Narrative:

My father and I were both flying standby for pleasure. We were told; by the customer service agent checking us in; to make sure the agent at the gate informed ramp to board our bags when given seats; as our bags would not be boarded unless we were. After being given seats for this flight my father said he noticed only his large fishing rod case had been boarded. I then approached the agent and asked if he could find out whether our 3 bags had been boarded. The agent told me they probably hadn't scanned the bags yet and there would be no way of knowing. I then asked if I could go out and check the pit to see if all our bags were there; as we were vacationing to a very remote fishing lodge and we would be helpless without our bags. I showed him my flight attendant badge as well as my airport badge. He said I could go out and gave me the code for the jetway. Please note that the jetway is no more than 10 ft from the pit where a ramp agent was standing. The ramp agent saw me as I came from the jetway; badge in full view around my neck. I approached him; showed him my badges; and asked if it would be ok to check the pit to see if all our bags had been boarded. He said yes and walked with me around the conveyor to the pit door. We both looked in and spoke with another agent who was sitting in the pit. We could only locate two bags and the fishing rod case. I then asked if it would be ok to check in the pit as I was very unsettled about losing the third bag. The agent said ok and I climbed in the pit. Both the agent in the pit and I looked for the bag. We finally found it. I said thank you and proceeded to exit the pit and walk the 10 ft back to the jetway. As I approached the jetway I noticed a pilot walking inside the jetway toward the aircraft. He looked puzzled. I held up my badge and waved. I then opened the jetway door and the pilot had since boarded the aircraft. I walked out into the waiting area thanking the cust service agent and letting him know all our bags had been boarded. About 8 mins later the same pilot approached me in the waiting area and asked if he could speak to me. I said sure; and followed him to the podium. He then asked what I was doing out there. I said I wanted to make sure our bags had been boarded as we were flying standby. He then told me I was not allowed out there. I showed him my airport badge and said I was unaware that I had violated any policy as I had permission from both the gate agent and the ramp agent to check the bags. I told him that I was on the ramp in view and with the ramp agents at all times. He appeared very unnerved and asked for my name and file number. He told me that I had breached security and that all bags would have to be unloaded and the flight delayed. I apologized and said once again that I had no idea that I had breached security. For the next 20 mins or so I sat with my father in the gate area noticing many supervisor; or so it seemed; because of their radios and discussions taking place. It was after the plane had boarded that I was told by a supervisor; although he never said his name nor identified himself; that my supervisor had been called and would be here shortly and that I would not be able to fly company for the rest of the day. At that point I became very emotional as I had never intended to break any rules and was only trying to reassure my father that all the bags were on. I explained that I was never out of view of the ramp agents and couldn't understand why the pilot was so furious with me. I apologized once again for the situation and explained that I would have never even asked if I thought that I was doing something wrong. I was completely unaware that this was a violation as told by the pilot and the other gentleman at air carrier. Supervisor then asked if anyone else spoke with me at air carrier. I said no; other than the man who conferenced with mr. X. He never introduced himself nor identified his position. I then joined my father at baggage claim and went home.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FA NOT IN UNIFORM BUT BADGED FOR THIS ARPT ENTERED THE RAMP TO CHECK ON PERSONAL BAGS LOADED ON THE ACFT. A SECURITY VIOLATION WAS FILED.

Narrative: MY FATHER AND I WERE BOTH FLYING STANDBY FOR PLEASURE. WE WERE TOLD; BY THE CUSTOMER SVC AGENT CHKING US IN; TO MAKE SURE THE AGENT AT THE GATE INFORMED RAMP TO BOARD OUR BAGS WHEN GIVEN SEATS; AS OUR BAGS WOULD NOT BE BOARDED UNLESS WE WERE. AFTER BEING GIVEN SEATS FOR THIS FLT MY FATHER SAID HE NOTICED ONLY HIS LARGE FISHING ROD CASE HAD BEEN BOARDED. I THEN APPROACHED THE AGENT AND ASKED IF HE COULD FIND OUT WHETHER OUR 3 BAGS HAD BEEN BOARDED. THE AGENT TOLD ME THEY PROBABLY HADN'T SCANNED THE BAGS YET AND THERE WOULD BE NO WAY OF KNOWING. I THEN ASKED IF I COULD GO OUT AND CHECK THE PIT TO SEE IF ALL OUR BAGS WERE THERE; AS WE WERE VACATIONING TO A VERY REMOTE FISHING LODGE AND WE WOULD BE HELPLESS WITHOUT OUR BAGS. I SHOWED HIM MY FA BADGE AS WELL AS MY ARPT BADGE. HE SAID I COULD GO OUT AND GAVE ME THE CODE FOR THE JETWAY. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE JETWAY IS NO MORE THAN 10 FT FROM THE PIT WHERE A RAMP AGENT WAS STANDING. THE RAMP AGENT SAW ME AS I CAME FROM THE JETWAY; BADGE IN FULL VIEW AROUND MY NECK. I APPROACHED HIM; SHOWED HIM MY BADGES; AND ASKED IF IT WOULD BE OK TO CHECK THE PIT TO SEE IF ALL OUR BAGS HAD BEEN BOARDED. HE SAID YES AND WALKED WITH ME AROUND THE CONVEYOR TO THE PIT DOOR. WE BOTH LOOKED IN AND SPOKE WITH ANOTHER AGENT WHO WAS SITTING IN THE PIT. WE COULD ONLY LOCATE TWO BAGS AND THE FISHING ROD CASE. I THEN ASKED IF IT WOULD BE OK TO CHECK IN THE PIT AS I WAS VERY UNSETTLED ABOUT LOSING THE THIRD BAG. THE AGENT SAID OK AND I CLIMBED IN THE PIT. BOTH THE AGENT IN THE PIT AND I LOOKED FOR THE BAG. WE FINALLY FOUND IT. I SAID THANK YOU AND PROCEEDED TO EXIT THE PIT AND WALK THE 10 FT BACK TO THE JETWAY. AS I APPROACHED THE JETWAY I NOTICED A PLT WALKING INSIDE THE JETWAY TOWARD THE ACFT. HE LOOKED PUZZLED. I HELD UP MY BADGE AND WAVED. I THEN OPENED THE JETWAY DOOR AND THE PLT HAD SINCE BOARDED THE ACFT. I WALKED OUT INTO THE WAITING AREA THANKING THE CUST SVC AGENT AND LETTING HIM KNOW ALL OUR BAGS HAD BEEN BOARDED. ABOUT 8 MINS LATER THE SAME PLT APPROACHED ME IN THE WAITING AREA AND ASKED IF HE COULD SPEAK TO ME. I SAID SURE; AND FOLLOWED HIM TO THE PODIUM. HE THEN ASKED WHAT I WAS DOING OUT THERE. I SAID I WANTED TO MAKE SURE OUR BAGS HAD BEEN BOARDED AS WE WERE FLYING STANDBY. HE THEN TOLD ME I WAS NOT ALLOWED OUT THERE. I SHOWED HIM MY ARPT BADGE AND SAID I WAS UNAWARE THAT I HAD VIOLATED ANY POLICY AS I HAD PERMISSION FROM BOTH THE GATE AGENT AND THE RAMP AGENT TO CHECK THE BAGS. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS ON THE RAMP IN VIEW AND WITH THE RAMP AGENTS AT ALL TIMES. HE APPEARED VERY UNNERVED AND ASKED FOR MY NAME AND FILE NUMBER. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD BREACHED SECURITY AND THAT ALL BAGS WOULD HAVE TO BE UNLOADED AND THE FLT DELAYED. I APOLOGIZED AND SAID ONCE AGAIN THAT I HAD NO IDEA THAT I HAD BREACHED SECURITY. FOR THE NEXT 20 MINS OR SO I SAT WITH MY FATHER IN THE GATE AREA NOTICING MANY SUPERVISOR; OR SO IT SEEMED; BECAUSE OF THEIR RADIOS AND DISCUSSIONS TAKING PLACE. IT WAS AFTER THE PLANE HAD BOARDED THAT I WAS TOLD BY A SUPERVISOR; ALTHOUGH HE NEVER SAID HIS NAME NOR IDENTIFIED HIMSELF; THAT MY SUPERVISOR HAD BEEN CALLED AND WOULD BE HERE SHORTLY AND THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FLY COMPANY FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. AT THAT POINT I BECAME VERY EMOTIONAL AS I HAD NEVER INTENDED TO BREAK ANY RULES AND WAS ONLY TRYING TO REASSURE MY FATHER THAT ALL THE BAGS WERE ON. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS NEVER OUT OF VIEW OF THE RAMP AGENTS AND COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE PLT WAS SO FURIOUS WITH ME. I APOLOGIZED ONCE AGAIN FOR THE SITUATION AND EXPLAINED THAT I WOULD HAVE NEVER EVEN ASKED IF I THOUGHT THAT I WAS DOING SOMETHING WRONG. I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE THAT THIS WAS A VIOLATION AS TOLD BY THE PLT AND THE OTHER GENTLEMAN AT ACR. SUPVR THEN ASKED IF ANYONE ELSE SPOKE WITH ME AT ACR. I SAID NO; OTHER THAN THE MAN WHO CONFERENCED WITH MR. X. HE NEVER INTRODUCED HIMSELF NOR IDENTIFIED HIS POSITION. I THEN JOINED MY FATHER AT BAGGAGE CLAIM AND WENT HOME.

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.