL STATES THAT AUTHS MUST BE NOTIFIED IF THE PAX IS SUSPECTED OF SMOKING IN A LAVATORY -- THIS IS NOT THE SAME WORDING THAT IS IN OUR MANUAL. OURS STATES WE ARE TO ISSUE A 'PAX INFLT DISTURBANCE RPT,' WHICH WE DID. MCO POLICE OFFICERS MET THE FLT, ASKED ME TO DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT AND POINT OUT THE PAX TO THEM. THEY QUESTIONED HIM AT LENGTH. THE CAPT AND I BOTH FILLED OUT A RPT FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS. BECAUSE WE WERE AT 'ORANGE,' THE MCO POLICE TOLD US THAT THE FBI HAD TO BE NOTIFIED AND THAT THEY (THE FBI) WOULD ULTIMATELY DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THE PAX. THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF CALLING THE FBI WHEN WE WERE ALLOWED TO LEAVE FOR OUR HOTEL.

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.

An MD80 flight attendant reported that a passenger was smoking in the forward lavatory which was detected by the captain on the flight deck during a flight from ord to mco.