Narrative:

Towards the end of boarding in clt; someone knocked on the door of the jetbridge to get in from outside. I went to see who it was; thinking it was an employee; there was a passenger standing there with his luggage and holding his boarding stub for me to see. I opened the door and he entered the jetbridge. I asked him why he was out there and how he got there and asked for his boarding stub. The stub had the right flight number and date and his seat; which I knew was vacant because it was the exit row and I had just done my exit row briefing. The purser was also asking him who he was from inside the airplane. He told us that he had given the gate agent his boarding pass and then entered the door and saw another door open that passenger were entering through from outside so he went out that door and found himself outside where he saw what he assumed was his plane; came up the outside stairs and knocked on the jetbridge door. I had his boarding pass and was about to call the agent to ask if they had any idea what was going on and at that moment the captain came out of the plane and told the passenger to go up to the podium and speak with the agent. He said he would go with him. As they were walking up there; the agent was on her way down to close the door and verified the man as belonging on our flight. He was allowed to board then; and there were no issues in-flight.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX MANAGES TO EXIT ONE JETBRIDGE ONTO THE RAMP AT CLT AND THEN ENTER THROUGH THE RAMP ACCESS DOOR OF THE CORRECT FLIGHT.

Narrative: TOWARDS THE END OF BOARDING IN CLT; SOMEONE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF THE JETBRIDGE TO GET IN FROM OUTSIDE. I WENT TO SEE WHO IT WAS; THINKING IT WAS AN EMPLOYEE; THERE WAS A PAX STANDING THERE WITH HIS LUGGAGE AND HOLDING HIS BOARDING STUB FOR ME TO SEE. I OPENED THE DOOR AND HE ENTERED THE JETBRIDGE. I ASKED HIM WHY HE WAS OUT THERE AND HOW HE GOT THERE AND ASKED FOR HIS BOARDING STUB. THE STUB HAD THE RIGHT FLT NUMBER AND DATE AND HIS SEAT; WHICH I KNEW WAS VACANT BECAUSE IT WAS THE EXIT ROW AND I HAD JUST DONE MY EXIT ROW BRIEFING. THE PURSER WAS ALSO ASKING HIM WHO HE WAS FROM INSIDE THE AIRPLANE. HE TOLD US THAT HE HAD GIVEN THE GATE AGENT HIS BOARDING PASS AND THEN ENTERED THE DOOR AND SAW ANOTHER DOOR OPEN THAT PAX WERE ENTERING THROUGH FROM OUTSIDE SO HE WENT OUT THAT DOOR AND FOUND HIMSELF OUTSIDE WHERE HE SAW WHAT HE ASSUMED WAS HIS PLANE; CAME UP THE OUTSIDE STAIRS AND KNOCKED ON THE JETBRIDGE DOOR. I HAD HIS BOARDING PASS AND WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE AGENT TO ASK IF THEY HAD ANY IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON AND AT THAT MOMENT THE CAPT CAME OUT OF THE PLANE AND TOLD THE PAX TO GO UP TO THE PODIUM AND SPEAK WITH THE AGENT. HE SAID HE WOULD GO WITH HIM. AS THEY WERE WALKING UP THERE; THE AGENT WAS ON HER WAY DOWN TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND VERIFIED THE MAN AS BELONGING ON OUR FLT. HE WAS ALLOWED TO BOARD THEN; AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES INFLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.