Narrative:

After all the required paperwork was received the jetway was moved clear of the aircraft and the crew completed preparations for gate departure. When I directed my attention to the ground crew for wave off instructions I noticed a young girl standing behind them on the ramp. I gave the ground the crew 'hold breaks' signal, checked to ensure the brakes were set and directed the agents' attention to the person behind them. She was carrying a package and a bag and she gestured indicating she wanted to get them on board (obviously items left behind in the boarding area by a friend or relative already on board). I told the first officer that I would be opening the cockpit window to board the package and bag and instructed him to guard the brakes. I then motioned to the ground crew to hand up the items. I placed my head and shoulders out through the window and took the package extended up to me by the agent. I then turned back inside the cockpit and placed the package on the cockpit floor. I again placed my head and shoulders out the window and took the bag extended up to me and again returned inside the cockpit. When I turned and placed my head and shoulders out the window a final time to ensure the intended items were on board, and that the area around the aircraft was again clear, I was shocked to see the ground agent(south) had lifted the girl up to the window. She grabbed my neck and I instinctively grabbed her. The agents at this point had released her and had moved away from area below the window. Up until this instant I had no idea the agent(south) actually intended that this girl be brought on board. My immediate concern now became the girl's safety, and although I was angered by the unbelievable actions of the ground agent(south) I now found myself in a position where the only choice I had was to get the girl safely inside the aircraft as quickly as possible. After the young woman's ticket was checked and verified, she was seated in the cabin and her belongings were properly stowed. Normal operations were resumed. I communicated with lan operations that I would like the name and phone # of the senior agent on duty and that I would be calling him immediately upon arrival in dtw to discuss this highly irregular operation. After landing in dtw I called the spoke with supervisor. I expressed my shock and utter disbelief that the ground agents would attempt to board a pas through the cockpit window. Supervisor stated that he originally perceived the situation as I had--in that the young woman was only attempting to deliver a friend's left belongings, and that he was as shocked as I was to learn she was a ticketed pas and that the ground agents were intending to have her boarded through the cockpit window. He then asked me to review what had just transpired with a supervisor at lan who had subsequently come on duty. I reviewed the situation again, expressing my concern about this highly irregular operation. I explained that it was not yet clear to me what steps would next have to be taken, but that I would be submitting the required reports and that I would keep him advised as to what further steps might have to be taken. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: report was made to company and union rep. Has not heard of any action taken against agent other than investigation. Interphone was working and had he known what was going on he would have lowered the airstair on the medium large transport. No injuries. Girl was a college student, 21 yrs old, and weighed about 90 pounds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PASSENGER BOARDED THROUGH COCKPIT SIDE WINDOW.

Narrative: AFTER ALL THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK WAS RECEIVED THE JETWAY WAS MOVED CLEAR OF THE ACFT AND THE CREW COMPLETED PREPARATIONS FOR GATE DEP. WHEN I DIRECTED MY ATTN TO THE GND CREW FOR WAVE OFF INSTRUCTIONS I NOTICED A YOUNG GIRL STANDING BEHIND THEM ON THE RAMP. I GAVE THE GND THE CREW 'HOLD BREAKS' SIGNAL, CHKED TO ENSURE THE BRAKES WERE SET AND DIRECTED THE AGENTS' ATTN TO THE PERSON BEHIND THEM. SHE WAS CARRYING A PACKAGE AND A BAG AND SHE GESTURED INDICATING SHE WANTED TO GET THEM ON BOARD (OBVIOUSLY ITEMS LEFT BEHIND IN THE BOARDING AREA BY A FRIEND OR RELATIVE ALREADY ON BOARD). I TOLD THE F/O THAT I WOULD BE OPENING THE COCKPIT WINDOW TO BOARD THE PACKAGE AND BAG AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO GUARD THE BRAKES. I THEN MOTIONED TO THE GND CREW TO HAND UP THE ITEMS. I PLACED MY HEAD AND SHOULDERS OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW AND TOOK THE PACKAGE EXTENDED UP TO ME BY THE AGENT. I THEN TURNED BACK INSIDE THE COCKPIT AND PLACED THE PACKAGE ON THE COCKPIT FLOOR. I AGAIN PLACED MY HEAD AND SHOULDERS OUT THE WINDOW AND TOOK THE BAG EXTENDED UP TO ME AND AGAIN RETURNED INSIDE THE COCKPIT. WHEN I TURNED AND PLACED MY HEAD AND SHOULDERS OUT THE WINDOW A FINAL TIME TO ENSURE THE INTENDED ITEMS WERE ON BOARD, AND THAT THE AREA AROUND THE ACFT WAS AGAIN CLEAR, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE GND AGENT(S) HAD LIFTED THE GIRL UP TO THE WINDOW. SHE GRABBED MY NECK AND I INSTINCTIVELY GRABBED HER. THE AGENTS AT THIS POINT HAD RELEASED HER AND HAD MOVED AWAY FROM AREA BELOW THE WINDOW. UP UNTIL THIS INSTANT I HAD NO IDEA THE AGENT(S) ACTUALLY INTENDED THAT THIS GIRL BE BROUGHT ON BOARD. MY IMMEDIATE CONCERN NOW BECAME THE GIRL'S SAFETY, AND ALTHOUGH I WAS ANGERED BY THE UNBELIEVABLE ACTIONS OF THE GND AGENT(S) I NOW FOUND MYSELF IN A POSITION WHERE THE ONLY CHOICE I HAD WAS TO GET THE GIRL SAFELY INSIDE THE ACFT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AFTER THE YOUNG WOMAN'S TICKET WAS CHKED AND VERIFIED, SHE WAS SEATED IN THE CABIN AND HER BELONGINGS WERE PROPERLY STOWED. NORMAL OPS WERE RESUMED. I COMMUNICATED WITH LAN OPS THAT I WOULD LIKE THE NAME AND PHONE # OF THE SENIOR AGENT ON DUTY AND THAT I WOULD BE CALLING HIM IMMEDIATELY UPON ARR IN DTW TO DISCUSS THIS HIGHLY IRREGULAR OPERATION. AFTER LNDG IN DTW I CALLED THE SPOKE WITH SUPVR. I EXPRESSED MY SHOCK AND UTTER DISBELIEF THAT THE GND AGENTS WOULD ATTEMPT TO BOARD A PAS THROUGH THE COCKPIT WINDOW. SUPVR STATED THAT HE ORIGINALLY PERCEIVED THE SITUATION AS I HAD--IN THAT THE YOUNG WOMAN WAS ONLY ATTEMPTING TO DELIVER A FRIEND'S LEFT BELONGINGS, AND THAT HE WAS AS SHOCKED AS I WAS TO LEARN SHE WAS A TICKETED PAS AND THAT THE GND AGENTS WERE INTENDING TO HAVE HER BOARDED THROUGH THE COCKPIT WINDOW. HE THEN ASKED ME TO REVIEW WHAT HAD JUST TRANSPIRED WITH A SUPVR AT LAN WHO HAD SUBSEQUENTLY COME ON DUTY. I REVIEWED THE SITUATION AGAIN, EXPRESSING MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS HIGHLY IRREGULAR OPERATION. I EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS NOT YET CLEAR TO ME WHAT STEPS WOULD NEXT HAVE TO BE TAKEN, BUT THAT I WOULD BE SUBMITTING THE REQUIRED RPTS AND THAT I WOULD KEEP HIM ADVISED AS TO WHAT FURTHER STEPS MIGHT HAVE TO BE TAKEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPT WAS MADE TO COMPANY AND UNION REP. HAS NOT HEARD OF ANY ACTION TAKEN AGAINST AGENT OTHER THAN INVESTIGATION. INTERPHONE WAS WORKING AND HAD HE KNOWN WHAT WAS GOING ON HE WOULD HAVE LOWERED THE AIRSTAIR ON THE MLG. NO INJURIES. GIRL WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT, 21 YRS OLD, AND WEIGHED ABOUT 90 LBS.

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.