Narrative:

I did preflight planning then went to the gate to meet our flight attendants. On board; I did a brief with the 'a' flight attendant. I specifically asked her if she knew of any fam's or pcfa's (passenger carrying firearm) on our flight. She said 'no.' I also had no knowledge of any armed passenger. Just prior to pushback; one of the flight attendants from the rear of the airplane; came to the flight deck to tell us that they had moved the passenger in 8D; to seat 11F. When they did this; he (the passenger) asked her if she knew who he was. She said no; and he mouthed to her that he was a fam. She came to the flight deck to tell us this information. When she said he was a fam; that immediately raised questions; as neither the 'a' flight attendant nor the first officer and myself were aware of this. I then called station operations on the radio to inquire of this. I asked if he was on a mission; if he had a partner or was just traveling on non-work status. Operations said they did not know; but would check with the gate. A couple of mins later; they said that we had a pcfa on board. I told them that we had no paperwork and we needed to rectify this. Shortly thereafter; the jetway was brought back to the airplane. The customer service agent then went into the cabin; without checking in with the flight deck. The agent went to the fam and conversed with him. The fam then came to the flight deck and spoke with us. He explained that he was indeed working and he also had a partner seated in 2C. Again this was news to all of us. The fam stated that he was late checking in for the flight and he thought his partner had already shown us credentials. This obviously had not taken place. I do know that the fam's don't have to check in with us; but we still need to be notified of their presence. We never received the required boarding card notification. Our 'a' flight attendant also; never received any paperwork/manifest. Somehow; this notification step got left out. It was just due to needing to reseat the fam that we were even made aware of his presence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A32O PILOT REPORTS A PASSENGER NOTIFIED A FLT ATTENDANT AFTER BEING MOVED THAT HE WAS A FAM. NONE OF THE CREW WAS NOTIFIED THAT TWO FAM'S WERE ON BOARD.

Narrative: I DID PREFLT PLANNING THEN WENT TO THE GATE TO MEET OUR FLT ATTENDANTS. ON BOARD; I DID A BRIEF WITH THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED HER IF SHE KNEW OF ANY FAM'S OR PCFA'S (PAX CARRYING FIREARM) ON OUR FLT. SHE SAID 'NO.' I ALSO HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY ARMED PAX. JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK; ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS FROM THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE; CAME TO THE FLT DECK TO TELL US THAT THEY HAD MOVED THE PAX IN 8D; TO SEAT 11F. WHEN THEY DID THIS; HE (THE PAX) ASKED HER IF SHE KNEW WHO HE WAS. SHE SAID NO; AND HE MOUTHED TO HER THAT HE WAS A FAM. SHE CAME TO THE FLT DECK TO TELL US THIS INFO. WHEN SHE SAID HE WAS A FAM; THAT IMMEDIATELY RAISED QUESTIONS; AS NEITHER THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT NOR THE FO AND MYSELF WERE AWARE OF THIS. I THEN CALLED STATION OPS ON THE RADIO TO INQUIRE OF THIS. I ASKED IF HE WAS ON A MISSION; IF HE HAD A PARTNER OR WAS JUST TRAVELING ON NON-WORK STATUS. OPS SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW; BUT WOULD CHK WITH THE GATE. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER; THEY SAID THAT WE HAD A PCFA ON BOARD. I TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD NO PAPERWORK AND WE NEEDED TO RECTIFY THIS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE JETWAY WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE AIRPLANE. THE CUSTOMER SVC AGENT THEN WENT INTO THE CABIN; WITHOUT CHKING IN WITH THE FLT DECK. THE AGENT WENT TO THE FAM AND CONVERSED WITH HIM. THE FAM THEN CAME TO THE FLT DECK AND SPOKE WITH US. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS INDEED WORKING AND HE ALSO HAD A PARTNER SEATED IN 2C. AGAIN THIS WAS NEWS TO ALL OF US. THE FAM STATED THAT HE WAS LATE CHKING IN FOR THE FLT AND HE THOUGHT HIS PARTNER HAD ALREADY SHOWN US CREDENTIALS. THIS OBVIOUSLY HAD NOT TAKEN PLACE. I DO KNOW THAT THE FAM'S DON'T HAVE TO CHK IN WITH US; BUT WE STILL NEED TO BE NOTIFIED OF THEIR PRESENCE. WE NEVER RECEIVED THE REQUIRED BOARDING CARD NOTIFICATION. OUR 'A' FLT ATTENDANT ALSO; NEVER RECEIVED ANY PAPERWORK/MANIFEST. SOMEHOW; THIS NOTIFICATION STEP GOT LEFT OUT. IT WAS JUST DUE TO NEEDING TO RESEAT THE FAM THAT WE WERE EVEN MADE AWARE OF HIS PRESENCE.

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.