Narrative:

Approximately 20-25 mins after takeoff from mco, while talking to ZJX, received clearance 'direct boston.' we thought that this was unusual, but didn't question center. About 1 1/2 hours later, ZNY asked us the nature of our medical emergency. We told him we didn't have a medical emergency. He then changed our transponder code and gave us direct to pvd and back on the arrival to bos. At the gate in bos, when the passenger were deplaning a man, with his family, asked the first officer 'did you take a short-cut?' first officer told him that we had flown direct to bos. Man then said that he had made a phone call. The man then left the aircraft. We then departed bos and asked ZBW to check how the medical emergency was initiated on air carrier X. The controller then said that it wasn't a medical emergency, but that 'someone' called the tower and said that his kids were having ear problems and requested direct routing. We called flight control and asked if they knew anything about this direct routing. They said no. Problem is: 'someone' and it looks like it was a passenger was able to call the FAA and change the routing of an air carrier jet without the knowledge of the captain and flight control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the aircraft was a L1011 and was equipped with air phones. Reporter stated he did not know if the call was made from the aircraft or on the ground at mco. Reporter stated after departure from bos the center controller was evasive and said the tower had called the center about the emergency. Reporter said the company security office investigated and told the reporter that the call had come from the ZBW controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ISSUED DIRECT CLRNC AFTER UNAUTH MEDICAL EMER DECLARED BY PAX.

Narrative: APPROX 20-25 MINS AFTER TKOF FROM MCO, WHILE TALKING TO ZJX, RECEIVED CLRNC 'DIRECT BOSTON.' WE THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS UNUSUAL, BUT DIDN'T QUESTION CTR. ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS LATER, ZNY ASKED US THE NATURE OF OUR MEDICAL EMER. WE TOLD HIM WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEDICAL EMER. HE THEN CHANGED OUR XPONDER CODE AND GAVE US DIRECT TO PVD AND BACK ON THE ARR TO BOS. AT THE GATE IN BOS, WHEN THE PAX WERE DEPLANING A MAN, WITH HIS FAMILY, ASKED THE FO 'DID YOU TAKE A SHORT-CUT?' FO TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD FLOWN DIRECT TO BOS. MAN THEN SAID THAT HE HAD MADE A PHONE CALL. THE MAN THEN LEFT THE ACFT. WE THEN DEPARTED BOS AND ASKED ZBW TO CHK HOW THE MEDICAL EMER WAS INITIATED ON ACR X. THE CTLR THEN SAID THAT IT WASN'T A MEDICAL EMER, BUT THAT 'SOMEONE' CALLED THE TWR AND SAID THAT HIS KIDS WERE HAVING EAR PROBS AND REQUESTED DIRECT ROUTING. WE CALLED FLT CTL AND ASKED IF THEY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS DIRECT ROUTING. THEY SAID NO. PROB IS: 'SOMEONE' AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS A PAX WAS ABLE TO CALL THE FAA AND CHANGE THE ROUTING OF AN ACR JET WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE CAPT AND FLT CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A L1011 AND WAS EQUIPPED WITH AIR PHONES. RPTR STATED HE DID NOT KNOW IF THE CALL WAS MADE FROM THE ACFT OR ON THE GND AT MCO. RPTR STATED AFTER DEP FROM BOS THE CTR CTLR WAS EVASIVE AND SAID THE TWR HAD CALLED THE CTR ABOUT THE EMER. RPTR SAID THE COMPANY SECURITY OFFICE INVESTIGATED AND TOLD THE RPTR THAT THE CALL HAD COME FROM THE ZBW CTLR.

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.