A phone call from a passenger's spouse was placed to the aircraft's satcom phone after the passenger...

Narrative:

While in cruise; we received a satcom call. A lady was trying to reach a man who had just called her from the number she was calling. Apparently the man had called her using the phone system installed in the aircraft cabin and she was trying to call him back. We feel this is a security problem in that anyone could gain access to the satcom number simply by having someone on the flight call them. They could then call the flight deck of an aircraft in flight and make a threat against the flight or against a pilot's family. Also; someone on the flight could actually through a ground connection make a call to the flight deck and make a threat against the flight. Apparently when a passenger makes a call from the aircraft; either the number is displayed on the caller identification of the phone receiving the call or the system allows a call back to the number. When calls are made from the aircraft cabin; the number the call comes from should be blocked on the receiving phone's caller identification or a fictitious number should be displayed; and other measures should be taken to prevent the system from allowing a call back. Only dispatch or ATC should be able to dial the flight deck on satcom. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter talked with the caller three times during the flight when unsolicited satcom calls were received in the cockpit. The caller stated that the caller identification number from the passenger onboard the aircraft allowed her to return the call. As the crew questioned the caller; she did not know that an aircraft was contacted much less its location or destination. She was concerned about the welfare of the passenger and stated that it may be a medical matter. The message was passed to the passenger about the call and it was discovered during a subsequent call that the caller's main concern was whether the passenger was sober and in good health.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PHONE CALL FROM A PAX'S SPOUSE WAS PLACED TO THE ACFT'S SATCOM PHONE AFTER THE PAX CALLED HIS WIFE FROM THE ACFT AND WAS GIVEN THE ACFT'S SATCOM NUMBER.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE; WE RECEIVED A SATCOM CALL. A LADY WAS TRYING TO REACH A MAN WHO HAD JUST CALLED HER FROM THE NUMBER SHE WAS CALLING. APPARENTLY THE MAN HAD CALLED HER USING THE PHONE SYSTEM INSTALLED IN THE ACFT CABIN AND SHE WAS TRYING TO CALL HIM BACK. WE FEEL THIS IS A SECURITY PROBLEM IN THAT ANYONE COULD GAIN ACCESS TO THE SATCOM NUMBER SIMPLY BY HAVING SOMEONE ON THE FLT CALL THEM. THEY COULD THEN CALL THE FLT DECK OF AN ACFT IN FLT AND MAKE A THREAT AGAINST THE FLT OR AGAINST A PLT'S FAMILY. ALSO; SOMEONE ON THE FLT COULD ACTUALLY THROUGH A GND CONNECTION MAKE A CALL TO THE FLT DECK AND MAKE A THREAT AGAINST THE FLT. APPARENTLY WHEN A PAX MAKES A CALL FROM THE ACFT; EITHER THE NUMBER IS DISPLAYED ON THE CALLER ID OF THE PHONE RECEIVING THE CALL OR THE SYSTEM ALLOWS A CALL BACK TO THE NUMBER. WHEN CALLS ARE MADE FROM THE ACFT CABIN; THE NUMBER THE CALL COMES FROM SHOULD BE BLOCKED ON THE RECEIVING PHONE'S CALLER ID OR A FICTITIOUS NUMBER SHOULD BE DISPLAYED; AND OTHER MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PREVENT THE SYSTEM FROM ALLOWING A CALL BACK. ONLY DISPATCH OR ATC SHOULD BE ABLE TO DIAL THE FLT DECK ON SATCOM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR TALKED WITH THE CALLER THREE TIMES DURING THE FLT WHEN UNSOLICITED SATCOM CALLS WERE RECEIVED IN THE COCKPIT. THE CALLER STATED THAT THE CALLER ID NUMBER FROM THE PAX ONBOARD THE ACFT ALLOWED HER TO RETURN THE CALL. AS THE CREW QUESTIONED THE CALLER; SHE DID NOT KNOW THAT AN ACFT WAS CONTACTED MUCH LESS ITS LOCATION OR DEST. SHE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELFARE OF THE PAX AND STATED THAT IT MAY BE A MEDICAL MATTER. THE MSG WAS PASSED TO THE PAX ABOUT THE CALL AND IT WAS DISCOVERED DURING A SUBSEQUENT CALL THAT THE CALLER'S MAIN CONCERN WAS WHETHER THE PAX WAS SOBER AND IN GOOD HEALTH.

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.

Attributes
ACN	807259
Time
Date	200810
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzzz.artcc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 38000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzzz.artcc tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	807259
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

A phone call from a passenger's spouse was placed to the aircraft's satcom phone after the passenger called his wife from the aircraft and was given the aircraft's satcom number.