Narrative:

During arrival at mci I was flying the aircraft from the left seat. All operations were normal. During the approach passing the OM I called for 'gear down, landing checklist down to the line.' I observed my first officer pull out the checklist, read and verbally call out the items on the checklist and physically comply with each of the items on the checklist. During this time I heard my first officer make the PA announcement. 'We have been cleared for landing, flight attendants please be seated,' using his headset microphone. After gate arrival at mci I was told by the a flight attendant that the attendants had not heard the 'flight attendants be seated' announcement and the attendants were not in their seats for landing. I questioned my first officer and confirmed that he had made the announcement. We concluded that he possibly did not select 'PA' on his audio selector panel when he made the announcement. The audio selector in his aircraft has 6 positions. The transmitter is selected with a rotary knob with close spacing between selections. The detents between selections can be difficult to distinguish. To eliminate the possibility of this occurring in the future I will brief all first officer to use the PA microphone located off of the center pedestal for making PA announcements. This microphone does not utilize the audio selector and will eliminate the possibility of this occurring. I will also brief all flight attendants not to rely solely on our announcement for taking their seats. Flight attendants should maintain an awareness of our proximity to the ground and should take their seats shortly after they hear the landing gear being lowered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOT SEATED DURING LNDG. THE COCKPIT ADVISORY ANNOUNCEMENT WAS NOT RECEIVED.

Narrative: DURING ARR AT MCI I WAS FLYING THE ACFT FROM THE L SEAT. ALL OPS WERE NORMAL. DURING THE APCH PASSING THE OM I CALLED FOR 'GEAR DOWN, LNDG CHKLIST DOWN TO THE LINE.' I OBSERVED MY FO PULL OUT THE CHKLIST, READ AND VERBALLY CALL OUT THE ITEMS ON THE CHKLIST AND PHYSICALLY COMPLY WITH EACH OF THE ITEMS ON THE CHKLIST. DURING THIS TIME I HEARD MY FO MAKE THE PA ANNOUNCEMENT. 'WE HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR LNDG, FLT ATTENDANTS PLEASE BE SEATED,' USING HIS HEADSET MIKE. AFTER GATE ARR AT MCI I WAS TOLD BY THE A FLT ATTENDANT THAT THE ATTENDANTS HAD NOT HEARD THE 'FLT ATTENDANTS BE SEATED' ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE ATTENDANTS WERE NOT IN THEIR SEATS FOR LNDG. I QUESTIONED MY FO AND CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT. WE CONCLUDED THAT HE POSSIBLY DID NOT SELECT 'PA' ON HIS AUDIO SELECTOR PANEL WHEN HE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT. THE AUDIO SELECTOR IN HIS ACFT HAS 6 POSITIONS. THE XMITTER IS SELECTED WITH A ROTARY KNOB WITH CLOSE SPACING BTWN SELECTIONS. THE DETENTS BTWN SELECTIONS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH. TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE I WILL BRIEF ALL FO TO USE THE PA MIKE LOCATED OFF OF THE CTR PEDESTAL FOR MAKING PA ANNOUNCEMENTS. THIS MIKE DOES NOT UTILIZE THE AUDIO SELECTOR AND WILL ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS OCCURRING. I WILL ALSO BRIEF ALL FLT ATTENDANTS NOT TO RELY SOLELY ON OUR ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TAKING THEIR SEATS. FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD MAINTAIN AN AWARENESS OF OUR PROX TO THE GND AND SHOULD TAKE THEIR SEATS SHORTLY AFTER THEY HEAR THE LNDG GEAR BEING LOWERED.

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.