Narrative:

We were experiencing a maintenance delay. Boarded passenger with no APU running and ground air not working. Once passenger boarded; cabin temperature went over 90 degrees and crew was then informed delay would be 30-45 mins for part to be changed on aircraft. We decided to deplane passenger due to heat in cabin but allowed them to leave baggage in cabin but take boarding passes. This was about XA10. While sitting across from gate waiting for maintenance to confirm part was changed and working; I looked up and saw a passenger come up from the airplane unattended. I walked over and asked gate agent if she allowed passenger to go down to airplane alone to get bag; and she said yes. I told her she should not allow that to happen and both flight attendants need to be present or she can go down and retrieve bag for passenger but should not allow passenger to go to airplane with no personnel present on aircraft. She said ok and I went and sat back down across the hall from gate. This occurred at about XA30. While sitting there; she made an announcement of an XB00 advise time for delay. I then walked to bathroom and then to next gate to inform other flight attendant of advise time. As I was turning around to walk back to gate at about XA50; both myself and the other flight attendant looked out the window and witnessed passenger going on our aircraft. I went to the gate and told the gate agent she can't board the plane without 2 flight attendants present. She informed me as I went past her down the jetway that she wasn't boarding. When I got to aircraft; there was a male gate agent standing in the galley while passenger were getting on the airplane. I told him that we can't have passenger on the plane without the flight attendants present. He informed me that he is qualified to stand in the place of a flight attendant and that if I had a problem with it to contact my company. At this point; most of the passenger were returning back to gate area to receive hotel accommodation for the evening due to flight delay until the following morning. I asked the captain why passenger were allowed on aircraft; and he told me that the agents made a PA for passenger to return to aircraft to get belongings and they opened boarding door and just let the passenger proceed down jetway without any verification of boarding passes or without any regards to the captain's objections as well as the first officer's objection of allowing passenger down jetway to aircraft without minimum cabin crew on board. Cause was due to lack of training and knowledge of FAA regulations on behalf of the gate agents in ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX AGENT ALLOWS PASSENGERS TO ACCESS DELAYED CRJ FOR PERSONAL BELONGINGS WITH NO CABIN ATTENDANTS ON BOARD.

Narrative: WE WERE EXPERIENCING A MAINT DELAY. BOARDED PAX WITH NO APU RUNNING AND GND AIR NOT WORKING. ONCE PAX BOARDED; CABIN TEMP WENT OVER 90 DEGS AND CREW WAS THEN INFORMED DELAY WOULD BE 30-45 MINS FOR PART TO BE CHANGED ON ACFT. WE DECIDED TO DEPLANE PAX DUE TO HEAT IN CABIN BUT ALLOWED THEM TO LEAVE BAGGAGE IN CABIN BUT TAKE BOARDING PASSES. THIS WAS ABOUT XA10. WHILE SITTING ACROSS FROM GATE WAITING FOR MAINT TO CONFIRM PART WAS CHANGED AND WORKING; I LOOKED UP AND SAW A PAX COME UP FROM THE AIRPLANE UNATTENDED. I WALKED OVER AND ASKED GATE AGENT IF SHE ALLOWED PAX TO GO DOWN TO AIRPLANE ALONE TO GET BAG; AND SHE SAID YES. I TOLD HER SHE SHOULD NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN AND BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS NEED TO BE PRESENT OR SHE CAN GO DOWN AND RETRIEVE BAG FOR PAX BUT SHOULD NOT ALLOW PAX TO GO TO AIRPLANE WITH NO PERSONNEL PRESENT ON ACFT. SHE SAID OK AND I WENT AND SAT BACK DOWN ACROSS THE HALL FROM GATE. THIS OCCURRED AT ABOUT XA30. WHILE SITTING THERE; SHE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN XB00 ADVISE TIME FOR DELAY. I THEN WALKED TO BATHROOM AND THEN TO NEXT GATE TO INFORM OTHER FLT ATTENDANT OF ADVISE TIME. AS I WAS TURNING AROUND TO WALK BACK TO GATE AT ABOUT XA50; BOTH MYSELF AND THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND WITNESSED PAX GOING ON OUR ACFT. I WENT TO THE GATE AND TOLD THE GATE AGENT SHE CAN'T BOARD THE PLANE WITHOUT 2 FLT ATTENDANTS PRESENT. SHE INFORMED ME AS I WENT PAST HER DOWN THE JETWAY THAT SHE WASN'T BOARDING. WHEN I GOT TO ACFT; THERE WAS A MALE GATE AGENT STANDING IN THE GALLEY WHILE PAX WERE GETTING ON THE AIRPLANE. I TOLD HIM THAT WE CAN'T HAVE PAX ON THE PLANE WITHOUT THE FLT ATTENDANTS PRESENT. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE IS QUALIFIED TO STAND IN THE PLACE OF A FLT ATTENDANT AND THAT IF I HAD A PROB WITH IT TO CONTACT MY COMPANY. AT THIS POINT; MOST OF THE PAX WERE RETURNING BACK TO GATE AREA TO RECEIVE HOTEL ACCOMMODATION FOR THE EVENING DUE TO FLT DELAY UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING. I ASKED THE CAPT WHY PAX WERE ALLOWED ON ACFT; AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE AGENTS MADE A PA FOR PAX TO RETURN TO ACFT TO GET BELONGINGS AND THEY OPENED BOARDING DOOR AND JUST LET THE PAX PROCEED DOWN JETWAY WITHOUT ANY VERIFICATION OF BOARDING PASSES OR WITHOUT ANY REGARDS TO THE CAPT'S OBJECTIONS AS WELL AS THE FO'S OBJECTION OF ALLOWING PAX DOWN JETWAY TO ACFT WITHOUT MINIMUM CABIN CREW ON BOARD. CAUSE WAS DUE TO LACK OF TRAINING AND KNOWLEDGE OF FAA REGS ON BEHALF OF THE GATE AGENTS IN ZZZ.

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.