Narrative:

A wheelchair passenger was pre-boarded on the lift. One agent was on the aircraft with the wheelchair passenger; another agent was operating the lift; and the third agent was at the gate and began loading the other passenger. These other passenger headed toward the aft stairs to board; but many of them; including 3 children; headed toward the back inside the traffic cone placed on the ramp to prevent passenger from boarding under the wing. There was no security guard in the area at the time. Several passenger; including the children; walked between the traffic cone and the engine; very close to the engine. No one on the ramp was watching or monitoring where these passenger were headed. When I called this to the agent's attention (the agent operating the lift) looked back and started to shout to the passenger to go around the wing. At some point; a security guard assumed their regular spot near the wingtip to herd the rest of the passenger around the wing to the rear stairs. Is the security guard supposed to be out on the ramp near the aircraft to monitor boarding; or is that our responsibility? That needs to be clarified and we should ensure that someone is near the wing to make sure passenger stay clear of the engine and wing when boarding through the rear. The agent at the gate should make an announcement instructing passenger to stay clear of the underside of the wing and engine when boarding through the rear. I have also observed a potentially hazardous situation when after boarding wheelchair passenger the lift is backed up toward the boarding passenger with no one on the ramp making sure that passenger stay clear of the backing up lift. This can be particularly dangerous after dark.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 PLT IS CONCERNED WITH THE PAX CTL ON THE RAMP.

Narrative: A WHEELCHAIR PAX WAS PRE-BOARDED ON THE LIFT. ONE AGENT WAS ON THE ACFT WITH THE WHEELCHAIR PAX; ANOTHER AGENT WAS OPERATING THE LIFT; AND THE THIRD AGENT WAS AT THE GATE AND BEGAN LOADING THE OTHER PAX. THESE OTHER PAX HEADED TOWARD THE AFT STAIRS TO BOARD; BUT MANY OF THEM; INCLUDING 3 CHILDREN; HEADED TOWARD THE BACK INSIDE THE TFC CONE PLACED ON THE RAMP TO PREVENT PAX FROM BOARDING UNDER THE WING. THERE WAS NO SECURITY GUARD IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. SEVERAL PAX; INCLUDING THE CHILDREN; WALKED BTWN THE TFC CONE AND THE ENG; VERY CLOSE TO THE ENG. NO ONE ON THE RAMP WAS WATCHING OR MONITORING WHERE THESE PAX WERE HEADED. WHEN I CALLED THIS TO THE AGENT'S ATTN (THE AGENT OPERATING THE LIFT) LOOKED BACK AND STARTED TO SHOUT TO THE PAX TO GO AROUND THE WING. AT SOME POINT; A SECURITY GUARD ASSUMED THEIR REGULAR SPOT NEAR THE WINGTIP TO HERD THE REST OF THE PAX AROUND THE WING TO THE REAR STAIRS. IS THE SECURITY GUARD SUPPOSED TO BE OUT ON THE RAMP NEAR THE ACFT TO MONITOR BOARDING; OR IS THAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY? THAT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED AND WE SHOULD ENSURE THAT SOMEONE IS NEAR THE WING TO MAKE SURE PAX STAY CLR OF THE ENG AND WING WHEN BOARDING THROUGH THE REAR. THE AGENT AT THE GATE SHOULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT INSTRUCTING PAX TO STAY CLR OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING AND ENG WHEN BOARDING THROUGH THE REAR. I HAVE ALSO OBSERVED A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION WHEN AFTER BOARDING WHEELCHAIR PAX THE LIFT IS BACKED UP TOWARD THE BOARDING PAX WITH NO ONE ON THE RAMP MAKING SURE THAT PAX STAY CLR OF THE BACKING UP LIFT. THIS CAN BE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS AFTER DARK.

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.