Narrative:

Problem discovered -- as I moved towards door 2L to say good-bye to passenger after an uneventful flight from den to ewr, I was approached by a man that immediately idented himself as he presented his FAA identify badge. He was professionally polite while he informed me, in no uncertain terms, that he was not pleased with the performance of the flight attendants. He itemized several lapses in FAA mandated operational procedures. He apprised me of the fact that the flight attendants failed to pick up all of the service items prior to landing and that numerous seat backs and tray tables were not in their required position for landing. In addition. 2 overhead bins, housing the entertainment video equipment were left in the open position for landing and that several flight attendants were late in taking their jumpseats until just before touchdown. The FAA inspector also stated that if he weren't on vacation (and that if he hadn't had 1 drink) that he would file a violation against the airline and crew. I thanked him for the report and I assured him that I would take corrective action. Corrective action -- I summoned all flight attendants into first class and informed them of the accusations. Several feeble excuses were offered in their defense, but none were accepted. I made it very clear that I would not tolerate substandard performance on my aircraft in the future. They were then released from duty. In addition, I am informing my chief pilot of their actions and I am enclosing a copy of this report. Factors and perceptions -- due to operational considerations, our airline rotates cabin crews on this type of aircraft on almost every leg. Thus, the captain's ability to monitor the flight attendants performance is limited. In this case, I gave the #1 flight attendant a complete pre-departure briefing and assumed that she would oversee the actions of her cabin crew and perform her duties according to our SOP's. I am very disappointed that their actions were unprofessional and this incident makes me more and more apprehensive about what is going on behind the closed cockpit door. In the future, my crew briefings will be more comprehensive.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT COMPLETE REQUIRED DUTIES PRIOR TO LNDG.

Narrative: PROB DISCOVERED -- AS I MOVED TOWARDS DOOR 2L TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO PAX AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM DEN TO EWR, I WAS APCHED BY A MAN THAT IMMEDIATELY IDENTED HIMSELF AS HE PRESENTED HIS FAA IDENT BADGE. HE WAS PROFESSIONALLY POLITE WHILE HE INFORMED ME, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, THAT HE WAS NOT PLEASED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. HE ITEMIZED SEVERAL LAPSES IN FAA MANDATED OPERATIONAL PROCS. HE APPRISED ME OF THE FACT THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS FAILED TO PICK UP ALL OF THE SVC ITEMS PRIOR TO LNDG AND THAT NUMEROUS SEAT BACKS AND TRAY TABLES WERE NOT IN THEIR REQUIRED POS FOR LNDG. IN ADDITION. 2 OVERHEAD BINS, HOUSING THE ENTERTAINMENT VIDEO EQUIP WERE LEFT IN THE OPEN POS FOR LNDG AND THAT SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE LATE IN TAKING THEIR JUMPSEATS UNTIL JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. THE FAA INSPECTOR ALSO STATED THAT IF HE WEREN'T ON VACATION (AND THAT IF HE HADN'T HAD 1 DRINK) THAT HE WOULD FILE A VIOLATION AGAINST THE AIRLINE AND CREW. I THANKED HIM FOR THE RPT AND I ASSURED HIM THAT I WOULD TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. CORRECTIVE ACTION -- I SUMMONED ALL FLT ATTENDANTS INTO FIRST CLASS AND INFORMED THEM OF THE ACCUSATIONS. SEVERAL FEEBLE EXCUSES WERE OFFERED IN THEIR DEFENSE, BUT NONE WERE ACCEPTED. I MADE IT VERY CLR THAT I WOULD NOT TOLERATE SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE ON MY ACFT IN THE FUTURE. THEY WERE THEN RELEASED FROM DUTY. IN ADDITION, I AM INFORMING MY CHIEF PLT OF THEIR ACTIONS AND I AM ENCLOSING A COPY OF THIS RPT. FACTORS AND PERCEPTIONS -- DUE TO OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS, OUR AIRLINE ROTATES CABIN CREWS ON THIS TYPE OF ACFT ON ALMOST EVERY LEG. THUS, THE CAPT'S ABILITY TO MONITOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS PERFORMANCE IS LIMITED. IN THIS CASE, I GAVE THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT A COMPLETE PRE-DEP BRIEFING AND ASSUMED THAT SHE WOULD OVERSEE THE ACTIONS OF HER CABIN CREW AND PERFORM HER DUTIES ACCORDING TO OUR SOP'S. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT THEIR ACTIONS WERE UNPROFESSIONAL AND THIS INCIDENT MAKES ME MORE AND MORE APPREHENSIVE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON BEHIND THE CLOSED COCKPIT DOOR. IN THE FUTURE, MY CREW BRIEFINGS WILL BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE.

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.