Narrative:

I was the captain on a flight that was scheduled to depart phoenix to pittsburgh. During the boarding process, the 'a' flight attendant informed me of two things. The first was that a passenger carrying a child had boarded, but turned around abruptly and got off the aircraft. My and the 'a' flight attendant's concern was of the whereabouts of the person's baggage. Also, she told me about the other flight attendant 'B' who was still in the terminal having personal problems with a boyfriend. I left the cockpit and addressed the first problem with the agent. They assured me they had the baggage and there was not a problem. I then turned to the problem at hand with the distraught flight attendant. She was extremely upset to say the least. I sat with her briefly to calm her down, which at least got her composure back, and listened. Then I told her to proceed to her position (the back of the plane) and just stay there. I took her bags and stowed them as I watched her do as I asked. Shortly thereafter, she appeared in the forward galley area, looking toward my direction as I was in my seat. She was, again, most upset, in tears, shaking, and certainly unable to do her duties. At this time, I realized two things: one, leaving her at the terminal was not an acceptable choice. Secondly, leaving her in the cabin was not acceptable, either. Therefore, I told her to situation down in the jump seat for the duration of the flight. This she did, with the exception of going to the bathroom en route. This woman was never in a position to perform her duties, in my judgement, during the flight. We arrived in pittsburgh and she left after all the passenger deplaned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PREDEP WORKLOAD OF A CAPT WAS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY WITH OTHER THAN ACFT RELATED TASKS INVOLVING A PAX WHO HAD BOARDED AND THEN QUICKLY AND MYSTERIOUSLY DEPLANED, AND A FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS EMOTIONALLY UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH DUTIES. THE FLT DEPARTED WITH THE INCAPACITATED FLT ATTENDANT OCCUPYING A CREW MEMBER POS.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON A FLT THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART PHOENIX TO PITTSBURGH. DURING THE BOARDING PROCESS, THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME OF TWO THINGS. THE FIRST WAS THAT A PAX CARRYING A CHILD HAD BOARDED, BUT TURNED AROUND ABRUPTLY AND GOT OFF THE ACFT. MY AND THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT'S CONCERN WAS OF THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE PERSON'S BAGGAGE. ALSO, SHE TOLD ME ABOUT THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT 'B' WHO WAS STILL IN THE TERMINAL HAVING PERSONAL PROBS WITH A BOYFRIEND. I LEFT THE COCKPIT AND ADDRESSED THE FIRST PROB WITH THE AGENT. THEY ASSURED ME THEY HAD THE BAGGAGE AND THERE WAS NOT A PROB. I THEN TURNED TO THE PROB AT HAND WITH THE DISTRAUGHT FLT ATTENDANT. SHE WAS EXTREMELY UPSET TO SAY THE LEAST. I SAT WITH HER BRIEFLY TO CALM HER DOWN, WHICH AT LEAST GOT HER COMPOSURE BACK, AND LISTENED. THEN I TOLD HER TO PROCEED TO HER POS (THE BACK OF THE PLANE) AND JUST STAY THERE. I TOOK HER BAGS AND STOWED THEM AS I WATCHED HER DO AS I ASKED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SHE APPEARED IN THE FORWARD GALLEY AREA, LOOKING TOWARD MY DIRECTION AS I WAS IN MY SEAT. SHE WAS, AGAIN, MOST UPSET, IN TEARS, SHAKING, AND CERTAINLY UNABLE TO DO HER DUTIES. AT THIS TIME, I REALIZED TWO THINGS: ONE, LEAVING HER AT THE TERMINAL WAS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE CHOICE. SECONDLY, LEAVING HER IN THE CABIN WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE, EITHER. THEREFORE, I TOLD HER TO SIT DOWN IN THE JUMP SEAT FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. THIS SHE DID, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GOING TO THE BATHROOM ENRTE. THIS WOMAN WAS NEVER IN A POS TO PERFORM HER DUTIES, IN MY JUDGEMENT, DURING THE FLT. WE ARRIVED IN PITTSBURGH AND SHE LEFT AFTER ALL THE PAX DEPLANED.

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.