A PAX WHO APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DRINKING WAS BOARDED. ENRTE HE CAUSED DIFFICULTY WITH OTHER PAX AND CABIN CREW. INTERACTION BTWN CABIN AND COCKPIT CREW DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY. AN APPARENT HIJACK THREAT WAS NOT COMMUNICATED TO THE CAPT.
Synopsis
A PAX WHO APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DRINKING WAS BOARDED. ENRTE HE CAUSED DIFFICULTY WITH OTHER PAX AND CABIN CREW. INTERACTION BTWN CABIN AND COCKPIT CREW DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY. AN APPARENT HIJACK THREAT WAS NOT COMMUNICATED TO THE CAPT.
Narrative
DURING THE BOARDING OF FLT; EWER-LAX; JUL/SAT/01; FLT ATTENDANT #4 ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO TELL ME THAT AN OLDER GENTLEMAN HAD JUST BOARDED THE ACFT AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DRINKING AND THAT SHE SMELLED ALCOHOL. I ASKED HER IF THE PAX WAS CAUSING ANY PROBS. HER ANSWER WAS 'NO.' I THEN ASKED WHAT THE PAX WAS DOING. HER ANSWER WAS 'SITTING IN HIS SEAT.' JUDGING FROM FLT ATTENDANT'S ANSWER AND THE FACT THAT THE GATE AGENTS ALLOWED THE PAX TO BOARD; I DECIDED TO ALLOW THE PAX TO STAY ON BOARD. APPROX 3 HRS INTO THE FLT; FLT ATTENDANT #4 ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO TELL FO AND ME THAT THE MALE PAX WAS DISTURBING SOME OF THE PAX SEATED NEXT TO HIM. I TOLD FLT ATTENDANT #4 TO KEEP ME UPDATED ON THE SIT. APPROX 30 MINS LATER FLT ATTENDANT #4 ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO TELL ME THAT THE PAX WAS NOW SWEARING AND CONTINUING TO DISTURB SOME OF THE PAX SEATED AROUND HIM. FLT ATTENDANT #4 ASKED IF ONE OF US WOULD COME BACK TO THE CABIN TO TALK TO THE PAX. WHEN FO RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT HE STATED TO ME THAT 'THE PAX WAS ANNOYING SOME OF THE PAX; BUT WE DO NOT HAVE A PROB.' ABOUT 40 MINS LATER FLT ATTENDANT #4 ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND WAS ANGRY AND EMOTIONAL. SHE ASKED IF FO COULD RETURN TO THE CABIN TO TALK TO THE PAX. FO RETURNED TO THE CABIN AND TALKED TO THE PAX. UPON RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT; FO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT HE HAD TALKED TO THE PAX AGAIN AND SAID IN HIS VIEW THE PAX WAS TIRED OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CONSTANTLY TELLING HIM WHAT HE COULD DO AND WHAT HE COULD NOT DO. FO THEN STATED AGAIN 'THE PAX WAS ANNOYING SOME OF THE PAX; BUT WE DO NOT HAVE A PROB.' SUBSEQUENTLY; FLT ATTENDANT #4 REENTERED THE COCKPIT SEVERAL TIMES TO CHARACTERIZE TO FO AND ME WHAT SHE WAS SAYING AND HOW SHE WAS INTERACTING WITH THE PAX. FLT ATTENDANT WAS NOW EXTREMELY ANGRY AND HIGHLY EMOTIONAL. REPEATEDLY; I DIRECTED FLT ATTENDANT #4 TO CTL HER EMOTIONS AND ANGER BECAUSE SHE WAS EXACERBATING THE SIT. FLT ATTENDANT CHOSE TO IGNORE MY DIRECTION AND CONTINUED HER ANGER AND VINDICTIVE APCH WITH THE PAX. FO AND I THEN DISCUSSED FLT ATTENDANT'S ACTIONS AND CONCLUDED THAT ABSENT FLT ATTENDANT; ANGRY APCH; THE SIT IN THE CABIN WOULD BE MITIGATED. FLT ATTENDANT'S DECISION TO REPEATEDLY IGNORE MY DIRECTION HAD THE POTENTIAL OF ESCALATING THE SIT AND PUTTING THE PAX AND CREW IN DANGER. AFTER MY DISCUSSION WITH FO; I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO GO TO THE LAVATORY. WHEN I EXITED THE FORWARD LAVATORY; FLT ATTENDANT #1 AND SEVERAL OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS WERE STANDING IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY. FLT ATTENDANT #4 WALKED UP TO ME; HELD UP HER ARM; POINTED AT MY FACE AND YELLED 'YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING; I'M SORRY TO SAY.' THIS ANGRY OUTBURST IN FRONT OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND WITHIN EARSHOT OF THE FIRST CLASS PAX HAD THE NET EFFECT OF ABROGATING MY ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE RESPECT OF THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS; WHICH WAS MOST NOTICEABLE FOR THE REST OF THE FLT. I DECIDED NOT TO RESPOND TO THE STATEMENT. I ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR OUR DSCNT AND LNDG. FLT ATTENDANT #1 ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND REQUESTED A MALE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE TO MEET THE FLT. FO CALLED ACR OPS 3 TIMES TO REQUEST A MALE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE. THE 3RD TIME FO CALLED OPS WAS AT THE GATE WHEN WE NOTICED THERE WAS NO REPRESENTATIVE AT THE GATE TO MEET THE FLT. AFTER ALMOST ALL OF THE PAX WERE DEPLANED; FO AND I TOOK OUR BAGS AND LEFT THE ACFT AND NOTICED THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE ON THE JET BRIDGE APCHING THE ACFT. FLT X LANDED IN LAX AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND THE PAX DEPARTED THE ACFT UNEVENTFULLY BEFORE THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED. 3 DAYS LATER ON JUL/TUE/01; AS I WAS SIGNING IN FOR THE SAME SEQUENCE; LAX CHIEF PLT MET ME IN OPS AND ASKED IF HE COULD SPEAK TO ME. I DISCUSSED THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED WHICH ARE EXPLAINED ABOVE. DURING OUR DISCUSSION CAPT INDICATED TO ME THAT FLT ATTENDANT HAD COME INTO HIS OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT FLT X. CAPT INDICATED TO ME THAT FLT ATTENDANT STATED THAT OUR PROB PAX HAD MADE A HIJACK THREAT. I TOLD CAPT THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST I HAD HEARD OF AHIJACK THREAT. AFTER MY MEETING WITH CAPT I PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPLANE AND BEGAN PREPARING THE COCKPIT FOR DEP. FLT ATTENDANT #1 WAS ONCE AGAIN THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT. FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN YELLING AT ME IN FRONT OF MY NEW FO AND WITHIN EARSHOT OF SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANTS STANDING NEAR THE COCKPIT; ABOUT THE FACT THAT ON OUR PREVIOUS FLT FO AND I DID NOT CALL A MALE 'MOD' AS REQUESTED. AFTER FLT ATTENDANT LEFT THE COCKPIT FO STATED TO ME 'I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT. THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR AND UNPROFESSIONAL.' DURING CRUISE; FLT ATTENDANT FELT COMPELLED TO PRIVATELY APOLOGIZE ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO FO FOR HER ACTIONS. THIS LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM AND OVERT INSUBORDINATION COMPROMISED MY AUTH AS CAPT AND ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH THE REST OF THE CREW. I AM EXTREMELY APPALLED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS COLLECTIVELY DECIDED THAT IT WAS INCONSEQUENTIAL TO TELL FO AND I THAT WE HAD A HIJACK THREAT. THE DECISION NOT TO TELL THE PLTS THAT A HIJACK THREAT WAS MADE RENDERED US UNABLE TO ASSESS THE SEVERITY OF THE SIT. IT IS ACR X'S POLICY TO CONSIDER ALL THREATS TO BE SERIOUS. THIS CLRLY PUT THE PAX AND CREW IN DANGER AND ALSO FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE. ALSO; FLT ATTENDANT #1'S DEMAND FOR A 'MALE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE' TO MEET THE ACFT; FLT ATTENDANT #1 CONTENDS SHE REQUESTED AN 'MOD;' WAS APPARENTLY HER INJUDICIOUS SOLUTION TO A HIJACK THREAT THAT WAS PRIVILEGED INFO OF ONLY THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I AM REQUESTING A FORMAL WRITTEN RESPONSE REGARDING THIS MATTER.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.