Narrative:

Prior to departure; I knew of no passenger with special needs. I believe the chief purser did not know as well. Only after takeoff; about 20-30 mins into the flight; did she call the cockpit and advise me of a passenger with 'mental problems/issues.' she said he was being escorted by a friend or relative. I only learned of that because she alerted me that he was becoming a behavioral problem and bothering other passenger around him. I recommended she move surrounding passenger from his area since we had open seats. After the first call from the chief purser I related that information and seat assignments to dispatch and asked for information on both passenger. The dispatcher then told me he had a note on the manifest about mental problems or something to that effect regarding one of the passenger in question. Needless to say it would have been prudent for me to have knowledge of this prior to takeoff. Mistake/oversight #1! During a follow-up call to the chief purser a few mins later; I was advised that the passenger had settled down a bit and she believed things would be ok. Dispatcher asked me during my first inquiry if I had a security alert. I answered no at that time. I had only vague and un-alarming information at that point in time. A short time later the chief purser called me again and I was advised that the passenger was getting verbally unruly with surrounding passenger and flight attendants. I advised her to recruit helpers; one being deadheading captain; and I mentioned to her that there were a few big sports players in first class if she needed them for assistance and she should ask them. I was told that captain went back to stay with the passenger and shortly thereafter was told that the passenger struck the captain and shoved the chief purser and he was up and in the aisle. These new events occurred about 30 mins from ord. I then notified dispatch of 'security level 2.' I also asked him for security and customer service representative to meet the aircraft. I proceeded to ask for expeditious handling to ord from ATC due to 'security threat.' I also requested runway 22R due to its close proximity to the gates. (Ord was landing to the east with light winds.) I asked ATC to have medical and security standing by on arrival as well. I received everything I asked for from ATC. I quickly flew directly to ord with the intention of removing the passenger as soon as possible and receiving medical attention to injured passenger or crew members. Naturally; I had no idea how much things could escalate or if this was a ruse that could potentially grow into something more serious. I believed we had an urgent situation and felt it would be prudent to remove the threatening passenger as soon as possible. My concern was to eliminate the possibility of more injuries and to prevent it from moving to a higher security threat level. After landing; I arrived at the gate within approximately 30 seconds and observed all appropriate emergency vehicles near the gate. I made a stern PA announcement to the passenger to remain in their seats after parking and I would turn off the seatbelt sign when appropriate. I believe they realized from the events that occurred that we had a security issue and security personnel were going to board the aircraft. After parking at the gate I was expecting the jetway to be positioned quickly and to have security and medical personnel standing by on the jetway. I was astonished to see that it took 2-3 mins (maybe longer) for the jetway to position to the aircraft. We were waiting for a jetway driver! Luckily this security threat did not escalate but I can't imagine what the outcome could have been. What if passenger were being injured or worse yet killed and we could not get the jetway to the aircraft? Waiting for those few extra mins could have had a devastating impact on the passenger's safety. The legal and moral ramifications are tremendous. I also must say that I am sure the passenger were impressed with the flight crew's professionalism and degree of urgency with which the situation was handled; airborne and with taxi in. Unfortunately; after parking and waiting for a jetway driver I am sure their respect for airline X diminished dramatically.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW EXPERIENCED PAX DISRUPTION AND PERCEIVED SECURITY THREAT ENROUTE.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP; I KNEW OF NO PAX WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. I BELIEVE THE CHIEF PURSER DID NOT KNOW AS WELL. ONLY AFTER TKOF; ABOUT 20-30 MINS INTO THE FLT; DID SHE CALL THE COCKPIT AND ADVISE ME OF A PAX WITH 'MENTAL PROBS/ISSUES.' SHE SAID HE WAS BEING ESCORTED BY A FRIEND OR RELATIVE. I ONLY LEARNED OF THAT BECAUSE SHE ALERTED ME THAT HE WAS BECOMING A BEHAVIORAL PROB AND BOTHERING OTHER PAX AROUND HIM. I RECOMMENDED SHE MOVE SURROUNDING PAX FROM HIS AREA SINCE WE HAD OPEN SEATS. AFTER THE FIRST CALL FROM THE CHIEF PURSER I RELATED THAT INFO AND SEAT ASSIGNMENTS TO DISPATCH AND ASKED FOR INFO ON BOTH PAX. THE DISPATCHER THEN TOLD ME HE HAD A NOTE ON THE MANIFEST ABOUT MENTAL PROBS OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT REGARDING ONE OF THE PAX IN QUESTION. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT FOR ME TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PRIOR TO TKOF. MISTAKE/OVERSIGHT #1! DURING A FOLLOW-UP CALL TO THE CHIEF PURSER A FEW MINS LATER; I WAS ADVISED THAT THE PAX HAD SETTLED DOWN A BIT AND SHE BELIEVED THINGS WOULD BE OK. DISPATCHER ASKED ME DURING MY FIRST INQUIRY IF I HAD A SECURITY ALERT. I ANSWERED NO AT THAT TIME. I HAD ONLY VAGUE AND UN-ALARMING INFO AT THAT POINT IN TIME. A SHORT TIME LATER THE CHIEF PURSER CALLED ME AGAIN AND I WAS ADVISED THAT THE PAX WAS GETTING VERBALLY UNRULY WITH SURROUNDING PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS. I ADVISED HER TO RECRUIT HELPERS; ONE BEING DEADHEADING CAPT; AND I MENTIONED TO HER THAT THERE WERE A FEW BIG SPORTS PLAYERS IN FIRST CLASS IF SHE NEEDED THEM FOR ASSISTANCE AND SHE SHOULD ASK THEM. I WAS TOLD THAT CAPT WENT BACK TO STAY WITH THE PAX AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER WAS TOLD THAT THE PAX STRUCK THE CAPT AND SHOVED THE CHIEF PURSER AND HE WAS UP AND IN THE AISLE. THESE NEW EVENTS OCCURRED ABOUT 30 MINS FROM ORD. I THEN NOTIFIED DISPATCH OF 'SECURITY LEVEL 2.' I ALSO ASKED HIM FOR SECURITY AND CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE TO MEET THE ACFT. I PROCEEDED TO ASK FOR EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING TO ORD FROM ATC DUE TO 'SECURITY THREAT.' I ALSO REQUESTED RWY 22R DUE TO ITS CLOSE PROX TO THE GATES. (ORD WAS LNDG TO THE E WITH LIGHT WINDS.) I ASKED ATC TO HAVE MEDICAL AND SECURITY STANDING BY ON ARR AS WELL. I RECEIVED EVERYTHING I ASKED FOR FROM ATC. I QUICKLY FLEW DIRECTLY TO ORD WITH THE INTENTION OF REMOVING THE PAX ASAP AND RECEIVING MEDICAL ATTN TO INJURED PAX OR CREW MEMBERS. NATURALLY; I HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH THINGS COULD ESCALATE OR IF THIS WAS A RUSE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY GROW INTO SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS. I BELIEVED WE HAD AN URGENT SITUATION AND FELT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO REMOVE THE THREATENING PAX ASAP. MY CONCERN WAS TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE INJURIES AND TO PREVENT IT FROM MOVING TO A HIGHER SECURITY THREAT LEVEL. AFTER LNDG; I ARRIVED AT THE GATE WITHIN APPROX 30 SECONDS AND OBSERVED ALL APPROPRIATE EMER VEHICLES NEAR THE GATE. I MADE A STERN PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX TO REMAIN IN THEIR SEATS AFTER PARKING AND I WOULD TURN OFF THE SEATBELT SIGN WHEN APPROPRIATE. I BELIEVE THEY REALIZED FROM THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED THAT WE HAD A SECURITY ISSUE AND SECURITY PERSONNEL WERE GOING TO BOARD THE ACFT. AFTER PARKING AT THE GATE I WAS EXPECTING THE JETWAY TO BE POSITIONED QUICKLY AND TO HAVE SECURITY AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL STANDING BY ON THE JETWAY. I WAS ASTONISHED TO SEE THAT IT TOOK 2-3 MINS (MAYBE LONGER) FOR THE JETWAY TO POS TO THE ACFT. WE WERE WAITING FOR A JETWAY DRIVER! LUCKILY THIS SECURITY THREAT DID NOT ESCALATE BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN. WHAT IF PAX WERE BEING INJURED OR WORSE YET KILLED AND WE COULD NOT GET THE JETWAY TO THE ACFT? WAITING FOR THOSE FEW EXTRA MINS COULD HAVE HAD A DEVASTATING IMPACT ON THE PAX'S SAFETY. THE LEGAL AND MORAL RAMIFICATIONS ARE TREMENDOUS. I ALSO MUST SAY THAT I AM SURE THE PAX WERE IMPRESSED WITH THE FLT CREW'S PROFESSIONALISM AND DEGREE OF URGENCY WITH WHICH THE SITUATION WAS HANDLED; AIRBORNE AND WITH TAXI IN. UNFORTUNATELY; AFTER PARKING AND WAITING FOR A JETWAY DRIVER I AM SURE THEIR RESPECT FOR AIRLINE X DIMINISHED DRAMATICALLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.