Narrative:

I arrived with my crew at lit. We proceeded to security about 50 mins prior to our scheduled departure. My first officer was informed by security that his flight bag would need to be searched. My first officer requested that the bag be searched in the security office and that the supervisor be present. (It amazes me that of all the people standing in line at the security checkpoint only an air crew member was singled out and searched.) I stayed with him at his request and watched as he did everything requested of him by security. The security person on duty proceeded to go through his bag and his flight manual page by page never indicating to us what she was looking for. When she attempted to open the box that he keeps his telex headset in he asked that he be allowed to open it because these headsets are expensive. The security person denied his request and insisted that she would open it! The supervisor did show up but she did absolutely nothing to make this a reasonable situation. She did, however, ask me to fill out one of her incident reports and I told her that I would file my reports with my company, union and FAA. I felt that it was up to her to file her own report. We had done everything as requested and it was not up to us to make out an incident report. Throughout all of this we were never given any indication as to why we were searched or what she was looking for. She implied that anyone could buy a uniform and look like a crew member! In this case, however, we were an integral crew of 4 and at $300 per uniform, it would be more realistic for an imposter to look like someone else. She also indicated that the FAA might be hiding 'things' in crew members' bags. I would love to meet the crew member that allows anyone, including the FAA, to hide anything any place! Comments like these, coupled with the fact that we had to tell her twice which airline we worked for, made it apparent to us that she was poorly trained. I suggest that this person be trained in what to reasonable expect to see on the scope when a pilot's flight bag is screened. I feel very strongly that giving security the right to search a pilot's manuals does not also given them the right to abuse a pilot's personal belongings. Regrettably, we live in a society that makes security a necessity. A thoroughly trained security department can be a real asset in commercial aviation. However, searches like these compounded with groundless and absurd remarks help no one. My primary concern as PIC is to fly my assigned schedule safely and on time. Extended delays at security make this impossible! In the course of a normal duty day my crew and I may be required to clear security as often as 5 times--just to do our job! This becomes increasingly difficult when a crew encounters unwarranted searches. Even more difficult, however, is the task of overcoming any negative feelings one might have as a result of such an incident and doing so before arriving at your aircraft! As a professional pilot I know all too well the possibility of error if I don't. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: it is apparent that flight crews, properly idented and properly uniformed, are being scrutinized and harasses far more than unidented, even suspicious looking people that wander through the secure area. It has been related to me on more than 1 occasion that the security people have been warned that the FAA is putting things in pilots flight bags to entrap the unwary security person. If the FAA is doing this, it is unconscionable. Most security people in the concourses need more and better training as to who and what to look for. We very much need more cooperation from the security people at almost every airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW MEMBERS FLT BAG THOROUGHLY CHECKED BY ARPT SECURITY PERSON.

Narrative: I ARRIVED WITH MY CREW AT LIT. WE PROCEEDED TO SECURITY ABOUT 50 MINS PRIOR TO OUR SCHEDULED DEP. MY F/O WAS INFORMED BY SECURITY THAT HIS FLT BAG WOULD NEED TO BE SEARCHED. MY F/O REQUESTED THAT THE BAG BE SEARCHED IN THE SECURITY OFFICE AND THAT THE SUPVR BE PRESENT. (IT AMAZES ME THAT OF ALL THE PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE AT THE SECURITY CHECKPOINT ONLY AN AIR CREW MEMBER WAS SINGLED OUT AND SEARCHED.) I STAYED WITH HIM AT HIS REQUEST AND WATCHED AS HE DID EVERYTHING REQUESTED OF HIM BY SECURITY. THE SECURITY PERSON ON DUTY PROCEEDED TO GO THROUGH HIS BAG AND HIS FLT MANUAL PAGE BY PAGE NEVER INDICATING TO US WHAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR. WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE BOX THAT HE KEEPS HIS TELEX HEADSET IN HE ASKED THAT HE BE ALLOWED TO OPEN IT BECAUSE THESE HEADSETS ARE EXPENSIVE. THE SECURITY PERSON DENIED HIS REQUEST AND INSISTED THAT SHE WOULD OPEN IT! THE SUPVR DID SHOW UP BUT SHE DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO MAKE THIS A REASONABLE SITUATION. SHE DID, HOWEVER, ASK ME TO FILL OUT ONE OF HER INCIDENT RPTS AND I TOLD HER THAT I WOULD FILE MY RPTS WITH MY COMPANY, UNION AND FAA. I FELT THAT IT WAS UP TO HER TO FILE HER OWN RPT. WE HAD DONE EVERYTHING AS REQUESTED AND IT WAS NOT UP TO US TO MAKE OUT AN INCIDENT RPT. THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS WE WERE NEVER GIVEN ANY INDICATION AS TO WHY WE WERE SEARCHED OR WHAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR. SHE IMPLIED THAT ANYONE COULD BUY A UNIFORM AND LOOK LIKE A CREW MEMBER! IN THIS CASE, HOWEVER, WE WERE AN INTEGRAL CREW OF 4 AND AT $300 PER UNIFORM, IT WOULD BE MORE REALISTIC FOR AN IMPOSTER TO LOOK LIKE SOMEONE ELSE. SHE ALSO INDICATED THAT THE FAA MIGHT BE HIDING 'THINGS' IN CREW MEMBERS' BAGS. I WOULD LOVE TO MEET THE CREW MEMBER THAT ALLOWS ANYONE, INCLUDING THE FAA, TO HIDE ANYTHING ANY PLACE! COMMENTS LIKE THESE, COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAD TO TELL HER TWICE WHICH AIRLINE WE WORKED FOR, MADE IT APPARENT TO US THAT SHE WAS POORLY TRAINED. I SUGGEST THAT THIS PERSON BE TRAINED IN WHAT TO REASONABLE EXPECT TO SEE ON THE SCOPE WHEN A PLT'S FLT BAG IS SCREENED. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT GIVING SECURITY THE RIGHT TO SEARCH A PLT'S MANUALS DOES NOT ALSO GIVEN THEM THE RIGHT TO ABUSE A PLT'S PERSONAL BELONGINGS. REGRETTABLY, WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT MAKES SECURITY A NECESSITY. A THOROUGHLY TRAINED SECURITY DEPT CAN BE A REAL ASSET IN COMMERCIAL AVIATION. HOWEVER, SEARCHES LIKE THESE COMPOUNDED WITH GROUNDLESS AND ABSURD REMARKS HELP NO ONE. MY PRIMARY CONCERN AS PIC IS TO FLY MY ASSIGNED SCHEDULE SAFELY AND ON TIME. EXTENDED DELAYS AT SECURITY MAKE THIS IMPOSSIBLE! IN THE COURSE OF A NORMAL DUTY DAY MY CREW AND I MAY BE REQUIRED TO CLEAR SECURITY AS OFTEN AS 5 TIMES--JUST TO DO OUR JOB! THIS BECOMES INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT WHEN A CREW ENCOUNTERS UNWARRANTED SEARCHES. EVEN MORE DIFFICULT, HOWEVER, IS THE TASK OF OVERCOMING ANY NEGATIVE FEELINGS ONE MIGHT HAVE AS A RESULT OF SUCH AN INCIDENT AND DOING SO BEFORE ARRIVING AT YOUR ACFT! AS A PROFESSIONAL PLT I KNOW ALL TOO WELL THE POSSIBILITY OF ERROR IF I DON'T. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: IT IS APPARENT THAT FLT CREWS, PROPERLY IDENTED AND PROPERLY UNIFORMED, ARE BEING SCRUTINIZED AND HARASSES FAR MORE THAN UNIDENTED, EVEN SUSPICIOUS LOOKING PEOPLE THAT WANDER THROUGH THE SECURE AREA. IT HAS BEEN RELATED TO ME ON MORE THAN 1 OCCASION THAT THE SECURITY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WARNED THAT THE FAA IS PUTTING THINGS IN PLTS FLT BAGS TO ENTRAP THE UNWARY SECURITY PERSON. IF THE FAA IS DOING THIS, IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE. MOST SECURITY PEOPLE IN THE CONCOURSES NEED MORE AND BETTER TRNING AS TO WHO AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR. WE VERY MUCH NEED MORE COOPERATION FROM THE SECURITY PEOPLE AT ALMOST EVERY ARPT.

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.