Narrative:

The flight was a non-stop jfk to ccs in a B757. The majority of the flight was scheduled overwater. When the flight attendants boarded the airplane, they were complaining that there were no 'language-qualified' attendants on board, and that the spanish qualified customer service representative had stated that 80% of the people spoke only spanish. The senior flight attendant stated that the customer service representative would be willing to go to ccs and back with us and act as a 'language-qualified' spokesman. While that ultimately did not occur, a company space available spanish-speaking employee (non-flight attendant) did in fact make a 'welcome aboard' and 'thanks for flying with us' speech. It was my belief that no 'safety related' items were broadcast by this individual. The concern that I have is was it 'legal' for this person to make these announcements? Are the FAA rules such that only flight attendant qualified personnel utilize the PA system? Was my concern for flight attendant assistance and having a language-qualified person incorrect if indeed that PA should only be used by airplane or airline qualified people? Another issue that I have concern about is with not having a language qualified flight attendant on board when some 80% of the passenger do not speak and presumably do not understand english. How can we properly prepare a flight, under these circumstances, for either a water ditching or a land evacuate/evacuation? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies for a major united states air carrier, not a minor outfit. He is very disappointed that his air carrier takes the position that language qualified flight attendants are aboard for public relations reasons only, not for safety. He is not concerned with the immediate emergency situation such as a landing gear collapse where everyone would react, but for the planned emergency situation such as a ditching where the word would not get properly passed. He was disappointed to hear that far 121.571 allows acrs to fly with no language speakers. His flight mgrs were not at all sympathetic to his situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 CAPT COMPLAINS THAT HIS ACR DID NOT PROVIDE ANY SPANISH LANGUAGE CABIN ATTENDANTS FOR A FLT JFK-CCS.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS A NON-STOP JFK TO CCS IN A B757. THE MAJORITY OF THE FLT WAS SCHEDULED OVERWATER. WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS BOARDED THE AIRPLANE, THEY WERE COMPLAINING THAT THERE WERE NO 'LANGUAGE-QUALIFIED' ATTENDANTS ON BOARD, AND THAT THE SPANISH QUALIFIED CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE HAD STATED THAT 80% OF THE PEOPLE SPOKE ONLY SPANISH. THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT STATED THAT THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE WOULD BE WILLING TO GO TO CCS AND BACK WITH US AND ACT AS A 'LANGUAGE-QUALIFIED' SPOKESMAN. WHILE THAT ULTIMATELY DID NOT OCCUR, A COMPANY SPACE AVAILABLE SPANISH-SPEAKING EMPLOYEE (NON-FLT ATTENDANT) DID IN FACT MAKE A 'WELCOME ABOARD' AND 'THANKS FOR FLYING WITH US' SPEECH. IT WAS MY BELIEF THAT NO 'SAFETY RELATED' ITEMS WERE BROADCAST BY THIS INDIVIDUAL. THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS WAS IT 'LEGAL' FOR THIS PERSON TO MAKE THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS? ARE THE FAA RULES SUCH THAT ONLY FLT ATTENDANT QUALIFIED PERSONNEL UTILIZE THE PA SYS? WAS MY CONCERN FOR FLT ATTENDANT ASSISTANCE AND HAVING A LANGUAGE-QUALIFIED PERSON INCORRECT IF INDEED THAT PA SHOULD ONLY BE USED BY AIRPLANE OR AIRLINE QUALIFIED PEOPLE? ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I HAVE CONCERN ABOUT IS WITH NOT HAVING A LANGUAGE QUALIFIED FLT ATTENDANT ON BOARD WHEN SOME 80% OF THE PAX DO NOT SPEAK AND PRESUMABLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH. HOW CAN WE PROPERLY PREPARE A FLT, UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR EITHER A WATER DITCHING OR A LAND EVAC? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR, NOT A MINOR OUTFIT. HE IS VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT HIS ACR TAKES THE POS THAT LANGUAGE QUALIFIED FLT ATTENDANTS ARE ABOARD FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS REASONS ONLY, NOT FOR SAFETY. HE IS NOT CONCERNED WITH THE IMMEDIATE EMER SIT SUCH AS A LNDG GEAR COLLAPSE WHERE EVERYONE WOULD REACT, BUT FOR THE PLANNED EMER SIT SUCH AS A DITCHING WHERE THE WORD WOULD NOT GET PROPERLY PASSED. HE WAS DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THAT FAR 121.571 ALLOWS ACRS TO FLY WITH NO LANGUAGE SPEAKERS. HIS FLT MGRS WERE NOT AT ALL SYMPATHETIC TO HIS SIT.

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.