A B727 was dispatched with an unauthorized passenger in the aft cargo compartment.

Attributes
ACN	396828
Time
Date	199803
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ric
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	396828
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	395981
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight xyz departed ZZZ on mar/xx/98 at about XA00. Flight went smoothly, landed at richmond and parked the aircraft with no problems. After a few mins, air carrier ramp employee notified the crew that there was a person in the aft belly. I went into the ramp office to talk to the employee from ZZZ. He was ok and declined medical assistance. I called our flight safety department and let them know what was going on and we decided that it would be safe to continue the flight to orf and let the ramp manager in richmond take care of the 'passenger.' the passenger said he was putting straps up when someone closed the door, he was unable to get their attention by banging on the door. A buddy system would help prevent this in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN UNAUTH PAX IN THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT.

Narrative: FLT XYZ DEPARTED ZZZ ON MAR/XX/98 AT ABOUT XA00. FLT WENT SMOOTHLY, LANDED AT RICHMOND AND PARKED THE ACFT WITH NO PROBS. AFTER A FEW MINS, ACR RAMP EMPLOYEE NOTIFIED THE CREW THAT THERE WAS A PERSON IN THE AFT BELLY. I WENT INTO THE RAMP OFFICE TO TALK TO THE EMPLOYEE FROM ZZZ. HE WAS OK AND DECLINED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. I CALLED OUR FLT SAFETY DEPT AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND WE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO ORF AND LET THE RAMP MGR IN RICHMOND TAKE CARE OF THE 'PAX.' THE PAX SAID HE WAS PUTTING STRAPS UP WHEN SOMEONE CLOSED THE DOOR, HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THEIR ATTN BY BANGING ON THE DOOR. A BUDDY SYS WOULD HELP PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE.

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.