Narrative:

We were almost ready to depart when it came to my attention by the gate agents and flight attendants that we had a prisoner onboard with escort. The problem was that there was no paperwork to indicate the presence of the armed escort or the prisoner. Seems the problem was that air carrier Y was going to be the original carrier, but they cancelled. The prisoner and his escort were brought over to us and put on our plane. It was pointed out that when the agents first noticed the prisoner in the terminal, he was handcuffed to a leather belt device, but when he was put on our plane, he was not shackled. He did have an escort, but there was no paperwork for the captain or the flight attendants. Good news that the agents got on the phone and got more information, and did take the prisoner and escorting officer off the plane. The problem apparently was due to the change from air carrier Y to our carrier. This could be a possible security breach with some major implications. Please check into the procedures so that this type of glitch does not occur again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the flight attendant was alerted that something was out of the ordinary when a passenger was observed to be shackled. She had previously noted the passenger handcuffed in the gate area. She notified both the gate agent and the captain. Reporter said the escort and prisoner were in the process of being removed when he went to the cabin. The captain submitted a report to the company. Air carrier notified the captain the incident is under investigation, but no conclusion has been reached at this time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD A PRISONER AND AN ARMED ESCORT BOARDED ON THEIR FLT. THE COMPANY DID NOT PROVIDE ANY NOTIFICATION TO THE CREW OR FLT ATTENDANTS OF THE PRISONER OR ARMED ESCORT.

Narrative: WE WERE ALMOST READY TO DEPART WHEN IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION BY THE GATE AGENTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS THAT WE HAD A PRISONER ONBOARD WITH ESCORT. THE PROB WAS THAT THERE WAS NO PAPERWORK TO INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF THE ARMED ESCORT OR THE PRISONER. SEEMS THE PROB WAS THAT AIR CARRIER Y WAS GOING TO BE THE ORIGINAL CARRIER, BUT THEY CANCELLED. THE PRISONER AND HIS ESCORT WERE BROUGHT OVER TO US AND PUT ON OUR PLANE. IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT WHEN THE AGENTS FIRST NOTICED THE PRISONER IN THE TERMINAL, HE WAS HANDCUFFED TO A LEATHER BELT DEVICE, BUT WHEN HE WAS PUT ON OUR PLANE, HE WAS NOT SHACKLED. HE DID HAVE AN ESCORT, BUT THERE WAS NO PAPERWORK FOR THE CAPT OR THE FLT ATTENDANTS. GOOD NEWS THAT THE AGENTS GOT ON THE PHONE AND GOT MORE INFO, AND DID TAKE THE PRISONER AND ESCORTING OFFICER OFF THE PLANE. THE PROB APPARENTLY WAS DUE TO THE CHANGE FROM ACR Y TO OUR CARRIER. THIS COULD BE A POSSIBLE SECURITY BREACH WITH SOME MAJOR IMPLICATIONS. PLEASE CHECK INTO THE PROCS SO THAT THIS TYPE OF GLITCH DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS ALERTED THAT SOMETHING WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY WHEN A PAX WAS OBSERVED TO BE SHACKLED. SHE HAD PREVIOUSLY NOTED THE PAX HANDCUFFED IN THE GATE AREA. SHE NOTIFIED BOTH THE GATE AGENT AND THE CAPT. RPTR SAID THE ESCORT AND PRISONER WERE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REMOVED WHEN HE WENT TO THE CABIN. THE CAPT SUBMITTED A RPT TO THE COMPANY. ACR NOTIFIED THE CAPT THE INCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION, BUT NO CONCLUSION HAS BEEN REACHED AT THIS TIME.

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.