Narrative:

During boarding of air carrier flight (san to den) fbi agent came to cockpit with concealed weapon form to introduce himself at request of flight attendant. Agent traveling with wife dressed in clothes that made it obvious concealed weapon not on himself. When asked about its location, agent replied that weapon was in a carry-on bag stored in the overhead bin. I was concerned, especially, since we had a full flight and all the bins fully packed. Neither the air carrier or FAA seems to require that these weapons be actually on the person only concealed, do not know if loaded. I feel this is totally unsafe. Carry-on bag in overhead bin can be separated from immediate seating area of passenger or bag, can fall out when bin opened and cause bag to open this exposing weapon. More and more fed employees being allowed to carry weapons such as fbi, secret service, us marshall, NASA I.G., postal service inspectors, INS, IRS, epa, DOD investigators as well as local law enforcement. FAA should mandate weapon be placed in checked bag unless needed immediately at destination city then must be concealed on authorized person.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW HAD ARMED FBI AGENT STORE HIS CARRY ON FIREARM IN THE OVERHEAD STORAGE COMPARTMENT IN VIEW OF OTHER PAX.

Narrative: DURING BOARDING OF ACR FLT (SAN TO DEN) FBI AGENT CAME TO COCKPIT WITH CONCEALED WEAPON FORM TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF AT REQUEST OF FA. AGENT TRAVELING WITH WIFE DRESSED IN CLOTHES THAT MADE IT OBVIOUS CONCEALED WEAPON NOT ON HIMSELF. WHEN ASKED ABOUT ITS LOCATION, AGENT REPLIED THAT WEAPON WAS IN A CARRY-ON BAG STORED IN THE OVERHEAD BIN. I WAS CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY, SINCE WE HAD A FULL FLT AND ALL THE BINS FULLY PACKED. NEITHER THE ACR OR FAA SEEMS TO REQUIRE THAT THESE WEAPONS BE ACTUALLY ON THE PERSON ONLY CONCEALED, DO NOT KNOW IF LOADED. I FEEL THIS IS TOTALLY UNSAFE. CARRY-ON BAG IN OVERHEAD BIN CAN BE SEPARATED FROM IMMEDIATE SEATING AREA OF PAX OR BAG, CAN FALL OUT WHEN BIN OPENED AND CAUSE BAG TO OPEN THIS EXPOSING WEAPON. MORE AND MORE FED EMPLOYEES BEING ALLOWED TO CARRY WEAPONS SUCH AS FBI, SECRET SERVICE, US MARSHALL, NASA I.G., POSTAL SERVICE INSPECTORS, INS, IRS, EPA, DOD INVESTIGATORS AS WELL AS LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. FAA SHOULD MANDATE WEAPON BE PLACED IN CHKED BAG UNLESS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY AT DESTINATION CITY THEN MUST BE CONCEALED ON AUTHORIZED PERSON.

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.