Narrative:

Pushback, taxi for takeoff, and departure were normal. No delays were encountered, except for having to wait for a light twin to land before receiving takeoff clearance. The flight attendants made a final walk-through just before takeoff. The senior flight attendant noticed that a passenger had a hangup bag that was not secured and in fact, was spread out over the foot area of the seat row. The flight was full of passenger. As she (flight attendant) started to secure the bag, I notified the cabin by use of the crew call chime that takeoff was imminent (60 seconds). The flight attendant could have notified the captain by chime or by opening the cockpit door that the cabin was not secure for takeoff at any time (as is company procedure) and the takeoff flow would have been suspended until such time as all items were secure and the flight attendants were seated. Instead, she pressed on with securing the luggage, and had to run to situation down. Being the senior flight attendant, she was supposed to announce 'cleared for departure.' I am not required by company procedure to monitor this all, but I do normally. I was monitoring ATC and company frequencys at the time, as well as completing the remaining items of the checklist. I thought I heard the flight attendant make this call, but she evidently did not. By the time she reached her seat, the takeoff roll was beginning, and she must have felt the call was not necessary at this point. Another passenger approached me on arrival at destination and complained of the apparently unprofessional, hurried departure preparations and haste. He was also familiar with that call, -- required by the flight attendant before takeoff, but not required to be monitored or acted on by the captain. The problem for the captain (myself) is that once the cockpit door is closed at the gate, the aircraft is secure for pushback -- by procedure! The cockpit notifies the cabin that the takeoff is imminent, but the captain is left to assume the cabin is secure if not notified otherwise. In this case, the cabin was barely secured in time, and a required call by her was not made (as the passenger complained of later). We all know what a passenger with a phone and the FAA's number can do if things do not appear right to him! I am taking up with the company what I feel is a necessary and necessarily position communication which must be made from cabin and cockpit. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he decided he really did not know what to say to company and he did not want to put himself on the line so did not pursue. 99 times out of 100 the system works very well. This is 1 time the flight attendant made a misjudgement of the situation. Probably won't happen again as he will discuss with cabin crews.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT HAS HURRY UP SIT REF PAX GARMENT BAG, DOES NOT INFORM COCKPIT. VERY RUSHED TO SECURE CABIN PRIOR TO TKOF.

Narrative: PUSHBACK, TAXI FOR TKOF, AND DEP WERE NORMAL. NO DELAYS WERE ENCOUNTERED, EXCEPT FOR HAVING TO WAIT FOR A LIGHT TWIN TO LAND BEFORE RECEIVING TKOF CLRNC. THE FLT ATTENDANTS MADE A FINAL WALK-THROUGH JUST BEFORE TKOF. THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED THAT A PAX HAD A HANGUP BAG THAT WAS NOT SECURED AND IN FACT, WAS SPREAD OUT OVER THE FOOT AREA OF THE SEAT ROW. THE FLT WAS FULL OF PAX. AS SHE (FLT ATTENDANT) STARTED TO SECURE THE BAG, I NOTIFIED THE CABIN BY USE OF THE CREW CALL CHIME THAT TKOF WAS IMMINENT (60 SECONDS). THE FLT ATTENDANT COULD HAVE NOTIFIED THE CAPT BY CHIME OR BY OPENING THE COCKPIT DOOR THAT THE CABIN WAS NOT SECURE FOR TKOF AT ANY TIME (AS IS COMPANY PROC) AND THE TKOF FLOW WOULD HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL SUCH TIME AS ALL ITEMS WERE SECURE AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED. INSTEAD, SHE PRESSED ON WITH SECURING THE LUGGAGE, AND HAD TO RUN TO SIT DOWN. BEING THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT, SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO ANNOUNCE 'CLRED FOR DEP.' I AM NOT REQUIRED BY COMPANY PROC TO MONITOR THIS ALL, BUT I DO NORMALLY. I WAS MONITORING ATC AND COMPANY FREQS AT THE TIME, AS WELL AS COMPLETING THE REMAINING ITEMS OF THE CHKLIST. I THOUGHT I HEARD THE FLT ATTENDANT MAKE THIS CALL, BUT SHE EVIDENTLY DID NOT. BY THE TIME SHE REACHED HER SEAT, THE TKOF ROLL WAS BEGINNING, AND SHE MUST HAVE FELT THE CALL WAS NOT NECESSARY AT THIS POINT. ANOTHER PAX APCHED ME ON ARR AT DEST AND COMPLAINED OF THE APPARENTLY UNPROFESSIONAL, HURRIED DEP PREPARATIONS AND HASTE. HE WAS ALSO FAMILIAR WITH THAT CALL, -- REQUIRED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT BEFORE TKOF, BUT NOT REQUIRED TO BE MONITORED OR ACTED ON BY THE CAPT. THE PROB FOR THE CAPT (MYSELF) IS THAT ONCE THE COCKPIT DOOR IS CLOSED AT THE GATE, THE ACFT IS SECURE FOR PUSHBACK -- BY PROC! THE COCKPIT NOTIFIES THE CABIN THAT THE TKOF IS IMMINENT, BUT THE CAPT IS LEFT TO ASSUME THE CABIN IS SECURE IF NOT NOTIFIED OTHERWISE. IN THIS CASE, THE CABIN WAS BARELY SECURED IN TIME, AND A REQUIRED CALL BY HER WAS NOT MADE (AS THE PAX COMPLAINED OF LATER). WE ALL KNOW WHAT A PAX WITH A PHONE AND THE FAA'S NUMBER CAN DO IF THINGS DO NOT APPEAR RIGHT TO HIM! I AM TAKING UP WITH THE COMPANY WHAT I FEEL IS A NECESSARY AND NECESSARILY POS COM WHICH MUST BE MADE FROM CABIN AND COCKPIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE DECIDED HE REALLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO COMPANY AND HE DID NOT WANT TO PUT HIMSELF ON THE LINE SO DID NOT PURSUE. 99 TIMES OUT OF 100 THE SYS WORKS VERY WELL. THIS IS 1 TIME THE FLT ATTENDANT MADE A MISJUDGEMENT OF THE SIT. PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN AS HE WILL DISCUSS WITH CABIN CREWS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.