Narrative:

My airline stresses that flight attendants be provided a 'prepare for landing' announcement over the PA so that the flight attendants have time to be seated and strapped in for landing. We had been assigned a flight attendant who demonstrated on previous legs that day that she was not interested in communicating with cockpit crew. In this case, the prepare for landing call was made in plenty of time, but slightly later than I usually do it. I was concerned that if the timing caused a problem for the flight attendants, that they would not communicate this to the cockpit. I told the first officer to call the flight attendant on the interphone. In his words, 'she blew me off,' and we still didn't know if the cabin was ready for landing. I continued the approach and at about 1200 ft AGL told the first officer to call again and if we didn't get a prompt, clear answer, we would go around. At 1100 ft the first officer advised me the cabin was ready for landing. My airline needs to identify flight attendants who cannot or will not communicate and remove them from flight duty. Pilots should not have to consider gars because they cannot secure information on the status of the cabin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CAPT RPTS OF A COM PROB BTWN THE FLC AND THE CABIN CREW. WHEN THE IN-RANGE PA WAS GIVEN LATER THAN USUAL, THE FLC WAS UNABLE TO GET CONFIRMATION FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THE CABIN WAS SECURED FOR LNDG.

Narrative: MY AIRLINE STRESSES THAT FLT ATTENDANTS BE PROVIDED A 'PREPARE FOR LNDG' ANNOUNCEMENT OVER THE PA SO THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE TIME TO BE SEATED AND STRAPPED IN FOR LNDG. WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED A FLT ATTENDANT WHO DEMONSTRATED ON PREVIOUS LEGS THAT DAY THAT SHE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN COMMUNICATING WITH COCKPIT CREW. IN THIS CASE, THE PREPARE FOR LNDG CALL WAS MADE IN PLENTY OF TIME, BUT SLIGHTLY LATER THAN I USUALLY DO IT. I WAS CONCERNED THAT IF THE TIMING CAUSED A PROB FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS, THAT THEY WOULD NOT COMMUNICATE THIS TO THE COCKPIT. I TOLD THE FO TO CALL THE FLT ATTENDANT ON THE INTERPHONE. IN HIS WORDS, 'SHE BLEW ME OFF,' AND WE STILL DIDN'T KNOW IF THE CABIN WAS READY FOR LNDG. I CONTINUED THE APCH AND AT ABOUT 1200 FT AGL TOLD THE FO TO CALL AGAIN AND IF WE DIDN'T GET A PROMPT, CLR ANSWER, WE WOULD GAR. AT 1100 FT THE FO ADVISED ME THE CABIN WAS READY FOR LNDG. MY AIRLINE NEEDS TO IDENT FLT ATTENDANTS WHO CANNOT OR WILL NOT COMMUNICATE AND REMOVE THEM FROM FLT DUTY. PLTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO CONSIDER GARS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT SECURE INFO ON THE STATUS OF THE CABIN.

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.