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An MD80 flight attendant in charge reported that a passenger was so disruptive, the police were summoned to the gate after landing at aus.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 595399 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200308 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : aus.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge |
| Experience | flight attendant time airline total : 4 flight attendant time total : 4 flight attendant time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 595399 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Passenger Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
Narrative:
Upon preparing for takeoff, passenger was asked to bring her seat-back up for takeoff (there had been a 45 min mechanical delay). Her response was, 'no, not until I know we're taking off/leaving.' during service, passenger said there was dirt in her coke. At prepare for landing, passenger was asked to put seat-back into upright position by another flight attendant. I was assisting this flight attendant with trash pick-up. Passenger responded 'I told you 43 times, my seat is broken' and then the flight attendant handed me the trash bag and told passenger that she could help her. When flight attendant leaned in to assist passenger, passenger slapped her hard on the arm and yelled 'don't touch my seat.' I told the flight attendant that I would call the captain. The flight attendant followed me up to forward galley and spoke with captain. Captain called to tell us the auths would meet the plane. Perceptions: flight attendant was very professional. Passenger's inappropriate behavior escalated throughout the flight (from takeoff to the slap). The police tested the seat after passenger deplaned. It was solidly in position and could easily be brought forward by pushing the button. My opinion is that the passenger was agitated by the mechanical delay and possibly has a problem with anger management to correct the situation, next time I would, upon hearing of her discontent, let her know she was interfering with a crew member, a federal offense, punishable by a fine up to $25000. I bet she would have changed her approach!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE RPTED THAT A PAX WAS SO DISRUPTIVE, THE POLICE WERE SUMMONED TO THE GATE AFTER LNDG AT AUS.
Narrative: UPON PREPARING FOR TKOF, PAX WAS ASKED TO BRING HER SEAT-BACK UP FOR TKOF (THERE HAD BEEN A 45 MIN MECHANICAL DELAY). HER RESPONSE WAS, 'NO, NOT UNTIL I KNOW WE'RE TAKING OFF/LEAVING.' DURING SVC, PAX SAID THERE WAS DIRT IN HER COKE. AT PREPARE FOR LNDG, PAX WAS ASKED TO PUT SEAT-BACK INTO UPRIGHT POS BY ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT. I WAS ASSISTING THIS FLT ATTENDANT WITH TRASH PICK-UP. PAX RESPONDED 'I TOLD YOU 43 TIMES, MY SEAT IS BROKEN' AND THEN THE FLT ATTENDANT HANDED ME THE TRASH BAG AND TOLD PAX THAT SHE COULD HELP HER. WHEN FLT ATTENDANT LEANED IN TO ASSIST PAX, PAX SLAPPED HER HARD ON THE ARM AND YELLED 'DON'T TOUCH MY SEAT.' I TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT I WOULD CALL THE CAPT. THE FLT ATTENDANT FOLLOWED ME UP TO FORWARD GALLEY AND SPOKE WITH CAPT. CAPT CALLED TO TELL US THE AUTHS WOULD MEET THE PLANE. PERCEPTIONS: FLT ATTENDANT WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL. PAX'S INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR ESCALATED THROUGHOUT THE FLT (FROM TKOF TO THE SLAP). THE POLICE TESTED THE SEAT AFTER PAX DEPLANED. IT WAS SOLIDLY IN POS AND COULD EASILY BE BROUGHT FORWARD BY PUSHING THE BUTTON. MY OPINION IS THAT THE PAX WAS AGITATED BY THE MECHANICAL DELAY AND POSSIBLY HAS A PROB WITH ANGER MGMNT TO CORRECT THE SIT, NEXT TIME I WOULD, UPON HEARING OF HER DISCONTENT, LET HER KNOW SHE WAS INTERFERING WITH A CREW MEMBER, A FEDERAL OFFENSE, PUNISHABLE BY A FINE UP TO $25000. I BET SHE WOULD HAVE CHANGED HER APPROACH!
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.