Narrative:

Company procedure call for flight attendant notification for landing approximately 10 mi from landing runway. It is also listed on the landing checklist which is normally accomplished at approximately the OM. At about 7 min from landing I attempted to notify flight attendants with 2 chimes, while monitoring the PA audio to confirm chime sound. I did not hear the chime and concluded a PA handset was active - the B-757 chime will not override the PA while in use or when not properly stowed. After a min or 2 I heard the lead flight attendant making her landing PA and when she finished I again pressed the chime twice. This time I heard it over the PA audio. At this time we were about 2 mi from the OM - 3-4 mins from landing. Because we had 84 passenger on board, I felt the flight attendants had adequate time to prepare the cabin for landing. After we arrived at the gate and passenger deplaned the 2 aft flight attendants approached me to complain about what they felt was too short a notification and that they had been standing when the aircraft landed. Although I feel these flight attendants had adequate time to do their duties, I feel this could have been averted if only this aircraft chime system would override the PA system. This has been an ongoing problem area on this aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain of the flight feels that this PA/chime design is 'not a good system.' it leads to a lot of aggravation during the flight crew's landing checks. Most of the time, when the PA is in use and the chimes can't be heard, it is because the cabin are giving out the gate information to the passenger. In this event he felt that there was an 'attitude' problem with the 2 flight attendants in the rear as they only had 84 passenger and knew the landing time. The 2 that complained, that were 'left standing' on landing, were from a different domicile and reacted in a negative manner to the captain's postflt debriefing. The lead flight attendant in front had no problem with the timing of the events. The PIC did state that he discusses this situation with his first officer and they all tell tales of the problems they have had. Captain wishes that the manufacturer of the B-757 could just 'fix the system.' the air carrier knows of the problems and last year had just issued the latest cockpit coordination procedure that the reporter use, that of observing the PA not in use and then using the chime signals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 CABIN ATTENDANTS ARE STANDING AS ACFT LANDS ON RWY. ACFT EQUIP DESIGN PROB COUPLED WITH AIRLINES MGMNT POLICY SOLUTION.

Narrative: COMPANY PROC CALL FOR FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFICATION FOR LNDG APPROX 10 MI FROM LNDG RWY. IT IS ALSO LISTED ON THE LNDG CHKLIST WHICH IS NORMALLY ACCOMPLISHED AT APPROX THE OM. AT ABOUT 7 MIN FROM LNDG I ATTEMPTED TO NOTIFY FLT ATTENDANTS WITH 2 CHIMES, WHILE MONITORING THE PA AUDIO TO CONFIRM CHIME SOUND. I DID NOT HEAR THE CHIME AND CONCLUDED A PA HANDSET WAS ACTIVE - THE B-757 CHIME WILL NOT OVERRIDE THE PA WHILE IN USE OR WHEN NOT PROPERLY STOWED. AFTER A MIN OR 2 I HEARD THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT MAKING HER LNDG PA AND WHEN SHE FINISHED I AGAIN PRESSED THE CHIME TWICE. THIS TIME I HEARD IT OVER THE PA AUDIO. AT THIS TIME WE WERE ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE OM - 3-4 MINS FROM LNDG. BECAUSE WE HAD 84 PAX ON BOARD, I FELT THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD ADEQUATE TIME TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR LNDG. AFTER WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE AND PAX DEPLANED THE 2 AFT FLT ATTENDANTS APCHED ME TO COMPLAIN ABOUT WHAT THEY FELT WAS TOO SHORT A NOTIFICATION AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN STANDING WHEN THE ACFT LANDED. ALTHOUGH I FEEL THESE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD ADEQUATE TIME TO DO THEIR DUTIES, I FEEL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED IF ONLY THIS ACFT CHIME SYS WOULD OVERRIDE THE PA SYS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROB AREA ON THIS ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT OF THE FLT FEELS THAT THIS PA/CHIME DESIGN IS 'NOT A GOOD SYS.' IT LEADS TO A LOT OF AGGRAVATION DURING THE FLC'S LNDG CHKS. MOST OF THE TIME, WHEN THE PA IS IN USE AND THE CHIMES CAN'T BE HEARD, IT IS BECAUSE THE CABIN ARE GIVING OUT THE GATE INFO TO THE PAX. IN THIS EVENT HE FELT THAT THERE WAS AN 'ATTITUDE' PROB WITH THE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE REAR AS THEY ONLY HAD 84 PAX AND KNEW THE LNDG TIME. THE 2 THAT COMPLAINED, THAT WERE 'LEFT STANDING' ON LNDG, WERE FROM A DIFFERENT DOMICILE AND REACTED IN A NEGATIVE MANNER TO THE CAPT'S POSTFLT DEBRIEFING. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT IN FRONT HAD NO PROB WITH THE TIMING OF THE EVENTS. THE PIC DID STATE THAT HE DISCUSSES THIS SIT WITH HIS FO AND THEY ALL TELL TALES OF THE PROBS THEY HAVE HAD. CAPT WISHES THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE B-757 COULD JUST 'FIX THE SYS.' THE ACR KNOWS OF THE PROBS AND LAST YEAR HAD JUST ISSUED THE LATEST COCKPIT COORD PROC THAT THE RPTR USE, THAT OF OBSERVING THE PA NOT IN USE AND THEN USING THE CHIME SIGNALS.

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.