Narrative:

The flight crew was placed in an extraordinarily uncomfortable and potentially very dangerous situation. Flight was delayed for bad WX in phx and las. We boarded 1 1/2 hours late. Boarding passenger were very angry and upset by the delay. Approximately 30-40 people in the back of the aircraft were particularly rude and obnoxious. They were swearing, yelling and chanting, including chanting demands for free drinks. The flight attendants, fearing an out of control mob, approached the flight deck crew and relayed their fear of the situation. They said the unruly passenger were extremely abusive, did not take direction, and were generally out of control. The flight attendants also stated that they smelled alcohol. Fearing a potentially violent disruption, I had the operations agent call for csa (customer service agent). 3 csa's and 3 police officers arrived within 1 min. They spoke with those in the back of the plane and placed 1 passenger in police custody. The flight attendants, police, csa's and operations agent all agreed that there were between 30-40 people acting out of control. I was concerned that once the auths left the aircraft, and we pushed back from the gate, these same people would again become out of control. The situation could jeopardize the safety of fellow passenger, flight attendants and the aircraft. I felt compelled to seek the guidance of the chief pilot on duty concerning continuation of the scheduled flight. He advised me to speak with the passenger and proceed with the flight. I made a PA and explained to everyone onboard that because of WX the seatbelt sign would remain illuminated for the duration of the flight. Also, because of my concerns with the conduct of certain passenger, no alcohol would be served during the short flight. I explained that any in-flight disruptions or other interference would result in the flight returning to phx. I further asked if anyone needed clarification. It was impossible for me to discern the parties who had been misbehaving from the other passenger. Some passenger (one man in particular) were annoyed by being grouped with the misbehaving passenger. We proceeded without further incident. Upon arrival in las the passenger who had not misbehaved acted upset and rude and abusive behavior. Several threatened to report me. A csa came to the aircraft about 5 mins after our arrival. I later learned that csa's, operations agents and the airport police in phx had been observing these people in the gate area before boarding. Csa's, operations and police were aware of the situation but did not inform the flight crew. Boarding the rowdy mob removed them from the gate area, but placed them in a more dangerous environment. I feel strongly that this action placed the crew and fellow passenger in jeopardy and created a potentially very serious situation. Had the passenger become violent in-flight their numbers would have assured disaster. Every effort should be made to assure this situation does not occur again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 CAPT RPTED THAT A LATE BOARDING IN PHX CAUSED 30-40 PAX TO BE DISRUPTIVE BEFORE PUSHBACK, YET THE FLT CONTINUED TO LAS.

Narrative: THE FLT CREW WAS PLACED IN AN EXTRAORDINARILY UNCOMFORTABLE AND POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SIT. FLT WAS DELAYED FOR BAD WX IN PHX AND LAS. WE BOARDED 1 1/2 HRS LATE. BOARDING PAX WERE VERY ANGRY AND UPSET BY THE DELAY. APPROX 30-40 PEOPLE IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT WERE PARTICULARLY RUDE AND OBNOXIOUS. THEY WERE SWEARING, YELLING AND CHANTING, INCLUDING CHANTING DEMANDS FOR FREE DRINKS. THE FLT ATTENDANTS, FEARING AN OUT OF CTL MOB, APCHED THE FLT DECK CREW AND RELAYED THEIR FEAR OF THE SIT. THEY SAID THE UNRULY PAX WERE EXTREMELY ABUSIVE, DID NOT TAKE DIRECTION, AND WERE GENERALLY OUT OF CTL. THE FLT ATTENDANTS ALSO STATED THAT THEY SMELLED ALCOHOL. FEARING A POTENTIALLY VIOLENT DISRUPTION, I HAD THE OPS AGENT CALL FOR CSA (CUSTOMER SVC AGENT). 3 CSA'S AND 3 POLICE OFFICERS ARRIVED WITHIN 1 MIN. THEY SPOKE WITH THOSE IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE AND PLACED 1 PAX IN POLICE CUSTODY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS, POLICE, CSA'S AND OPS AGENT ALL AGREED THAT THERE WERE BTWN 30-40 PEOPLE ACTING OUT OF CTL. I WAS CONCERNED THAT ONCE THE AUTHS LEFT THE ACFT, AND WE PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE, THESE SAME PEOPLE WOULD AGAIN BECOME OUT OF CTL. THE SIT COULD JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF FELLOW PAX, FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE ACFT. I FELT COMPELLED TO SEEK THE GUIDANCE OF THE CHIEF PLT ON DUTY CONCERNING CONTINUATION OF THE SCHEDULED FLT. HE ADVISED ME TO SPEAK WITH THE PAX AND PROCEED WITH THE FLT. I MADE A PA AND EXPLAINED TO EVERYONE ONBOARD THAT BECAUSE OF WX THE SEATBELT SIGN WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. ALSO, BECAUSE OF MY CONCERNS WITH THE CONDUCT OF CERTAIN PAX, NO ALCOHOL WOULD BE SERVED DURING THE SHORT FLT. I EXPLAINED THAT ANY INFLT DISRUPTIONS OR OTHER INTERFERENCE WOULD RESULT IN THE FLT RETURNING TO PHX. I FURTHER ASKED IF ANYONE NEEDED CLARIFICATION. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO DISCERN THE PARTIES WHO HAD BEEN MISBEHAVING FROM THE OTHER PAX. SOME PAX (ONE MAN IN PARTICULAR) WERE ANNOYED BY BEING GROUPED WITH THE MISBEHAVING PAX. WE PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON ARR IN LAS THE PAX WHO HAD NOT MISBEHAVED ACTED UPSET AND RUDE AND ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR. SEVERAL THREATENED TO RPT ME. A CSA CAME TO THE ACFT ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER OUR ARR. I LATER LEARNED THAT CSA'S, OPS AGENTS AND THE ARPT POLICE IN PHX HAD BEEN OBSERVING THESE PEOPLE IN THE GATE AREA BEFORE BOARDING. CSA'S, OPS AND POLICE WERE AWARE OF THE SIT BUT DID NOT INFORM THE FLT CREW. BOARDING THE ROWDY MOB REMOVED THEM FROM THE GATE AREA, BUT PLACED THEM IN A MORE DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS ACTION PLACED THE CREW AND FELLOW PAX IN JEOPARDY AND CREATED A POTENTIALLY VERY SERIOUS SIT. HAD THE PAX BECOME VIOLENT INFLT THEIR NUMBERS WOULD HAVE ASSURED DISASTER. EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO ASSURE THIS SIT DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN.

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.