Narrative:

We had 30 mins on the ground in hou. I remained on the aircraft while the captain went for food. I interacted with the operations agent several times, ie, filling out a company report and was standing in the galley while boarding of wheelchair passenger. 2 operations agents were working the flight and they were busy trying to turn the aircraft. We were missing the WX package and when the captain returned, he inquired several times about the missing WX. At push time, the #1 flight attendant gave us the napkin and said we had 2 federal air marshals in row 2. We both looked at each other and said that no one told us. The captain got up and asked one of the federal air marshals to come out in the jetway. They talked and the operations agent said no crew members were here on the aircraft when the federal air marshals boarded which wasn't true. I was on the aircraft the entire time, either in the cockpit or in the galley area. Our priorities are safety first. When federal air marshals can board the aircraft without either of the pilots being aware, we have a serious problem. Our procedures were not followed from the operations side. The federal air marshals have problems as well that were not followed. When 2 armed individuals can board our airplane ignoring procedures, common sense and good judgement, something needs to be done.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737. 2 ARMED FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS BOARDED THE ACFT WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE FLT CREW THEY WERE ONBOARD THE ACFT.

Narrative: WE HAD 30 MINS ON THE GND IN HOU. I REMAINED ON THE ACFT WHILE THE CAPT WENT FOR FOOD. I INTERACTED WITH THE OPS AGENT SEVERAL TIMES, IE, FILLING OUT A COMPANY RPT AND WAS STANDING IN THE GALLEY WHILE BOARDING OF WHEELCHAIR PAX. 2 OPS AGENTS WERE WORKING THE FLT AND THEY WERE BUSY TRYING TO TURN THE ACFT. WE WERE MISSING THE WX PACKAGE AND WHEN THE CAPT RETURNED, HE INQUIRED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THE MISSING WX. AT PUSH TIME, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT GAVE US THE NAPKIN AND SAID WE HAD 2 FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS IN ROW 2. WE BOTH LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID THAT NO ONE TOLD US. THE CAPT GOT UP AND ASKED ONE OF THE FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS TO COME OUT IN THE JETWAY. THEY TALKED AND THE OPS AGENT SAID NO CREW MEMBERS WERE HERE ON THE ACFT WHEN THE FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS BOARDED WHICH WASN'T TRUE. I WAS ON THE ACFT THE ENTIRE TIME, EITHER IN THE COCKPIT OR IN THE GALLEY AREA. OUR PRIORITIES ARE SAFETY FIRST. WHEN FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS CAN BOARD THE ACFT WITHOUT EITHER OF THE PLTS BEING AWARE, WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROB. OUR PROCS WERE NOT FOLLOWED FROM THE OPS SIDE. THE FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS HAVE PROBS AS WELL THAT WERE NOT FOLLOWED. WHEN 2 ARMED INDIVIDUALS CAN BOARD OUR AIRPLANE IGNORING PROCS, COMMON SENSE AND GOOD JUDGEMENT, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

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.