Narrative:

During several flight attendant preflight briefings over the last yr, I have been asked to clarify my position on flight attendant initiated evacuate/evacuations because other capts are instructing flight attendants to not -- repeat not -- initiate evacuate/evacuations under any circumstances. My response has been that I understand policy to permit flight attendant initiation when circumstances in their best judgement warrant, and I agree with that policy. I have been led to believe also, via last recurrent visit, that flight attendants are being trained to realize pilot execution of the evacuate/evacuation checklist takes a few moments, and that if no evacuate/evacuation is to be initiated, the captain will broadcast, if able, to remain seated -- no delay in that evolution. The flight and flight service departments need to clarify the evacuate/evacuation policy, and my policy remains to brief the flight attendants that if the aircraft is broken and burning, get out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter, a captain, says that his airline wrote back to him about this and said the flight attendants are taught to initiate an evacuate/evacuation, only if necessary. The pilots have to go through a lengthy, written evacuate/evacuation checklist, not a list from memory (as was his training with another airline) and in that little a time period, the plane could already be engulfed in flames. He believes that a united states industry standard should be established that says the flight attendants can initiate an evacuate/evacuation in a sudden emergency without waiting for the captain's ok. He mentioned different airlines interpretation different FAA rules as they see fit, such as turbulence avoidance, night flying for pilots, etc. He cited a little rock, ar, crash in which the captain was dead and the copilot was unconscious, and the flight attendants were waiting for the captain's orders. He said the airline customer has every right to expect the same consistency for emergency operations, and their choice of airline should be based on service, not emergency training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT QUESTIONING AIRLINE'S AND FAA'S POLICY ON WHETHER FLT ATTENDANTS CAN INITIATE AN EVAC WITHOUT BEING TOLD TO BY THE CAPT.

Narrative: DURING SEVERAL FLT ATTENDANT PREFLT BRIEFINGS OVER THE LAST YR, I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO CLARIFY MY POS ON FLT ATTENDANT INITIATED EVACS BECAUSE OTHER CAPTS ARE INSTRUCTING FLT ATTENDANTS TO NOT -- REPEAT NOT -- INITIATE EVACS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. MY RESPONSE HAS BEEN THAT I UNDERSTAND POLICY TO PERMIT FLT ATTENDANT INITIATION WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES IN THEIR BEST JUDGEMENT WARRANT, AND I AGREE WITH THAT POLICY. I HAVE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE ALSO, VIA LAST RECURRENT VISIT, THAT FLT ATTENDANTS ARE BEING TRAINED TO REALIZE PLT EXECUTION OF THE EVAC CHKLIST TAKES A FEW MOMENTS, AND THAT IF NO EVAC IS TO BE INITIATED, THE CAPT WILL BROADCAST, IF ABLE, TO REMAIN SEATED -- NO DELAY IN THAT EVOLUTION. THE FLT AND FLT SVC DEPTS NEED TO CLARIFY THE EVAC POLICY, AND MY POLICY REMAINS TO BRIEF THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT IF THE ACFT IS BROKEN AND BURNING, GET OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR, A CAPT, SAYS THAT HIS AIRLINE WROTE BACK TO HIM ABOUT THIS AND SAID THE FLT ATTENDANTS ARE TAUGHT TO INITIATE AN EVAC, ONLY IF NECESSARY. THE PLTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LENGTHY, WRITTEN EVAC CHKLIST, NOT A LIST FROM MEMORY (AS WAS HIS TRAINING WITH ANOTHER AIRLINE) AND IN THAT LITTLE A TIME PERIOD, THE PLANE COULD ALREADY BE ENGULFED IN FLAMES. HE BELIEVES THAT A UNITED STATES INDUSTRY STANDARD SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED THAT SAYS THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAN INITIATE AN EVAC IN A SUDDEN EMER WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE CAPT'S OK. HE MENTIONED DIFFERENT AIRLINES INTERP DIFFERENT FAA RULES AS THEY SEE FIT, SUCH AS TURB AVOIDANCE, NIGHT FLYING FOR PLTS, ETC. HE CITED A LITTLE ROCK, AR, CRASH IN WHICH THE CAPT WAS DEAD AND THE COPLT WAS UNCONSCIOUS, AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE WAITING FOR THE CAPT'S ORDERS. HE SAID THE AIRLINE CUSTOMER HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT THE SAME CONSISTENCY FOR EMER OPS, AND THEIR CHOICE OF AIRLINE SHOULD BE BASED ON SVC, NOT EMER TRAINING.

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.