LAX Security Incident

kilo said:
And they even describe it pejoratively as a "free flight" for a "pilot looking for a free ride." The guy is definitely cheating the system.
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Just think what they would have said if it was a dispatcher and they found out he was in the cockpit. "The individual, who was not even an airline pilot, was allowed to ride in the ACTUAL COCKPIT. A suspicious gate agent called the FBI and Los Angeles SWAT team to ensure there was no security issue affecting the safety of the flight."
 
On second look though...the aircraft belongs to the captain, and he has the final say on jumpseat access. So how and why is this guy just strolling down the jetway before the captain has arrived? The employee - presumably the gate agent - did the right thing by looking for him once it was realized that the flight crew hadn't arrived. Then, when they do look for him, he's on a Virgin America flight that's long gone. That is pretty sketch behavior for an off-duty jumpseater.
 
kilo said:
On second look though...the aircraft belongs to the captain, and he has the final say on jumpseat access. So how and why is this guy just strolling down the jetway before the captain has arrived? The employee - presumably the gate agent - did the right thing by looking for him once it was realized that the flight crew hadn't arrived. Then, when they do look for him, he's on a Virgin America flight that's long gone. That is pretty sketch behavior for an off-duty jumpseater.
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Captain has final say, but the gate agent will line up all the paperwork... And there has been many times where I've listed at the gate to find out that the plane will be running late, so I book it to the next flight going to where I need to go. I always let the gate agent know that I'm headed out, but maybe that gate agent was busy or left the gate to attend to something else? If I can't find ya, and I need to make the decision now to try and get on a plane to get me to work on time, BYYYYYEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
 
The fact that he left the plane for another flight isn't what's sketchy. That the employee first ran into him in the jetway, and walked away from the interaction still under the impression that this guy was going to fly that plane, is what's sketchy.

I don't care who you work for or what you do...you don't just help yourself to the aircraft whenever you feel like it.
 
kilo said:
On second look though...the aircraft belongs to the captain, and he has the final say on jumpseat access. So how and why is this guy just strolling down the jetway before the captain has arrived? The employee - presumably the gate agent - did the right thing by looking for him once it was realized that the flight crew hadn't arrived. Then, when they do look for him, he's on a Virgin America flight that's long gone. That is pretty sketch behavior for an off-duty jumpseater.
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I've gotten on without the captain being there a few times, sometimes I've even waited in the jetway for him to get there.

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Right, but the gate agent was informed of what you were doing, right? Sounds like nobody had even talked to this guy before they found him hanging around in the jetway. Do people do that? If people do that regularly and its all good, then I must be living under a rock.
 
kilo said:
Right, but the gate agent was informed of what you were doing, right? Sounds like nobody had even talked to this guy before they found him hanging around in the jetway. Do people do that? If people do that regularly and its all good, then I must be living under a rock.
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I was flying the first flight out from PIT - DTW one morning, Delta Connection. Gate agent lets me through the door with the paperwork, and as I'm reading I notice a pink tag bag sitting at the end of the jet bridge. Curious, I step into the plane and there is a Delta captain sitting in 1A. This is a cold dark plane, no power or air on it and I'm about 45 min early. He even hung up his jacket in the closet. So ya, people do all kinda crazy crap.

And I must've missed the part (I skimmed it while reading) where he was hanging out in the jet bridge.
 
I read this as he operated the airplane inbound and probably spoke to the gate agent that met the plane or checked in and just walked back down the jetbridge to wait. I wonder if Officer Friendly asked the agents about him?

That being said, how do I know Officer Kumpke didn't buy his uniform at Halloween Express?? hrrrmm.

I wonder what the real details are for this debacle?
 
Believe it or not, we actually had a dispatcher who would commute wearing a dress shirt similar to our pilots so that we could get through TSA without being hassled.
 
bkey79 said:
I step into the plane and there is a Delta captain sitting in 1A. This is a cold dark plane, no power or air on it and I'm about 45 min early. He even hung up his jacket in the closet.
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Lol, what the hell? Guess it's quieter than hanging out at the gate, but that maneuver takes some stones.
 
belgiumania said:
Lol, what the hell? Guess it's quieter than hanging out at the gate, but that maneuver takes some stones.
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Forgot to mention, he never lowered the paper he was reading to see who I was, nor even asked if he could ride. There was a jumpseat request ticket laying on the center console. Afterwards, he did say thanks for the ride, but that was all he muttered out to us!
 
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