Question regarding far compliance.

Attributes
ACN	287523
Time
Date	199411
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mci
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	287523
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While waiting in line on the west side of dfw for 3 hours and 12 mins to depart for cos, I allowed the flight attendants to feed our passenger to keep them happy. They had waited with great patience for over 2 hours when the rain and wind picked up again so there was no hope to depart soon. The engines were shut down, aircraft was on APU. The flight attendants got the job done quickly but they used carts to serve. It occurs to me after the fact we could not do an emergency evacuate/evacuation with carts out and trays down. What's the answer? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter was informed that the answer to his question was that there are no specific FARS governing his situation. The far that does govern that such an action is proper, is that an far 121 carrier can determine on its own what the policy should be regarding carts in the aisle and tray tables down. His air carrier has approved the feeding of passenger with the accompanying food carts and tray tables down, so he is in compliance with the FARS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: QUESTION REGARDING FAR COMPLIANCE.

Narrative: WHILE WAITING IN LINE ON THE W SIDE OF DFW FOR 3 HRS AND 12 MINS TO DEPART FOR COS, I ALLOWED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO FEED OUR PAX TO KEEP THEM HAPPY. THEY HAD WAITED WITH GREAT PATIENCE FOR OVER 2 HRS WHEN THE RAIN AND WIND PICKED UP AGAIN SO THERE WAS NO HOPE TO DEPART SOON. THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN, ACFT WAS ON APU. THE FLT ATTENDANTS GOT THE JOB DONE QUICKLY BUT THEY USED CARTS TO SERVE. IT OCCURS TO ME AFTER THE FACT WE COULD NOT DO AN EMER EVAC WITH CARTS OUT AND TRAYS DOWN. WHAT'S THE ANSWER? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR WAS INFORMED THAT THE ANSWER TO HIS QUESTION WAS THAT THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC FARS GOVERNING HIS SIT. THE FAR THAT DOES GOVERN THAT SUCH AN ACTION IS PROPER, IS THAT AN FAR 121 CARRIER CAN DETERMINE ON ITS OWN WHAT THE POLICY SHOULD BE REGARDING CARTS IN THE AISLE AND TRAY TABLES DOWN. HIS ACR HAS APPROVED THE FEEDING OF PAX WITH THE ACCOMPANYING FOOD CARTS AND TRAY TABLES DOWN, SO HE IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FARS.

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.