Narrative:

Passenger stumbled and was disoriented when she got on board and was suspected of being intoxicated by flight attendants and passenger. Cockpit and agent were notified and customer service called. The gentleman who came on board to evaluate her (unknown to us) talked to the wrong person. He notified flight attendants and pilots that he felt she was ok to fly -- she did not smell of alcohol, she did not slur her words and made eye contact while he spoke to her. Passenger in same row moved seats. During the safety video, the passenger who was originally next to the passenger, called me over and told me that the 'man who came on to talk to the drunk lady' spoke to the wrong person. I told the #1 flight attendant and she called the captain. He stopped taxiing and asked us to evaluate the situation. I went to the drunk passenger and asked her if she was ok and if she had had anything to drink. She seemed a little out-of-it, but did not smell of alcohol, told me she had 1 glass of wine between flts and she was just very tired. We decided to take her at her word and continued on our way to las, but not serve her any alcohol. During the first beverage service, she ordered a diet sprite and a red wine. I told her that she could have the diet sprite, but I would not be able to sell her the wine. She asked why. I told her I felt she probably should not have anything to drink on this flight. She insisted she was not drunk. I told her that she was still not getting any alcoholic beverages on tonight's flight. She asked why again and continued to get more argumentative. She asked me who made the decision. I told her it was a crew decision based on her actions during boarding. She started to demand to know who 'told on' her. She said her husband was a lawyer and we were going to hear about this. I told her that he would probably be able to explain to her that it is against the law to serve alcohol to anyone who appears to be drunk and her behavior was reinforcing our decision not to serve her. She continued to argue with me over 'who told' and 'why.' I told her that if she continued to argue with me, we could return to stl and she could continue the discussion with auths there, because as far as I was concerned, the conversation was over. I told her it would be best if she were to take her seat and discontinue her ranting. She again tap-tap-tapped me on the shoulder 'just wanting to know why she was denied the wine.' I told her she needed to stop, her actions were interfering with my duties and I got her identify to issue her a passenger disturbance form and told her again it was not too late to go back to stl. When I went to get the form she got out of her seat and got in the face of the passenger who moved from her row and was accusing her of complaining. I filled out the form and gave the passenger her copy. She continued to ask what this (the form) means. I told her that it means she is creating a disturbance and interfering with the duties of a crew member which is against the law and (again) it would be best for her to stop. She said she was not interfering with me. She wanted to know what was going to happen with the paper (in-flight disturbance form). I told her (again) it depended on her actions. Worst case scenario would be landing at the nearest airport and having her removed, best case she would return to her seat and discontinue her disruptive behavior. In between, we would continue to las where she would be met by auths. Passenger in another row said he saw her drink 3 wines on the pervious flight. Other passenger added she was disruptive and acting strangely before the flight. Drunk passenger went back to her seat and was kicking the seat in front of her. Passenger got the attention of the #1 flight attendant and told her that drunk passenger was continuously kicking his seat. The #1 flight attendant removed him and his travel companion up to first class. Later, I was in the first class galley area getting information together for my report. Drunk passenger comes into the galley area and said she was in the transportation industry and was supposed to be moved to first class but the agent told her it was too late. She wanted to know why those men were upgraded and she wasn't. I told her that it was none of her business. I also told her that the seatbelt sign was on and she needed to return to her seat. Then she started rambling on. I told her there was nothing to discuss and for the third time, the seat belt sign is on and she needed to return to her seat. She got more argumentative. At her seat, she went on again about 9/11, mercury poisoning, etc. During the incident in the first class galley, the #1 flight attendant was in the cockpit updating the captain. Upon arriving in las no one but the agent met the flight. He (the agent) said it was not his problem. The agent would not take the ground copy of the in-flight disturbance form. The drunk passenger turned to the #3 flight attendant and laughed and left to enjoy her las vegas vacation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT A DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR PAX WAS ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE ACFT AT LAS, AFTER SECURITY HAD BEEN REQUESTED TO MEET THE FLT.

Narrative: PAX STUMBLED AND WAS DISORIENTED WHEN SHE GOT ON BOARD AND WAS SUSPECTED OF BEING INTOXICATED BY FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. COCKPIT AND AGENT WERE NOTIFIED AND CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLED. THE GENTLEMAN WHO CAME ON BOARD TO EVALUATE HER (UNKNOWN TO US) TALKED TO THE WRONG PERSON. HE NOTIFIED FLT ATTENDANTS AND PLTS THAT HE FELT SHE WAS OK TO FLY -- SHE DID NOT SMELL OF ALCOHOL, SHE DID NOT SLUR HER WORDS AND MADE EYE CONTACT WHILE HE SPOKE TO HER. PAX IN SAME ROW MOVED SEATS. DURING THE SAFETY VIDEO, THE PAX WHO WAS ORIGINALLY NEXT TO THE PAX, CALLED ME OVER AND TOLD ME THAT THE 'MAN WHO CAME ON TO TALK TO THE DRUNK LADY' SPOKE TO THE WRONG PERSON. I TOLD THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND SHE CALLED THE CAPT. HE STOPPED TAXIING AND ASKED US TO EVALUATE THE SIT. I WENT TO THE DRUNK PAX AND ASKED HER IF SHE WAS OK AND IF SHE HAD HAD ANYTHING TO DRINK. SHE SEEMED A LITTLE OUT-OF-IT, BUT DID NOT SMELL OF ALCOHOL, TOLD ME SHE HAD 1 GLASS OF WINE BTWN FLTS AND SHE WAS JUST VERY TIRED. WE DECIDED TO TAKE HER AT HER WORD AND CONTINUED ON OUR WAY TO LAS, BUT NOT SERVE HER ANY ALCOHOL. DURING THE FIRST BEVERAGE SVC, SHE ORDERED A DIET SPRITE AND A RED WINE. I TOLD HER THAT SHE COULD HAVE THE DIET SPRITE, BUT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SELL HER THE WINE. SHE ASKED WHY. I TOLD HER I FELT SHE PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DRINK ON THIS FLT. SHE INSISTED SHE WAS NOT DRUNK. I TOLD HER THAT SHE WAS STILL NOT GETTING ANY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON TONIGHT'S FLT. SHE ASKED WHY AGAIN AND CONTINUED TO GET MORE ARGUMENTATIVE. SHE ASKED ME WHO MADE THE DECISION. I TOLD HER IT WAS A CREW DECISION BASED ON HER ACTIONS DURING BOARDING. SHE STARTED TO DEMAND TO KNOW WHO 'TOLD ON' HER. SHE SAID HER HUSBAND WAS A LAWYER AND WE WERE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT THIS. I TOLD HER THAT HE WOULD PROBABLY BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO HER THAT IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO SERVE ALCOHOL TO ANYONE WHO APPEARS TO BE DRUNK AND HER BEHAVIOR WAS REINFORCING OUR DECISION NOT TO SERVE HER. SHE CONTINUED TO ARGUE WITH ME OVER 'WHO TOLD' AND 'WHY.' I TOLD HER THAT IF SHE CONTINUED TO ARGUE WITH ME, WE COULD RETURN TO STL AND SHE COULD CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION WITH AUTHS THERE, BECAUSE AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED, THE CONVERSATION WAS OVER. I TOLD HER IT WOULD BE BEST IF SHE WERE TO TAKE HER SEAT AND DISCONTINUE HER RANTING. SHE AGAIN TAP-TAP-TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER 'JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHY SHE WAS DENIED THE WINE.' I TOLD HER SHE NEEDED TO STOP, HER ACTIONS WERE INTERFERING WITH MY DUTIES AND I GOT HER IDENT TO ISSUE HER A PAX DISTURBANCE FORM AND TOLD HER AGAIN IT WAS NOT TOO LATE TO GO BACK TO STL. WHEN I WENT TO GET THE FORM SHE GOT OUT OF HER SEAT AND GOT IN THE FACE OF THE PAX WHO MOVED FROM HER ROW AND WAS ACCUSING HER OF COMPLAINING. I FILLED OUT THE FORM AND GAVE THE PAX HER COPY. SHE CONTINUED TO ASK WHAT THIS (THE FORM) MEANS. I TOLD HER THAT IT MEANS SHE IS CREATING A DISTURBANCE AND INTERFERING WITH THE DUTIES OF A CREW MEMBER WHICH IS AGAINST THE LAW AND (AGAIN) IT WOULD BE BEST FOR HER TO STOP. SHE SAID SHE WAS NOT INTERFERING WITH ME. SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE PAPER (INFLT DISTURBANCE FORM). I TOLD HER (AGAIN) IT DEPENDED ON HER ACTIONS. WORST CASE SCENARIO WOULD BE LNDG AT THE NEAREST ARPT AND HAVING HER REMOVED, BEST CASE SHE WOULD RETURN TO HER SEAT AND DISCONTINUE HER DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR. IN BTWN, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO LAS WHERE SHE WOULD BE MET BY AUTHS. PAX IN ANOTHER ROW SAID HE SAW HER DRINK 3 WINES ON THE PERVIOUS FLT. OTHER PAX ADDED SHE WAS DISRUPTIVE AND ACTING STRANGELY BEFORE THE FLT. DRUNK PAX WENT BACK TO HER SEAT AND WAS KICKING THE SEAT IN FRONT OF HER. PAX GOT THE ATTN OF THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND TOLD HER THAT DRUNK PAX WAS CONTINUOUSLY KICKING HIS SEAT. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT REMOVED HIM AND HIS TRAVEL COMPANION UP TO FIRST CLASS. LATER, I WAS IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY AREA GETTING INFO TOGETHER FOR MY RPT. DRUNK PAX COMES INTO THE GALLEY AREA AND SAID SHE WAS IN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MOVED TO FIRST CLASS BUT THE AGENT TOLD HER IT WAS TOO LATE. SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHY THOSE MEN WERE UPGRADED AND SHE WASN'T. I TOLD HER THAT IT WAS NONE OF HER BUSINESS. I ALSO TOLD HER THAT THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON AND SHE NEEDED TO RETURN TO HER SEAT. THEN SHE STARTED RAMBLING ON. I TOLD HER THERE WAS NOTHING TO DISCUSS AND FOR THE THIRD TIME, THE SEAT BELT SIGN IS ON AND SHE NEEDED TO RETURN TO HER SEAT. SHE GOT MORE ARGUMENTATIVE. AT HER SEAT, SHE WENT ON AGAIN ABOUT 9/11, MERCURY POISONING, ETC. DURING THE INCIDENT IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS IN THE COCKPIT UPDATING THE CAPT. UPON ARRIVING IN LAS NO ONE BUT THE AGENT MET THE FLT. HE (THE AGENT) SAID IT WAS NOT HIS PROB. THE AGENT WOULD NOT TAKE THE GND COPY OF THE INFLT DISTURBANCE FORM. THE DRUNK PAX TURNED TO THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT AND LAUGHED AND LEFT TO ENJOY HER LAS VEGAS VACATION.

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.