Narrative:

Started engines and was in process of pwring back when a F/a advised me someone wanted to get off the airplane. Returned to the blocks and advised the company. When I asked why he was getting off, he said he remembered that he left his bags at the ticket counter. He was well-dressed and took off all his carry on (a garment bag and an attache case). He got off and the flight departed 5 mins late. As we had an FAA air carrier inspector on our jumpseat, he questioned my procedure as to the deplaning of that passenger. He said other airline's procedure would be to delay the flight and remove his checked baggage from the airplane for security reasons. And he thought it was company policy as well. I told him I was not aware of any such policy, but in this case, it was my opinion that this was not necessary. I assumed his bags were somewhere else, although I did not ask him. The inspector said that he was going to file a report and check with the poi for company. If there is no such policy, he would suggest one be initiated, but if there is one, then I did not follow the proper procedure as he outlined it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: company does not have a specific policy reference the incident. FAA aci was going to talk to management and suggest a policy be established. Elected to continue the flight because of the demeanor of the passenger and was comfortable with the decision. Has had no further contact with the FAA re: the incident. No notice from the company reference a definite policy when a passenger requests to get off the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACI COMPLAINS WHEN FLT CREW ELECTS TO CONTINUE FLT AFTER PASSENGER HAS REQUESTED TO GET OFF.

Narrative: STARTED ENGS AND WAS IN PROCESS OF PWRING BACK WHEN A F/A ADVISED ME SOMEONE WANTED TO GET OFF THE AIRPLANE. RETURNED TO THE BLOCKS AND ADVISED THE COMPANY. WHEN I ASKED WHY HE WAS GETTING OFF, HE SAID HE REMEMBERED THAT HE LEFT HIS BAGS AT THE TICKET COUNTER. HE WAS WELL-DRESSED AND TOOK OFF ALL HIS CARRY ON (A GARMENT BAG AND AN ATTACHE CASE). HE GOT OFF AND THE FLT DEPARTED 5 MINS LATE. AS WE HAD AN FAA ACR INSPECTOR ON OUR JUMPSEAT, HE QUESTIONED MY PROC AS TO THE DEPLANING OF THAT PAX. HE SAID OTHER AIRLINE'S PROC WOULD BE TO DELAY THE FLT AND REMOVE HIS CHKED BAGGAGE FROM THE AIRPLANE FOR SECURITY REASONS. AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS COMPANY POLICY AS WELL. I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY SUCH POLICY, BUT IN THIS CASE, IT WAS MY OPINION THAT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY. I ASSUMED HIS BAGS WERE SOMEWHERE ELSE, ALTHOUGH I DID NOT ASK HIM. THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO FILE A RPT AND CHK WITH THE POI FOR COMPANY. IF THERE IS NO SUCH POLICY, HE WOULD SUGGEST ONE BE INITIATED, BUT IF THERE IS ONE, THEN I DID NOT FOLLOW THE PROPER PROC AS HE OUTLINED IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: COMPANY DOES NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC POLICY REF THE INCIDENT. FAA ACI WAS GOING TO TALK TO MGMNT AND SUGGEST A POLICY BE ESTABLISHED. ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT BECAUSE OF THE DEMEANOR OF THE PAX AND WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE DECISION. HAS HAD NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE FAA RE: THE INCIDENT. NO NOTICE FROM THE COMPANY REF A DEFINITE POLICY WHEN A PAX REQUESTS TO GET OFF THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.