Narrative:

After a rushed boarding and short turnaround in msp, we taxied out for takeoff. As we were taking the active, the lead flight attendant leaned in and mentioned a bag they were checking on. I assumed it was a bag left behind so we made a normal departure. I was then notified that the flight attendants were concerned about a bag no one was claiming. We started treating it as a possible bomb threat and, as we were calling back to msp with a name off the bag and checking on it, a man in the back claimed it as his wife's bag. A lack of aggressiveness on the part of the lead flight attendant to get me the proper information was cause for great concern for several mins. I also should have been receptive to more information and taken more time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B-727-200 for a major united states air carrier. Msp is his home base. This entire episode hinges on communication between the front and back of the aircraft. The flight attendant that announced the problem did not show much concern with the extra bag and the so did not properly pass the word to the captain. Had the flight attendant come to the cockpit about 3 mins earlier, the reporter would have been able to solve the problem on the ground. The time duration of the whole incident was about 3 mins. The reporter had not turned back when the word came forward that the bag had been claimed. The flight attendant and captain both submitted reports to their air carrier about this. There was a little 'crew talk about this' between the captain, so, and flight attendant. The message was passed that the captain must have all of the information now and directly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNCLAIMED BAG IN CABIN.

Narrative: AFTER A RUSHED BOARDING AND SHORT TURNAROUND IN MSP, WE TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF. AS WE WERE TAKING THE ACTIVE, THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT LEANED IN AND MENTIONED A BAG THEY WERE CHKING ON. I ASSUMED IT WAS A BAG LEFT BEHIND SO WE MADE A NORMAL DEP. I WAS THEN NOTIFIED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT A BAG NO ONE WAS CLAIMING. WE STARTED TREATING IT AS A POSSIBLE BOMB THREAT AND, AS WE WERE CALLING BACK TO MSP WITH A NAME OFF THE BAG AND CHKING ON IT, A MAN IN THE BACK CLAIMED IT AS HIS WIFE'S BAG. A LACK OF AGGRESSIVENESS ON THE PART OF THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO GET ME THE PROPER INFO WAS CAUSE FOR GREAT CONCERN FOR SEVERAL MINS. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECEPTIVE TO MORE INFO AND TAKEN MORE TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B-727-200 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. MSP IS HIS HOME BASE. THIS ENTIRE EPISODE HINGES ON COM BTWN THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE ACFT. THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT ANNOUNCED THE PROB DID NOT SHOW MUCH CONCERN WITH THE EXTRA BAG AND THE SO DID NOT PROPERLY PASS THE WORD TO THE CAPT. HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT COME TO THE COCKPIT ABOUT 3 MINS EARLIER, THE RPTR WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROB ON THE GND. THE TIME DURATION OF THE WHOLE INCIDENT WAS ABOUT 3 MINS. THE RPTR HAD NOT TURNED BACK WHEN THE WORD CAME FORWARD THAT THE BAG HAD BEEN CLAIMED. THE FLT ATTENDANT AND CAPT BOTH SUBMITTED RPTS TO THEIR ACR ABOUT THIS. THERE WAS A LITTLE 'CREW TALK ABOUT THIS' BTWN THE CAPT, SO, AND FLT ATTENDANT. THE MESSAGE WAS PASSED THAT THE CAPT MUST HAVE ALL OF THE INFO NOW AND DIRECTLY.

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.