B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 21000
Confusion; Training / Qualification; Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Security
General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Human Factors; Procedure; Company Policy
While at the gate counter preparing the flight plan I saw what I thought was a Federal Air Marshal checking in for the flight. Nothing was ever said to me about Air Marshals on the flight. This flight had FAA Inspector on board; who works in the Certificate Management Office. The problem began when the agent started the boarding process without consulting with the flight attendants. Passengers arrived at the airplane; catching the flight attendants off guard. The FAA Inspector actually held the passengers on the jet bridge while the flight attendants scrambled to prepare the airplane. FAA Inspector apparently confronted the ticket agent and; according to the Inspector; the ticket agent copped an attitude. A few minutes later an armed FBI agent appeared at the cockpit door to show me his ID. I had no paper work on the individual and he said the ticket agent had my copy of the paper work. A few minutes later a DEA agent arrived at the airplane; and this time the ticket agent had sent my paper work with the DEA agent. I asked the DEA agent if he was aware of the Air Marshals and the FBI agent that were also on the flight; and he said he knew about the FBI agent; but not the Air Marshals. I immediately called for a supervisor to come to the plane. I explained the situation to the supervisor and he apologized for the mix up and said he would take care of the issue. A few minutes later another ticket agent came into the cockpit and I asked if the LEOs had met the Air Marshals. He said there were no Air Marshals on board. Then the original ticket agent came to the cockpit and I asked him if there were any Air Marshals on board. He said 'no'. One of the ticket agents went back to the gate counter and returned to the airplane a few minutes later and told me there were indeed two Air Marshals on board. Knowing that the two LEO's did not know of the Air Marshals; I instructed the ticket agent to inform all four armed individuals of each other. (Which he did). The flight departed 13 minutes late with no further issues. FAA Inspector said he would be investigating the events on this flight which has prompted me to submit this report.
Armed Federal Agents and Law Enforcement Officers boarded aircraft without proper notification to the crew and or knowledge of each others presence.