B767 crew had an erratically behaving passenger en route over the north atlantic.

Attributes
ACN	547389
Time
Date	200205
Day	Tue
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	547389
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 4
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Erratic behavior of passenger. Early in our crossing, the purser notified me of a passenger acting erratically. He had made multiple trips to the lavatory returning to different seats in the cabin and was looking very nervous. When confronted, he was very evasive. Suspecting a possible 'shoe bomber' type, I made contact with dispatch to find out any additional information available. His mother had tried to cancel his ticket fearing a 'possibility of a seizure.' with that information, I requested dispatch contact the mother to expand on her previous statement. Dispatcher was very helpful in pressing my point after initially being turned down by management. The flight attendants were also great throughout by keeping an eye of him -- being prepared for the worst and communicating with me throughout. The final word we received on him was that he was seeking a mental health professional in the states and his erratic behavior was possibly drug related. We should have been advised of his potential before we left the gate. This mindset has got to change before something very serious happens that could have been prevented with the proper information in a timely manner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW HAD AN ERRATICALLY BEHAVING PAX ENRTE OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC.

Narrative: ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF PAX. EARLY IN OUR XING, THE PURSER NOTIFIED ME OF A PAX ACTING ERRATICALLY. HE HAD MADE MULTIPLE TRIPS TO THE LAVATORY RETURNING TO DIFFERENT SEATS IN THE CABIN AND WAS LOOKING VERY NERVOUS. WHEN CONFRONTED, HE WAS VERY EVASIVE. SUSPECTING A POSSIBLE 'SHOE BOMBER' TYPE, I MADE CONTACT WITH DISPATCH TO FIND OUT ANY ADDITIONAL INFO AVAILABLE. HIS MOTHER HAD TRIED TO CANCEL HIS TICKET FEARING A 'POSSIBILITY OF A SEIZURE.' WITH THAT INFO, I REQUESTED DISPATCH CONTACT THE MOTHER TO EXPAND ON HER PREVIOUS STATEMENT. DISPATCHER WAS VERY HELPFUL IN PRESSING MY POINT AFTER INITIALLY BEING TURNED DOWN BY MGMNT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ALSO GREAT THROUGHOUT BY KEEPING AN EYE OF HIM -- BEING PREPARED FOR THE WORST AND COMMUNICATING WITH ME THROUGHOUT. THE FINAL WORD WE RECEIVED ON HIM WAS THAT HE WAS SEEKING A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL IN THE STATES AND HIS ERRATIC BEHAVIOR WAS POSSIBLY DRUG RELATED. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF HIS POTENTIAL BEFORE WE LEFT THE GATE. THIS MINDSET HAS GOT TO CHANGE BEFORE SOMETHING VERY SERIOUS HAPPENS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH THE PROPER INFO IN A TIMELY MANNER.

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.