Cabin attendant on B737-300 left exit doors unmanned when making a final walk through cabin prior to...

Attributes
ACN	356032
Time
Date	199612
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sdf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	356032
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : air carrier inspector
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Las-san. During taxi, upon completion of emergency demonstrations 'C' position walked to rear of aircraft. I did my final walk through, which is required by FAA. Once I began my final walk through, that left the 2 forward exit doors unmanned, which cannot be done. I was unaware of this procedure, and at the time did not realize what far I had broken. After takeoff, while preparing to start cabin service, a passenger rang his call button 3 times in succession. 'C' position went to the passenger, who produced FAA credentials. This passenger, who was FAA, then idented to 'C' position flight attendant what he witnessed as a violation of far 121.391. He then gave FAA business card to 'C' position, and instructed 'C' position to inform me that FAA would want to talk to me and captain upon arrival in san. I pulled out my flight attendant manual and verified this violation of far 121.391. I now am aware of the procedure regarding far 121.391. I will always enforce it. This is not stressed enough in recurrent training, and I believe it is a flaw in our in-flight training, as many flight attendants do not seem to be aware of this far. I have informed air carrier X of my violation, and my supervisor is going to talk with in-flight training regarding this matter. I would like to point out that I think the FAA inspector was totally out of line in the way he handled the problem. He was not check riding us, he was on a 21-day advance purchase. He totally intimidated entire flight crew by ringing his call button 3 times, citing what we violated, and informing me that I would be spoken with upon arrival in san. I was not able to concentrate on my duties as a flight attendant. The usual procedure in a check ride is to wait until after completion of check ride, then discuss any problems with the flight with individual at that time. He succeeded in keeping me from my duties as a flight attendant.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT ON B737-300 LEFT EXIT DOORS UNMANNED WHEN MAKING A FINAL WALK THROUGH CABIN PRIOR TO TKOF CONTRARY TO THE FARS. THIS ERROR WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE FLC BY AN FAA ACI RIDING IN A PAX CAPACITY.

Narrative: LAS-SAN. DURING TAXI, UPON COMPLETION OF EMER DEMONSTRATIONS 'C' POS WALKED TO REAR OF ACFT. I DID MY FINAL WALK THROUGH, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY FAA. ONCE I BEGAN MY FINAL WALK THROUGH, THAT LEFT THE 2 FORWARD EXIT DOORS UNMANNED, WHICH CANNOT BE DONE. I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS PROC, AND AT THE TIME DID NOT REALIZE WHAT FAR I HAD BROKEN. AFTER TKOF, WHILE PREPARING TO START CABIN SVC, A PAX RANG HIS CALL BUTTON 3 TIMES IN SUCCESSION. 'C' POS WENT TO THE PAX, WHO PRODUCED FAA CREDENTIALS. THIS PAX, WHO WAS FAA, THEN IDENTED TO 'C' POS FLT ATTENDANT WHAT HE WITNESSED AS A VIOLATION OF FAR 121.391. HE THEN GAVE FAA BUSINESS CARD TO 'C' POS, AND INSTRUCTED 'C' POS TO INFORM ME THAT FAA WOULD WANT TO TALK TO ME AND CAPT UPON ARR IN SAN. I PULLED OUT MY FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL AND VERIFIED THIS VIOLATION OF FAR 121.391. I NOW AM AWARE OF THE PROC REGARDING FAR 121.391. I WILL ALWAYS ENFORCE IT. THIS IS NOT STRESSED ENOUGH IN RECURRENT TRAINING, AND I BELIEVE IT IS A FLAW IN OUR INFLT TRAINING, AS MANY FLT ATTENDANTS DO NOT SEEM TO BE AWARE OF THIS FAR. I HAVE INFORMED ACR X OF MY VIOLATION, AND MY SUPVR IS GOING TO TALK WITH INFLT TRAINING REGARDING THIS MATTER. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I THINK THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS TOTALLY OUT OF LINE IN THE WAY HE HANDLED THE PROB. HE WAS NOT CHK RIDING US, HE WAS ON A 21-DAY ADVANCE PURCHASE. HE TOTALLY INTIMIDATED ENTIRE FLC BY RINGING HIS CALL BUTTON 3 TIMES, CITING WHAT WE VIOLATED, AND INFORMING ME THAT I WOULD BE SPOKEN WITH UPON ARR IN SAN. I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONCENTRATE ON MY DUTIES AS A FLT ATTENDANT. THE USUAL PROC IN A CHK RIDE IS TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER COMPLETION OF CHK RIDE, THEN DISCUSS ANY PROBS WITH THE FLT WITH INDIVIDUAL AT THAT TIME. HE SUCCEEDED IN KEEPING ME FROM MY DUTIES AS A FLT ATTENDANT.

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.

Cabin attendant on B737-300 left exit doors unmanned when making a final walk through cabin prior to takeoff contrary to the FARS. This error was brought to the attention of the flight crew by an FAA aci riding in a passenger capacity.