A passenger seated in an exit row was determined to be unable to operate the exit. When requested to...

Attributes
ACN	535001
Time
Date	200201
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zau.airport
State Reference	IL
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 13 flight attendant time total : 13 flight attendant time type : 10
ASRS Report	535001
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Passenger came on flight with a jovial personality. Later on, I found out that she had been drinking before the flight. The passenger next to her wanted the woman moved because she was drunk. This is how we found out she was drunk. Since drunk passenger was in exit row, we asked her to move to the seat behind hers. Crew decided she was not capable of operation of door exit if an emergency arose. We checked the list of criteria for exits and she was not capable of opening exit being in her drunken condition. We politely asked her to situation in the seat behind her and she refused. We told her since she had been drinking she could not situation in the door exit. She refused again. She confirmed she had been drinking and blamed it on the delay, 'that's why I'm in this condition,' she happily told us. The #1 flight attendant told her 'do you understand if you don't move to the other seat you could be arrested?' the drunk passenger said 'then arrest me!' so flight attendant #1 told captain. Captain called auths to meet the flight. Passenger was arrested for not following crew instructions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX SEATED IN AN EXIT ROW WAS DETERMINED TO BE UNABLE TO OPERATE THE EXIT. WHEN REQUESTED TO MOVE TO ANOTHER SEAT THE PAX REFUSED. THE FLT WAS MET BY AUTHS.

Narrative: PAX CAME ON FLT WITH A JOVIAL PERSONALITY. LATER ON, I FOUND OUT THAT SHE HAD BEEN DRINKING BEFORE THE FLT. THE PAX NEXT TO HER WANTED THE WOMAN MOVED BECAUSE SHE WAS DRUNK. THIS IS HOW WE FOUND OUT SHE WAS DRUNK. SINCE DRUNK PAX WAS IN EXIT ROW, WE ASKED HER TO MOVE TO THE SEAT BEHIND HERS. CREW DECIDED SHE WAS NOT CAPABLE OF OP OF DOOR EXIT IF AN EMER AROSE. WE CHKED THE LIST OF CRITERIA FOR EXITS AND SHE WAS NOT CAPABLE OF OPENING EXIT BEING IN HER DRUNKEN CONDITION. WE POLITELY ASKED HER TO SIT IN THE SEAT BEHIND HER AND SHE REFUSED. WE TOLD HER SINCE SHE HAD BEEN DRINKING SHE COULD NOT SIT IN THE DOOR EXIT. SHE REFUSED AGAIN. SHE CONFIRMED SHE HAD BEEN DRINKING AND BLAMED IT ON THE DELAY, 'THAT'S WHY I'M IN THIS CONDITION,' SHE HAPPILY TOLD US. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD HER 'DO YOU UNDERSTAND IF YOU DON'T MOVE TO THE OTHER SEAT YOU COULD BE ARRESTED?' THE DRUNK PAX SAID 'THEN ARREST ME!' SO FLT ATTENDANT #1 TOLD CAPT. CAPT CALLED AUTHS TO MEET THE FLT. PAX WAS ARRESTED FOR NOT FOLLOWING CREW INSTRUCTIONS.

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.

A passenger seated in an exit row was determined to be unable to operate the exit. When requested to move to another seat the passenger refused. The flight was met by auths.