Narrative:

During the course of flight on nov xx 1996, captain informed me that we would have a maintenance delay at chs the next morning and that I should not plan on boarding the passenger, or leaving on time because it would be a long delay. I did not understand what he was talking about at the time, but did not question him. When we arrived at chs on tuesday evening, first officer made a very quick exit and then came back aboard after the passenger had deplaned and I overheard him say 'ok it's done' to captain. Again, I did not question what they were talking about. We then went to the hotel and nothing more was said. We reported for our flight and then we walked across the ramp to aircraft approaching from behind. I heard the first officer say to captain that he 'did not see anything' as they approached the aircraft from the rear. I looked also because I still did not know what they were talking about. I did note that the tires were not flat. We boarded the aircraft but then both the captain and first officer deplaned. I went back into operations for some coffee and to use the phone. I observed captain and first officer bent over the right main wheel area but could not tell what they were doing. I could not hear any conversation because now the APU was running and other aircraft were in the area. I then went back on the aircraft and observed the captain sitting in a passenger seat and the first officer was outside pounding (kicking) the right main tire which caused a loud noise in the cabin. I was concerned about this and asked the captain what was happening and he replied he did not know. During this period, I am reasonable certain that these activities were observed by at least 3 of the ground crew, however, I did not speak with anyone nor do I know their names. The first officer reboarded and announced that we 'for sure' require maintenance. I then went outside and could see that the right inside tire was low or flat, which was not the case when we got on the aircraft. I went to the cockpit to question the crew as to how this was possible and they both motioned to the cockpit voice recorder without answering me. I took this to mean that they did not want to discuss this with me, or for the recorder to hear their answers. The captain then went into operations to call for maintenance and followed him inside. Maintenance arrived and inflated the tire without changing the tire. We then boarded the passenger and departed for pit nearly 2 hours late. We flew the remainder of the trip without incident except that all section xyz flts were delayed. During the course of the day I was very upset by the obvious misconduct of my crew. Although I was not able to reach my supervisor, I felt compelled to notify someone of authority/authorized regarding the incident at chs. During a stop at pit, I ran into an FAA inspector and decided that I should report the incident to him, which I did. I regret this action as I realized later that I should have made the report to my supervisor instead. As we were riding to the hotel in the hotel van at hvn wednesday afternoon, I asked captain whether they had accomplished their goal, or was it worth it. He replied, 'you damn right, we delayed 3 flts.' I asked what do you mean? He replied 'this will bring performance statistics down' and reflect on the management of airline X. After arriving at the hotel I called my father who is a retired airline captain and airline ceo for his advice. He advised me to record the events of this trip and to immediately contact my supervisor. I called and she relieved me of my trip and then I went home. I state that the above report is my truthful recollection of the events as described.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT ON INDUSTRIAL SABOTAGE PERFORMED UPON A DO328 BY FLC TO DELAY ACFT DEP. LABOR DISPUTE SLOW DOWN. AIR IS LET OUT OF TIRE ON RAMP BY FO

Narrative: DURING THE COURSE OF FLT ON NOV XX 1996, CAPT INFORMED ME THAT WE WOULD HAVE A MAINT DELAY AT CHS THE NEXT MORNING AND THAT I SHOULD NOT PLAN ON BOARDING THE PAX, OR LEAVING ON TIME BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A LONG DELAY. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT AT THE TIME, BUT DID NOT QUESTION HIM. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT CHS ON TUESDAY EVENING, FO MADE A VERY QUICK EXIT AND THEN CAME BACK ABOARD AFTER THE PAX HAD DEPLANED AND I OVERHEARD HIM SAY 'OK IT'S DONE' TO CAPT. AGAIN, I DID NOT QUESTION WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. WE THEN WENT TO THE HOTEL AND NOTHING MORE WAS SAID. WE RPTED FOR OUR FLT AND THEN WE WALKED ACROSS THE RAMP TO ACFT APCHING FROM BEHIND. I HEARD THE FO SAY TO CAPT THAT HE 'DID NOT SEE ANYTHING' AS THEY APCHED THE ACFT FROM THE REAR. I LOOKED ALSO BECAUSE I STILL DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. I DID NOTE THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT FLAT. WE BOARDED THE ACFT BUT THEN BOTH THE CAPT AND FO DEPLANED. I WENT BACK INTO OPS FOR SOME COFFEE AND TO USE THE PHONE. I OBSERVED CAPT AND FO BENT OVER THE R MAIN WHEEL AREA BUT COULD NOT TELL WHAT THEY WERE DOING. I COULD NOT HEAR ANY CONVERSATION BECAUSE NOW THE APU WAS RUNNING AND OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE AREA. I THEN WENT BACK ON THE ACFT AND OBSERVED THE CAPT SITTING IN A PAX SEAT AND THE FO WAS OUTSIDE POUNDING (KICKING) THE R MAIN TIRE WHICH CAUSED A LOUD NOISE IN THE CABIN. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND ASKED THE CAPT WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND HE REPLIED HE DID NOT KNOW. DURING THIS PERIOD, I AM REASONABLE CERTAIN THAT THESE ACTIVITIES WERE OBSERVED BY AT LEAST 3 OF THE GND CREW, HOWEVER, I DID NOT SPEAK WITH ANYONE NOR DO I KNOW THEIR NAMES. THE FO REBOARDED AND ANNOUNCED THAT WE 'FOR SURE' REQUIRE MAINT. I THEN WENT OUTSIDE AND COULD SEE THAT THE R INSIDE TIRE WAS LOW OR FLAT, WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE WHEN WE GOT ON THE ACFT. I WENT TO THE COCKPIT TO QUESTION THE CREW AS TO HOW THIS WAS POSSIBLE AND THEY BOTH MOTIONED TO THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER WITHOUT ANSWERING ME. I TOOK THIS TO MEAN THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO DISCUSS THIS WITH ME, OR FOR THE RECORDER TO HEAR THEIR ANSWERS. THE CAPT THEN WENT INTO OPS TO CALL FOR MAINT AND FOLLOWED HIM INSIDE. MAINT ARRIVED AND INFLATED THE TIRE WITHOUT CHANGING THE TIRE. WE THEN BOARDED THE PAX AND DEPARTED FOR PIT NEARLY 2 HRS LATE. WE FLEW THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WITHOUT INCIDENT EXCEPT THAT ALL SECTION XYZ FLTS WERE DELAYED. DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY I WAS VERY UPSET BY THE OBVIOUS MISCONDUCT OF MY CREW. ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT ABLE TO REACH MY SUPVR, I FELT COMPELLED TO NOTIFY SOMEONE OF AUTH REGARDING THE INCIDENT AT CHS. DURING A STOP AT PIT, I RAN INTO AN FAA INSPECTOR AND DECIDED THAT I SHOULD RPT THE INCIDENT TO HIM, WHICH I DID. I REGRET THIS ACTION AS I REALIZED LATER THAT I SHOULD HAVE MADE THE RPT TO MY SUPVR INSTEAD. AS WE WERE RIDING TO THE HOTEL IN THE HOTEL VAN AT HVN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, I ASKED CAPT WHETHER THEY HAD ACCOMPLISHED THEIR GOAL, OR WAS IT WORTH IT. HE REPLIED, 'YOU DAMN RIGHT, WE DELAYED 3 FLTS.' I ASKED WHAT DO YOU MEAN? HE REPLIED 'THIS WILL BRING PERFORMANCE STATISTICS DOWN' AND REFLECT ON THE MGMNT OF AIRLINE X. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE HOTEL I CALLED MY FATHER WHO IS A RETIRED AIRLINE CAPT AND AIRLINE CEO FOR HIS ADVICE. HE ADVISED ME TO RECORD THE EVENTS OF THIS TRIP AND TO IMMEDIATELY CONTACT MY SUPVR. I CALLED AND SHE RELIEVED ME OF MY TRIP AND THEN I WENT HOME. I STATE THAT THE ABOVE RPT IS MY TRUTHFUL RECOLLECTION OF THE EVENTS AS DESCRIBED.

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.