Narrative:

We flew a flight from lax to oak and then one from oak to anc. On arrival at oak, I called ramp and asked to have someone xfer our catering from aircraft X to aircraft Y. The ramp office response was that they did not have enough people to xfer the catering and that we would have to do it ourselves. We spent the next 20-30 mins xferring catering. When we arrived at aircraft Y, the aircraft was closed up and dark. We opened the aircraft and removed the old catering and put our lax catering in the catering box. These were hot meals. We had no way to secure the box and no dry ice or refrigeration was available for a 3+ hour turn before departure to anchorage. When we returned to the aircraft, over 2 hours later, all of our catering was eaten and garbage was lying all over the floor. I called oak operations and asked for new catering, for the mess to be cleaned up, and a supervisor to come to the aircraft. After about 15 mins a manager showed up. He told me that the supervisor was busy and that he was sent to see what the problem was. I explained to him that we had 3 problems: 1) no xfer of catering from aircraft X to aircraft Y. 2) that our catering had been eaten by unknown persons and garbage left lying all over the airplane floor. 3) that we needed additional catering. To my surprise the manager's response was to say that he will 'take my abuse' and then he checked my identify and wrote my name and employee number down. At no time was I abusive. At no time did I swear. My intent was to inform management of a problem. The manager left the flight deck and the first officer and I continued our preflight activities. About 10 mins prior to pushback I went to the back to see if we had been catered and if the mess had been cleaned up. It was at this time that this manager told me that it was the crew's responsibility to carry catering up to the crew room. I then attempted to explain to him that we had 3 personal bags each and we had to carry up 3 and 1/2 flts of stairs. I told him that we were not going to carry 6 boxes of catering in addition to our personal baggage. At this point the manager decided to escalate the problem. He told me that I was not adhering to company standards of behavior and that he was calling security to have me removed from the airplane. He also accused me of swearing which was a total fabrication. In fact, I never raised my voice. None of the comments that I made were directed at him personally. The manager then moved closer to my face and said he was calling security. At that point both I and the first officer told him to get off the airplane. I went to the flight deck and called ramp and asked for security to remove this manager from the aircraft. The manager left the aircraft at this point and to the best of my knowledge security never came. Supplemental information from acn 586853: after the 3 hour turn, we went back to the aircraft and I began my exterior inspection. Upon entering the aircraft I noticed a large pile of catering boxes on the floor. The jumpseater (a crew member) and the captain informed me that our catering had been cooked and eaten. The individual stepped directly in front of the captain nose to nose about 5 inches away and stated that he was not going to take any abuse and that the captain was in violation of some company code of conduct. At that point, fearing a physical confrontation, I stepped forward and told the individual that he should leave the aircraft. The individual stated he would not leave the aircraft. He looked directly at the captain and said that he was in violation of 'code of conduct and he would call security and have the captain removed from the aircraft.' the captain then told the individual to leave this aircraft and stepped around him to go back into the cockpit. The individual then yelled at the captain 'you don't need to curse me out over a $2 meal.' I said to the individual 'the captain did not curse you out.' the captain turned around and said 'I did not use one single curse word.' the individual again said 'I can't believe you are cursing me out over a lousy $2 meal' and stormed off the aircraft. We went back to our duties, catering arrived, and despite this distraction, pushed back early. I made the following points on my flight safety report to the company: crews should not be required to carry catering from one aircraft to another since they have no way to secure the catering from tampering or pilferage. Crews have no way to keep the food cooled on a dead aircraft or an MD10. Crews should not be required to carry catering up and down 3 1/2 flts of steps (plus aircraft steps) to flight operations plus over 100 pounds of baggage for an international trip. Unauthorized and unsupervised people were on the aircraft while it was sitting on the ground in oakland. The supervisor did not respond when his presence was requested. The behavior of the manager that did respond was bizarre, irrational, and threatening. His actions interfered with the preflight activities of the crew and could have impacted the safe conduct of the flight. To the best of my knowledge security did not respond. Operations did not ask for a situation update and showed a total lack of concern after my call for security. Crews should be advised -- not to rely on company security and to call ground or tower if the situation warrants. This situation was a direct threat against captain's authority/authorized.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BREAKDOWN IN ACFT SUPPLY SVCING AND CTL OF CREW MEALS DURING AN ACFT CHANGE FOLLOWED BY UNAUTH CONSUMPTION OF THE MEALS AND A CONFRONTATION BTWN THE FLT CREW AND A RAMP MGR IS A MAJOR DISTR DURING PREDEP PREPARATIONS.

Narrative: WE FLEW A FLT FROM LAX TO OAK AND THEN ONE FROM OAK TO ANC. ON ARR AT OAK, I CALLED RAMP AND ASKED TO HAVE SOMEONE XFER OUR CATERING FROM ACFT X TO ACFT Y. THE RAMP OFFICE RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO XFER THE CATERING AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IT OURSELVES. WE SPENT THE NEXT 20-30 MINS XFERRING CATERING. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT ACFT Y, THE ACFT WAS CLOSED UP AND DARK. WE OPENED THE ACFT AND REMOVED THE OLD CATERING AND PUT OUR LAX CATERING IN THE CATERING BOX. THESE WERE HOT MEALS. WE HAD NO WAY TO SECURE THE BOX AND NO DRY ICE OR REFRIGERATION WAS AVAILABLE FOR A 3+ HR TURN BEFORE DEP TO ANCHORAGE. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE ACFT, OVER 2 HRS LATER, ALL OF OUR CATERING WAS EATEN AND GARBAGE WAS LYING ALL OVER THE FLOOR. I CALLED OAK OPS AND ASKED FOR NEW CATERING, FOR THE MESS TO BE CLEANED UP, AND A SUPVR TO COME TO THE ACFT. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS A MGR SHOWED UP. HE TOLD ME THAT THE SUPVR WAS BUSY AND THAT HE WAS SENT TO SEE WHAT THE PROB WAS. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT WE HAD 3 PROBS: 1) NO XFER OF CATERING FROM ACFT X TO ACFT Y. 2) THAT OUR CATERING HAD BEEN EATEN BY UNKNOWN PERSONS AND GARBAGE LEFT LYING ALL OVER THE AIRPLANE FLOOR. 3) THAT WE NEEDED ADDITIONAL CATERING. TO MY SURPRISE THE MGR'S RESPONSE WAS TO SAY THAT HE WILL 'TAKE MY ABUSE' AND THEN HE CHKED MY IDENT AND WROTE MY NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER DOWN. AT NO TIME WAS I ABUSIVE. AT NO TIME DID I SWEAR. MY INTENT WAS TO INFORM MGMNT OF A PROB. THE MGR LEFT THE FLT DECK AND THE FO AND I CONTINUED OUR PREFLT ACTIVITIES. ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK I WENT TO THE BACK TO SEE IF WE HAD BEEN CATERED AND IF THE MESS HAD BEEN CLEANED UP. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT THIS MGR TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE CREW'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CARRY CATERING UP TO THE CREW ROOM. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT WE HAD 3 PERSONAL BAGS EACH AND WE HAD TO CARRY UP 3 AND 1/2 FLTS OF STAIRS. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO CARRY 6 BOXES OF CATERING IN ADDITION TO OUR PERSONAL BAGGAGE. AT THIS POINT THE MGR DECIDED TO ESCALATE THE PROB. HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS NOT ADHERING TO COMPANY STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND THAT HE WAS CALLING SECURITY TO HAVE ME REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE. HE ALSO ACCUSED ME OF SWEARING WHICH WAS A TOTAL FABRICATION. IN FACT, I NEVER RAISED MY VOICE. NONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT I MADE WERE DIRECTED AT HIM PERSONALLY. THE MGR THEN MOVED CLOSER TO MY FACE AND SAID HE WAS CALLING SECURITY. AT THAT POINT BOTH I AND THE FO TOLD HIM TO GET OFF THE AIRPLANE. I WENT TO THE FLT DECK AND CALLED RAMP AND ASKED FOR SECURITY TO REMOVE THIS MGR FROM THE ACFT. THE MGR LEFT THE ACFT AT THIS POINT AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE SECURITY NEVER CAME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 586853: AFTER THE 3 HR TURN, WE WENT BACK TO THE ACFT AND I BEGAN MY EXTERIOR INSPECTION. UPON ENTERING THE ACFT I NOTICED A LARGE PILE OF CATERING BOXES ON THE FLOOR. THE JUMPSEATER (A CREW MEMBER) AND THE CAPT INFORMED ME THAT OUR CATERING HAD BEEN COOKED AND EATEN. THE INDIVIDUAL STEPPED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE CAPT NOSE TO NOSE ABOUT 5 INCHES AWAY AND STATED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY ABUSE AND THAT THE CAPT WAS IN VIOLATION OF SOME COMPANY CODE OF CONDUCT. AT THAT POINT, FEARING A PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION, I STEPPED FORWARD AND TOLD THE INDIVIDUAL THAT HE SHOULD LEAVE THE ACFT. THE INDIVIDUAL STATED HE WOULD NOT LEAVE THE ACFT. HE LOOKED DIRECTLY AT THE CAPT AND SAID THAT HE WAS IN VIOLATION OF 'CODE OF CONDUCT AND HE WOULD CALL SECURITY AND HAVE THE CAPT REMOVED FROM THE ACFT.' THE CAPT THEN TOLD THE INDIVIDUAL TO LEAVE THIS ACFT AND STEPPED AROUND HIM TO GO BACK INTO THE COCKPIT. THE INDIVIDUAL THEN YELLED AT THE CAPT 'YOU DON'T NEED TO CURSE ME OUT OVER A $2 MEAL.' I SAID TO THE INDIVIDUAL 'THE CAPT DID NOT CURSE YOU OUT.' THE CAPT TURNED AROUND AND SAID 'I DID NOT USE ONE SINGLE CURSE WORD.' THE INDIVIDUAL AGAIN SAID 'I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE CURSING ME OUT OVER A LOUSY $2 MEAL' AND STORMED OFF THE ACFT. WE WENT BACK TO OUR DUTIES, CATERING ARRIVED, AND DESPITE THIS DISTR, PUSHED BACK EARLY. I MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS ON MY FLT SAFETY RPT TO THE COMPANY: CREWS SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO CARRY CATERING FROM ONE ACFT TO ANOTHER SINCE THEY HAVE NO WAY TO SECURE THE CATERING FROM TAMPERING OR PILFERAGE. CREWS HAVE NO WAY TO KEEP THE FOOD COOLED ON A DEAD ACFT OR AN MD10. CREWS SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO CARRY CATERING UP AND DOWN 3 1/2 FLTS OF STEPS (PLUS ACFT STEPS) TO FLT OPS PLUS OVER 100 LBS OF BAGGAGE FOR AN INTL TRIP. UNAUTH AND UNSUPERVISED PEOPLE WERE ON THE ACFT WHILE IT WAS SITTING ON THE GND IN OAKLAND. THE SUPVR DID NOT RESPOND WHEN HIS PRESENCE WAS REQUESTED. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE MGR THAT DID RESPOND WAS BIZARRE, IRRATIONAL, AND THREATENING. HIS ACTIONS INTERFERED WITH THE PREFLT ACTIVITIES OF THE CREW AND COULD HAVE IMPACTED THE SAFE CONDUCT OF THE FLT. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE SECURITY DID NOT RESPOND. OPS DID NOT ASK FOR A SIT UPDATE AND SHOWED A TOTAL LACK OF CONCERN AFTER MY CALL FOR SECURITY. CREWS SHOULD BE ADVISED -- NOT TO RELY ON COMPANY SECURITY AND TO CALL GND OR TWR IF THE SIT WARRANTS. THIS SIT WAS A DIRECT THREAT AGAINST CAPT'S AUTH.

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.