Narrative:

Approximately XA30Z, vicinity MMMZ, captain called dispatch on remote and advised me that a passenger on board had opened her carry-on bag and saw an alarm clock in her bag that did not belong to her. Captain advised clock was approximately 1/2 inch thick and size of a passport. Captain advised passenger had removed the battery, given clock to a flight attendant, and that flight attendant had placed the clock in the least risk compartment. Captain advised the clock was not ticking, moving or making any sounds. Captain advised a few passenger and one or more flight attendants were a little uptight. I asked captain if flight attendants were not comfortable continuing flight to ZZZ. He said no, they wanted to continue. Approximately 10-15 mins later, captain called me again on remote with more information. Passenger had been camping in mexico with a group of people. During that time, several people's bags had spilled and contents had mixed. Passenger thought they had inadvertently picked up the alarm clock while placing item back into her bag. Captain advised clock was still in least risk compartment and making no noise or movement. Captain agreed to continue to ZZZ. I advised company of all details. Company called the company's airline security coordinator. That person advised company who then advised me, to pass on to crew the following: since incoming internationally aircraft are always searched, to have flight attendant advise person searching aircraft the details and location of alarm clock, they would complete the security checks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 DISPATCHER WAS INFORMED THAT A PAX FOUND AN ALARM CLOCK IN HER CARRY ON BAG THAT WAS NOT HERS. COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES AND THE DISPATCHER SUGGESTED CONTINUING TO THE ORIGINAL DEST.

Narrative: APPROX XA30Z, VICINITY MMMZ, CAPT CALLED DISPATCH ON REMOTE AND ADVISED ME THAT A PAX ON BOARD HAD OPENED HER CARRY-ON BAG AND SAW AN ALARM CLOCK IN HER BAG THAT DID NOT BELONG TO HER. CAPT ADVISED CLOCK WAS APPROX 1/2 INCH THICK AND SIZE OF A PASSPORT. CAPT ADVISED PAX HAD REMOVED THE BATTERY, GIVEN CLOCK TO A FLT ATTENDANT, AND THAT FLT ATTENDANT HAD PLACED THE CLOCK IN THE LEAST RISK COMPARTMENT. CAPT ADVISED THE CLOCK WAS NOT TICKING, MOVING OR MAKING ANY SOUNDS. CAPT ADVISED A FEW PAX AND ONE OR MORE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE A LITTLE UPTIGHT. I ASKED CAPT IF FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOT COMFORTABLE CONTINUING FLT TO ZZZ. HE SAID NO, THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE. APPROX 10-15 MINS LATER, CAPT CALLED ME AGAIN ON REMOTE WITH MORE INFO. PAX HAD BEEN CAMPING IN MEXICO WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE. DURING THAT TIME, SEVERAL PEOPLE'S BAGS HAD SPILLED AND CONTENTS HAD MIXED. PAX THOUGHT THEY HAD INADVERTENTLY PICKED UP THE ALARM CLOCK WHILE PLACING ITEM BACK INTO HER BAG. CAPT ADVISED CLOCK WAS STILL IN LEAST RISK COMPARTMENT AND MAKING NO NOISE OR MOVEMENT. CAPT AGREED TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ. I ADVISED COMPANY OF ALL DETAILS. COMPANY CALLED THE COMPANY'S AIRLINE SECURITY COORDINATOR. THAT PERSON ADVISED COMPANY WHO THEN ADVISED ME, TO PASS ON TO CREW THE FOLLOWING: SINCE INCOMING INTERNATIONALLY ACFT ARE ALWAYS SEARCHED, TO HAVE FLT ATTENDANT ADVISE PERSON SEARCHING ACFT THE DETAILS AND LOCATION OF ALARM CLOCK, THEY WOULD COMPLETE THE SECURITY CHKS.

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.