Narrative:

On 9/sat/88 the captain an myself were arriving at the bgm airport for flight duty (our first flight of the day). Entered the terminal. Walked to our ticket counter and went behind it to our operations area. The captain examined the flight release as I checked in (3 station agents were also in the operations office). I proceeded out of operations and onto the ramp area to our aircraft to begin the preflight. I had my identify attached to my outermost garment as I always do while I am on the airport property (that means the minute I stepped out of the van) and while doing the preflight. The captain entered the aircraft and flight deck to perform his duties. Shortly thereafter a man entered the aircraft saying, 'you're not under arrest, but.' he was later identified as aviation safety inspector from the FSDO at dulles. He was quite rude accusing us of blatant disrespect for the law re: security screening procedures. Only then did he clarify his intentions. Basically he stated that all pilots must go through airport security screening before entering the ramp. It must be noted that I passed and said hello twice to this man from the time I left our operations to the time he confronted us. I noticed his identify, and did not consider him a security threat, but I question his enforcement of security (or as an aviation safety inspector) procedures in that, why did he allow 2 people onto the ramp and allow me (doing the preflight, looking and reaching into cargo bins and wheel wells) to get so close to an aircraft knowing we didn't pass through screening. He informed us that a report would be filed and we may be fined and violated. We brought up many other instances where pilots and F/a's use the same procedure which we've always used at bgm. I brought up a situation about 2 weeks ago at uca where 2 pilots and 2 F/a's attempted to pass through security screening and were flat out told that it was unnecessary, to just go through our operations to get onto the ramp. Also, no procedure is listed in our company's manuals a) operations policy and procedure section or B) far section 108 on crew member security screening procedures. I could not find guidelines in any of our airline documents which I carry in my flight case. My impression was always that if an individual had their identify clearly displayed they were ok to be on the ramp. Specifically, if they didn't intentionally avoid a security screening chkpoint through normal work related patterns. I have no problem with using security screening as an airline employee. Let's clarify the procedures for not only pilots and ramp agents, but also for airport employees and FAA personnel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW FAILED TO PASS THROUGH ARPT SCREENING BEFORE ENTERING THE RAMP AREA.

Narrative: ON 9/SAT/88 THE CAPT AN MYSELF WERE ARRIVING AT THE BGM ARPT FOR FLT DUTY (OUR FIRST FLT OF THE DAY). ENTERED THE TERMINAL. WALKED TO OUR TICKET COUNTER AND WENT BEHIND IT TO OUR OPS AREA. THE CAPT EXAMINED THE FLT RELEASE AS I CHKED IN (3 STATION AGENTS WERE ALSO IN THE OPS OFFICE). I PROCEEDED OUT OF OPS AND ONTO THE RAMP AREA TO OUR ACFT TO BEGIN THE PREFLT. I HAD MY IDENT ATTACHED TO MY OUTERMOST GARMENT AS I ALWAYS DO WHILE I AM ON THE ARPT PROPERTY (THAT MEANS THE MINUTE I STEPPED OUT OF THE VAN) AND WHILE DOING THE PREFLT. THE CAPT ENTERED THE ACFT AND FLT DECK TO PERFORM HIS DUTIES. SHORTLY THEREAFTER A MAN ENTERED THE ACFT SAYING, 'YOU'RE NOT UNDER ARREST, BUT.' HE WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR FROM THE FSDO AT DULLES. HE WAS QUITE RUDE ACCUSING US OF BLATANT DISRESPECT FOR THE LAW RE: SECURITY SCREENING PROCS. ONLY THEN DID HE CLARIFY HIS INTENTIONS. BASICALLY HE STATED THAT ALL PLTS MUST GO THROUGH ARPT SECURITY SCREENING BEFORE ENTERING THE RAMP. IT MUST BE NOTED THAT I PASSED AND SAID HELLO TWICE TO THIS MAN FROM THE TIME I LEFT OUR OPS TO THE TIME HE CONFRONTED US. I NOTICED HIS IDENT, AND DID NOT CONSIDER HIM A SECURITY THREAT, BUT I QUESTION HIS ENFORCEMENT OF SECURITY (OR AS AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR) PROCS IN THAT, WHY DID HE ALLOW 2 PEOPLE ONTO THE RAMP AND ALLOW ME (DOING THE PREFLT, LOOKING AND REACHING INTO CARGO BINS AND WHEEL WELLS) TO GET SO CLOSE TO AN ACFT KNOWING WE DIDN'T PASS THROUGH SCREENING. HE INFORMED US THAT A RPT WOULD BE FILED AND WE MAY BE FINED AND VIOLATED. WE BROUGHT UP MANY OTHER INSTANCES WHERE PLTS AND F/A'S USE THE SAME PROC WHICH WE'VE ALWAYS USED AT BGM. I BROUGHT UP A SITUATION ABOUT 2 WKS AGO AT UCA WHERE 2 PLTS AND 2 F/A'S ATTEMPTED TO PASS THROUGH SECURITY SCREENING AND WERE FLAT OUT TOLD THAT IT WAS UNNECESSARY, TO JUST GO THROUGH OUR OPS TO GET ONTO THE RAMP. ALSO, NO PROC IS LISTED IN OUR COMPANY'S MANUALS A) OPS POLICY AND PROC SECTION OR B) FAR SECTION 108 ON CREW MEMBER SECURITY SCREENING PROCS. I COULD NOT FIND GUIDELINES IN ANY OF OUR AIRLINE DOCUMENTS WHICH I CARRY IN MY FLT CASE. MY IMPRESSION WAS ALWAYS THAT IF AN INDIVIDUAL HAD THEIR IDENT CLEARLY DISPLAYED THEY WERE OK TO BE ON THE RAMP. SPECIFICALLY, IF THEY DIDN'T INTENTIONALLY AVOID A SECURITY SCREENING CHKPOINT THROUGH NORMAL WORK RELATED PATTERNS. I HAVE NO PROB WITH USING SECURITY SCREENING AS AN AIRLINE EMPLOYEE. LET'S CLARIFY THE PROCS FOR NOT ONLY PLTS AND RAMP AGENTS, BUT ALSO FOR ARPT EMPLOYEES AND FAA PERSONNEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.