Narrative:

An uneventful preflight and departure at boston. During the takeoff roll from boston the ACARS flashed a message 'call load planning.' we turned out of the traffic pattern on the SID and the engineer called boston load planning. We were informed a security chr at boston had resulted in a fake bomb being boarded on our airplane the 'bomb' was located in a passenger survey box brought on board by the flight attendants. We brought the box to the cockpit and found a lead pipe 4 inches in diameter, 14 inches long capped at both ends marked 'FAA test device,' 'no explosives contained.' the flight attendants confirmed the survey box had gone through the x-ray machine after they were given the box by operations. We contacted company dispatch in ord and confirmed the story given by bos operations. We elected to continue to ord. Upon arrival at ord, we contacted company to remove the device from the airplane. We briefed maintenance, first officer, flight engineer, and flight attendants of the outgoing crew of the presence of the device on the flight engineer's table and that someone was coming to remove the device from the airplane. We then went to our next flight and left the airplane. Boston security and flight operations obviously failed to control this 'test' of security by letting this device get anywhere near the airplane. Future test devices should probably have someone follow the item every step of its trip and prevent it from ever getting near an airplane. This caused much distress and anxiety among the crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A 'FAKE BOMB' WAS PUT ONTO AN ACR B727 BY THE FAA.

Narrative: AN UNEVENTFUL PREFLT AND DEP AT BOSTON. DURING THE TKOF ROLL FROM BOSTON THE ACARS FLASHED A MESSAGE 'CALL LOAD PLANNING.' WE TURNED OUT OF THE TFC PATTERN ON THE SID AND THE ENGINEER CALLED BOSTON LOAD PLANNING. WE WERE INFORMED A SECURITY CHR AT BOSTON HAD RESULTED IN A FAKE BOMB BEING BOARDED ON OUR AIRPLANE THE 'BOMB' WAS LOCATED IN A PAX SURVEY BOX BROUGHT ON BOARD BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS. WE BROUGHT THE BOX TO THE COCKPIT AND FOUND A LEAD PIPE 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER, 14 INCHES LONG CAPPED AT BOTH ENDS MARKED 'FAA TEST DEVICE,' 'NO EXPLOSIVES CONTAINED.' THE FLT ATTENDANTS CONFIRMED THE SURVEY BOX HAD GONE THROUGH THE X-RAY MACHINE AFTER THEY WERE GIVEN THE BOX BY OPS. WE CONTACTED COMPANY DISPATCH IN ORD AND CONFIRMED THE STORY GIVEN BY BOS OPS. WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO ORD. UPON ARR AT ORD, WE CONTACTED COMPANY TO REMOVE THE DEVICE FROM THE AIRPLANE. WE BRIEFED MAINT, FO, FE, AND FLT ATTENDANTS OF THE OUTGOING CREW OF THE PRESENCE OF THE DEVICE ON THE FE'S TABLE AND THAT SOMEONE WAS COMING TO REMOVE THE DEVICE FROM THE AIRPLANE. WE THEN WENT TO OUR NEXT FLT AND LEFT THE AIRPLANE. BOSTON SECURITY AND FLT OPS OBVIOUSLY FAILED TO CTL THIS 'TEST' OF SECURITY BY LETTING THIS DEVICE GET ANYWHERE NEAR THE AIRPLANE. FUTURE TEST DEVICES SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE SOMEONE FOLLOW THE ITEM EVERY STEP OF ITS TRIP AND PREVENT IT FROM EVER GETTING NEAR AN AIRPLANE. THIS CAUSED MUCH DISTRESS AND ANXIETY AMONG THE CREW.

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.