An air carrier captain reported lack of compliance with his company's fam and leo advisory policy; r...

Attributes
ACN	786914
Time
Date	200805
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	786914
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We had a problem with the new fam (federal air marshal) boarding procedure that recently went into effect. The gate agent did not advise me of fams on this flight at any time. The fams told us they were onboard as they boarded; otherwise we wouldn't have known they were onboard. When I asked the gate agent; he said he didn't know about any fams; and neither did the other agent working the flight. We also had a leo (law enforcement officer; armed). I talked with one of the fams after the flight; and he stated he had no prior knowledge of the leo until informed by me; and that they had checked in with a gate agent (we don't know which agent; since both agents working the flight at closeout stated they didn't know about fams onboard). This new fam boarding procedure puts too much dependence on the gate agent notifying the captain and was a failure on this flight. Had the fams not identified themselves; per the old fam boarding procedure: 1) I would have not known there were armed marshals onboard. 2) the fams would have not known there was an armed leo behind them. Both of these are potentially very dangerous and unacceptable.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT REPORTED LACK OF COMPLIANCE WITH HIS COMPANY'S FAM AND LEO ADVISORY POLICY; RESULTING IN FAMS AND LEOS BEING BOARDED WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE FLT CREW AND FAILURE TO ADVISE THE FAMS AND LEOS OF THE OTHER'S PRESENCE.

Narrative: WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE NEW FAM (FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL) BOARDING PROCEDURE THAT RECENTLY WENT INTO EFFECT. THE GATE AGENT DID NOT ADVISE ME OF FAMS ON THIS FLIGHT AT ANY TIME. THE FAMS TOLD US THEY WERE ONBOARD AS THEY BOARDED; OTHERWISE WE WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THEY WERE ONBOARD. WHEN I ASKED THE GATE AGENT; HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ANY FAMS; AND NEITHER DID THE OTHER AGENT WORKING THE FLIGHT. WE ALSO HAD A LEO (LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER; ARMED). I TALKED WITH ONE OF THE FAMS AFTER THE FLIGHT; AND HE STATED HE HAD NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE LEO UNTIL INFORMED BY ME; AND THAT THEY HAD CHECKED IN WITH A GATE AGENT (WE DON'T KNOW WHICH AGENT; SINCE BOTH AGENTS WORKING THE FLIGHT AT CLOSEOUT STATED THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT FAMS ONBOARD). THIS NEW FAM BOARDING PROCEDURE PUTS TOO MUCH DEPENDENCE ON THE GATE AGENT NOTIFYING THE CAPTAIN AND WAS A FAILURE ON THIS FLIGHT. HAD THE FAMS NOT IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES; PER THE OLD FAM BOARDING PROCEDURE: 1) I WOULD HAVE NOT KNOWN THERE WERE ARMED MARSHALS ONBOARD. 2) THE FAMS WOULD HAVE NOT KNOWN THERE WAS AN ARMED LEO BEHIND THEM. BOTH OF THESE ARE POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

An air carrier captain reported lack of compliance with his company's fam and leo advisory policy; resulting in fams and leos being boarded without notifying the flight crew and failure to advise the fams and leos of the other's presence.