Narrative:

When the aircraft arrived at alb (which was a through flight bus-alb-roc) and at the terminal and when I attempted to disembark the passenger, I found that the cabin door handle had frozen stuck. After a minute or two, our ground personnel had opened the door, and we deplaned those passenger who were at their destination. Prior to the door problem I had announced that through passenger should remain on board the aircraft. The captain had gone inside operations to inquire on getting the door mechanism repaired, and I remained on board in accordance with our company operations manual, with the through passenger. A moment later the captain stuck his head in and asked me to deplane the remaining passenger, as the outside temperature was minus 5 degrees F, and the aircraft would cool quite rapidly. I made an announcement to this effect in the cabin, noticed that the passenger were picking up their items and then exited the airstair door to let them exit. When all the passenger had exited I reentered the cabin visually inspecting for passenger, turned off the cabin light, exited and secured the cabin door. Apparently 5 mins later, while in operations, one of the station personnel said to me that when maintenance went to the aircraft they found 2 passenger inside stating that they had been left in the aircraft. All I can think is that these 2 passenger had missed the announcement, did not notice the other deplaning passenger, and because of the dim light and their position I missed seeing them. Though company procedures do not call for a complete cabin walk through before securing the door, rest assured that is my policy from now on, as it should also be formally stated in company procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 PAX WERE LEFT INSIDE OF ACR LTT WHEN ALL PAX HAD BEEN ASKED TO DEPLANE FOR PAX COMFORT. NIGHT OP.

Narrative: WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVED AT ALB (WHICH WAS A THROUGH FLT BUS-ALB-ROC) AND AT THE TERMINAL AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO DISEMBARK THE PAX, I FOUND THAT THE CABIN DOOR HANDLE HAD FROZEN STUCK. AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO, OUR GND PERSONNEL HAD OPENED THE DOOR, AND WE DEPLANED THOSE PAX WHO WERE AT THEIR DEST. PRIOR TO THE DOOR PROBLEM I HAD ANNOUNCED THAT THROUGH PAX SHOULD REMAIN ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE CAPT HAD GONE INSIDE OPS TO INQUIRE ON GETTING THE DOOR MECHANISM REPAIRED, AND I REMAINED ON BOARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR COMPANY OPS MANUAL, WITH THE THROUGH PAX. A MOMENT LATER THE CAPT STUCK HIS HEAD IN AND ASKED ME TO DEPLANE THE REMAINING PAX, AS THE OUTSIDE TEMP WAS MINUS 5 DEGS F, AND THE ACFT WOULD COOL QUITE RAPIDLY. I MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THIS EFFECT IN THE CABIN, NOTICED THAT THE PAX WERE PICKING UP THEIR ITEMS AND THEN EXITED THE AIRSTAIR DOOR TO LET THEM EXIT. WHEN ALL THE PAX HAD EXITED I REENTERED THE CABIN VISUALLY INSPECTING FOR PAX, TURNED OFF THE CABIN LIGHT, EXITED AND SECURED THE CABIN DOOR. APPARENTLY 5 MINS LATER, WHILE IN OPS, ONE OF THE STATION PERSONNEL SAID TO ME THAT WHEN MAINT WENT TO THE ACFT THEY FOUND 2 PAX INSIDE STATING THAT THEY HAD BEEN LEFT IN THE ACFT. ALL I CAN THINK IS THAT THESE 2 PAX HAD MISSED THE ANNOUNCEMENT, DID NOT NOTICE THE OTHER DEPLANING PAX, AND BECAUSE OF THE DIM LIGHT AND THEIR POS I MISSED SEEING THEM. THOUGH COMPANY PROCS DO NOT CALL FOR A COMPLETE CABIN WALK THROUGH BEFORE SECURING THE DOOR, REST ASSURED THAT IS MY POLICY FROM NOW ON, AS IT SHOULD ALSO BE FORMALLY STATED IN COMPANY PROCS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.