Narrative:

On flight xx from sju to phl, I failed to notice a cockpit jump seater on the load closeout until after takeoff. Since I did not have any jump seaters, nor was aware of any listed on the standby list before I came to the aircraft, I checked with the purser to find out if perhaps the jump seater had been seated in the cabin. Her paperwork showed someone named xy as the cockpit jump seater. (After landing, a check of the standby list in reserve showed a cockpit jump seater had been issued.) since I had not seen this individual to check credentials, I asked her to make a PA requesting passenger xy to come forward. When this failed to locate the individual, the flight attendants made a physical count of the passenger which indicated that the jump seater was not on the airplane. Additionally, the count also indicated that we were 1 passenger short of the closeout total. I contacted dispatch with a request to check with sju about the discrepancy. His reply indicated the agents said the jump seater had gotten on board and had been told by the flight attendants that he could situation in the cabin because there were seats available. I interviewed each flight attendant and none made any such statement to any passenger. They all were aware of the proper procedures for seating a jump seater in the cabin. I share responsibility in this matter because my usual briefing with the agents is to inquire about non revenues and any jump seaters. However, today that didn't happen because when I arrived at the gate 30 mins before departure, there were no agents at the gate. They were down at the aircraft trying to find out why cabin cleaners were just now showing up to clean an airplane that had been at the gate for 32 mins. Because of the pressure to make an on-time departure and an insufficient number of workers to accomplish the task, we once again are missing the crucial details of the job. Not only were we missing a passenger, but we had no jump seater as well. It would be appropriate for the agent to check with the captain about jump seaters before they close the door. If the cockpit jump seater doesn't get on the plane, then we would have time to contact load control to adjust the count. I am also concerned with the industry increase in fraudulent jump seaters that someone may have used fraudulent credentials to get a seat and could walk in the airplane at the last min without my knowledge. Both of these omissions present security risks that I am unwilling to accept.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, B757, SJU-PHL. CAPT CONCERN, NOT BEING BRIEFED ABOUT LISTED COCKPIT JUMP SEATER, WHO TURNED OUT NOT TO BE ON BOARD. NEGLIGENT PAX COUNT BY GATE AGENT. SECURITY COMPROMISED.

Narrative: ON FLT XX FROM SJU TO PHL, I FAILED TO NOTICE A COCKPIT JUMP SEATER ON THE LOAD CLOSEOUT UNTIL AFTER TKOF. SINCE I DID NOT HAVE ANY JUMP SEATERS, NOR WAS AWARE OF ANY LISTED ON THE STANDBY LIST BEFORE I CAME TO THE ACFT, I CHKED WITH THE PURSER TO FIND OUT IF PERHAPS THE JUMP SEATER HAD BEEN SEATED IN THE CABIN. HER PAPERWORK SHOWED SOMEONE NAMED XY AS THE COCKPIT JUMP SEATER. (AFTER LNDG, A CHK OF THE STANDBY LIST IN RESERVE SHOWED A COCKPIT JUMP SEATER HAD BEEN ISSUED.) SINCE I HAD NOT SEEN THIS INDIVIDUAL TO CHK CREDENTIALS, I ASKED HER TO MAKE A PA REQUESTING PAX XY TO COME FORWARD. WHEN THIS FAILED TO LOCATE THE INDIVIDUAL, THE FLT ATTENDANTS MADE A PHYSICAL COUNT OF THE PAX WHICH INDICATED THAT THE JUMP SEATER WAS NOT ON THE AIRPLANE. ADDITIONALLY, THE COUNT ALSO INDICATED THAT WE WERE 1 PAX SHORT OF THE CLOSEOUT TOTAL. I CONTACTED DISPATCH WITH A REQUEST TO CHK WITH SJU ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY. HIS REPLY INDICATED THE AGENTS SAID THE JUMP SEATER HAD GOTTEN ON BOARD AND HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT HE COULD SIT IN THE CABIN BECAUSE THERE WERE SEATS AVAILABLE. I INTERVIEWED EACH FLT ATTENDANT AND NONE MADE ANY SUCH STATEMENT TO ANY PAX. THEY ALL WERE AWARE OF THE PROPER PROCS FOR SEATING A JUMP SEATER IN THE CABIN. I SHARE RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS MATTER BECAUSE MY USUAL BRIEFING WITH THE AGENTS IS TO INQUIRE ABOUT NON REVENUES AND ANY JUMP SEATERS. HOWEVER, TODAY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE GATE 30 MINS BEFORE DEP, THERE WERE NO AGENTS AT THE GATE. THEY WERE DOWN AT THE ACFT TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY CABIN CLEANERS WERE JUST NOW SHOWING UP TO CLEAN AN AIRPLANE THAT HAD BEEN AT THE GATE FOR 32 MINS. BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE TO MAKE AN ON-TIME DEP AND AN INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF WORKERS TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK, WE ONCE AGAIN ARE MISSING THE CRUCIAL DETAILS OF THE JOB. NOT ONLY WERE WE MISSING A PAX, BUT WE HAD NO JUMP SEATER AS WELL. IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE AGENT TO CHK WITH THE CAPT ABOUT JUMP SEATERS BEFORE THEY CLOSE THE DOOR. IF THE COCKPIT JUMP SEATER DOESN'T GET ON THE PLANE, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TIME TO CONTACT LOAD CTL TO ADJUST THE COUNT. I AM ALSO CONCERNED WITH THE INDUSTRY INCREASE IN FRAUDULENT JUMP SEATERS THAT SOMEONE MAY HAVE USED FRAUDULENT CREDENTIALS TO GET A SEAT AND COULD WALK IN THE AIRPLANE AT THE LAST MIN WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. BOTH OF THESE OMISSIONS PRESENT SECURITY RISKS THAT I AM UNWILLING TO ACCEPT.

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.