Republic 3531 Declares Emergency into MSP after FAM Displays Weapon
 

UA 3531, an ERJ-170 operated by Republic EWR-MSP, declared an emergency into MSP for security after a Federal Air Marshal apparently displayed his gun to a flight attendant.

The crew said they weren't notified that they had two FAM's onboard. One of the marshals showed his gun but not his badge to a flight attendant enroute and demanded to see the passenger manifest. The flight attendant thought this was suspicious and reported the incident to the flight deck. The FO is an FFDO and he said it was totally against protocol so they decided to declare an emergency.

They landed on 30L and exited A8 to park on the deicing pad and sort things out. Apparently the FAM is still quite agitated and told the flight attendant that she should never have notified the pilots.

Right now the plane is still on the deice pad with the cockpit door locked and cops and SWAT on the way with airstairs to sort things out. United ops sent an ACARS to the crew verifying that two FAM's were indeed onboard.

Sounds like a real clusterfest. Think we're gonna need a replacement FAM. And we'll probably never hear about the resolution.

Brickyard 3531 checks in with MSP tower in the last five minutes of the first liveatc.net clip below and the discussion continues after landing into the second clip.

After some checks and double checks, UA 3531 restarted engines and taxied to gate E5.

http://archive-server.liveatc.net/km...2018-0400Z.mp3

http://archive-server.liveatc.net/km...2018-0430Z.mp3

On approach freq Brickyard reports 64 pax, 4 crew, 8300 pounds of fuel, cockpit secure:

http://archive-server.liveatc.net/km...2018-0400Z.mp3

possibly two FAMs positioning to longer flights, unknown to each other. One suspected the other and wanted to check names without causing a fuss in a compact seating. Obviously not sure how much was shown.

Oh please! That sounds like a Bill Murray comedy. What a ridiculous charade!

-drl

Most of them are. He'll get a promotion for this.

Only in the gun-crazy USA would anyone be so stupid as to allow a person to carry weapons on an aircraft.
The entire FAM idea is utterly stupid and should be abolished ASAP.

But would it not be better to show your ID? Rather than your gun?

you are indeed ancient, its no only in the USA

They don't seem to be of the best caliber (pun I guess). If the FFDO saw it as violating protocol, that's good enough for me.

Perhaps you should check the dates on your sources. Fifteen year old article and still no air marshals on UK flights.

Picky, picky .. but yes, I'm sure that would have occurred to any vaguely intelligent or switched-on person. Oh, wait, I see the teensy flaw in that plan :ugh:

And by the way, who decided to call these characters Air Marshals? Surely Sky Marshal, airborne corrections officer or some such would do.

After an excellent landing etc...

Er, are you sure about that?

Airborne Restraint and Security Executive?