Narrative:

Passenger in seat xx asked me to open nicorette package for him. He said to me, 'I hope there are not any bombs on board today.' my response was that subject is not a joking matter. When he was seated in seat xx, I stopped my activity to go back to reaffirm what he said to me was solely jest. He stated that he had had a dream last night that there was a bomb on board our flight today. He told me that he did have a chemical imbal, and was traveling to hospital today. When I returned to first class, I informed the captain of the incident. We both agreed at this point he had not posed a serious threat. Within a few mins he came back to me to say he had just seen the suitcase board the aircraft. It was 2 bins behind him and we should check it out. I felt the need to tell the captain this new information. At this time, the ground crew was involved. I informed the ground staff who passenger seat xx was, and his traveling companion, his father in seat xy. They took both gentlemen off the plane. We, the flight attendants, were then asked to go through all overhead bins, under seats in second and first class cabin and lavatories to look for a 'silica black suitcase with a handle and silver around the sides.' we did this. We did not find anything that fit this description. The gentlemen were reboarded for their trip to bwi. Cause or problem: mentally unstable passenger made an improper statement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING BOARDING ON MD80S, PAX MADE COMMENT ABOUT KNOWLEDGE OF A BOMB. CABIN WAS SEARCHED AND NONE FOUND. FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Narrative: PAX IN SEAT XX ASKED ME TO OPEN NICORETTE PACKAGE FOR HIM. HE SAID TO ME, 'I HOPE THERE ARE NOT ANY BOMBS ON BOARD TODAY.' MY RESPONSE WAS THAT SUBJECT IS NOT A JOKING MATTER. WHEN HE WAS SEATED IN SEAT XX, I STOPPED MY ACTIVITY TO GO BACK TO REAFFIRM WHAT HE SAID TO ME WAS SOLELY JEST. HE STATED THAT HE HAD HAD A DREAM LAST NIGHT THAT THERE WAS A BOMB ON BOARD OUR FLT TODAY. HE TOLD ME THAT HE DID HAVE A CHEMICAL IMBAL, AND WAS TRAVELING TO HOSPITAL TODAY. WHEN I RETURNED TO FIRST CLASS, I INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE INCIDENT. WE BOTH AGREED AT THIS POINT HE HAD NOT POSED A SERIOUS THREAT. WITHIN A FEW MINS HE CAME BACK TO ME TO SAY HE HAD JUST SEEN THE SUITCASE BOARD THE ACFT. IT WAS 2 BINS BEHIND HIM AND WE SHOULD CHK IT OUT. I FELT THE NEED TO TELL THE CAPT THIS NEW INFO. AT THIS TIME, THE GND CREW WAS INVOLVED. I INFORMED THE GND STAFF WHO PAX SEAT XX WAS, AND HIS TRAVELING COMPANION, HIS FATHER IN SEAT XY. THEY TOOK BOTH GENTLEMEN OFF THE PLANE. WE, THE FLT ATTENDANTS, WERE THEN ASKED TO GO THROUGH ALL OVERHEAD BINS, UNDER SEATS IN SECOND AND FIRST CLASS CABIN AND LAVATORIES TO LOOK FOR A 'SILICA BLACK SUITCASE WITH A HANDLE AND SILVER AROUND THE SIDES.' WE DID THIS. WE DID NOT FIND ANYTHING THAT FIT THIS DESCRIPTION. THE GENTLEMEN WERE REBOARDED FOR THEIR TRIP TO BWI. CAUSE OR PROB: MENTALLY UNSTABLE PAX MADE AN IMPROPER STATEMENT.

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.