Pilot report, child over 2 yrs sitting on lap for takeoff and landing.

Attributes
ACN	447158
Time
Date	199908
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phf.airport
State Reference	VA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise : level descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	447158
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance Company Cabin Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Cabin Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

My aircraft was boarded and the gate agent told me there were no seats available, so I asked my #3 flight attendant to make sure that this was true. So she went back and found a seat being occupied by a child she thought to be under the age of 2. Then asked the parents if they could hold the child and they agreed. So I placed another standby passenger in the available seat. Upon further investigation, it was revealed the child was over the age of 2 by 3 months. The following day, I questioned the flight attendant to see if she had asked the parents the age of the child, and she said no, because the child was so small she just assumed it was. I feel, to prevent this from happening again, there needs to be more emphasis placed on flight attendant training regarding verification of proof of age.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, CHILD OVER 2 YRS SITTING ON LAP FOR TKOF AND LNDG.

Narrative: MY ACFT WAS BOARDED AND THE GATE AGENT TOLD ME THERE WERE NO SEATS AVAILABLE, SO I ASKED MY #3 FLT ATTENDANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS TRUE. SO SHE WENT BACK AND FOUND A SEAT BEING OCCUPIED BY A CHILD SHE THOUGHT TO BE UNDER THE AGE OF 2. THEN ASKED THE PARENTS IF THEY COULD HOLD THE CHILD AND THEY AGREED. SO I PLACED ANOTHER STANDBY PAX IN THE AVAILABLE SEAT. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS REVEALED THE CHILD WAS OVER THE AGE OF 2 BY 3 MONTHS. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I QUESTIONED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO SEE IF SHE HAD ASKED THE PARENTS THE AGE OF THE CHILD, AND SHE SAID NO, BECAUSE THE CHILD WAS SO SMALL SHE JUST ASSUMED IT WAS. I FEEL, TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE EMPHASIS PLACED ON FLT ATTENDANT TRAINING REGARDING VERIFICATION OF PROOF OF AGE.

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.