What would you do?

[FlySooner9]

I posted this in "your the captain" but it wasn't getting any replies so i figured id try posting it here.


Your the Captain and you push back from the gate and taxi out, as you approach the runway from takeoff you get a call from the flight attendant. She says that all of their purses are missing. Turns out they were keeping their purses somewhere in the catering carts. During the turn the flight attendants were unaware the plane was being re-catered. So the purses went with the old carts. Do you has the captain return the aircraft to the gate to get the purses back on board or do you continue to your destination and pick them up on the flight back?

 

[Gonzo]

IF her FAA card(Is it a license?) is in the purse then we have to go back.

 

[FlySooner9]

that would explain it then. This happened a while ago and got me wondering why exactly they went back.

 

[mxflyer]

There's probably no money in it, especially by now. Keep going j/k

 

[TallFlyer]

If it's a domestic flight I have a hard time turning around. If it's an international flight and there's travel documents involved it's a more complicated issue.

Basically if you do turn around it sounds like a pretty serious carpet dance.

 

[vikingair]

If you've ever misplaced a wallet or purse you know having it safely returned is priority number one. Not everyone is honest and it doesnt take long to do alot of damage with someone elses security passes, car keys, cell phones, personal documents with addresses, checkbooks, credit cards. While you're airborne your cabin crew will be distracted and unable to take care of the issue. If you can radio in and get the purses in company possession and sent on the next flight..you've saved the day. If its a small airport with minimum hassle/time, turn around. You can make up time lost on a quick turn in the air.

 

[jtrain609]

If it's a domestic flight I have a hard time turning around. If it's an international flight and there's travel documents involved it's a more complicated issue.

Basically if you do turn around it sounds like a pretty serious carpet dance.

FA's have licenses issued from the FAA now, as Gonzo points out, and if the FA is operating without it, then they stand the chance of getting violated, which means the captain stands the chance of getting violated.

What if you call the company about it, depart, and then are met at the gate at your destination by a chief pilot, to say nothing about somebody from the FAA? You're in some serious crap at this point, where if you had done a gate return, called the chief pilots office and had them fax a copy of the certificates to the station, you're talking about a 20 minute delay while holding onto your job.