Narrative:

Just prior to the gate agent closing the door, 2 first class passenger were boarded with their infant child, carry-on luggage, and car seat. I told the gate agent not to close the boarding door until the passenger's bags were off the aisle floor, and the car seat was correctly installed and off the floor. The agent refused and closed the door. After the cabin was secured, the aircraft was pushed back. The aircraft then developed 2 mechanicals. After returning to the gate, a mechanic came on board and determined it would take at least 45 mins to troubleshoot. The captain told the gate agent to remove the passenger. The agent again refused. The agent then demanded that the flight cabin crew do a full beverage service with the carts in the aisle. The crew informed the agent this was against regulations. Fuel began to leak on the ramp and fumes began to fill the cabin. 4 passenger were placed on different flts. A flight attendant manager then issued disciplinary action to 3 of the cabin crew for staying at their assigned position for evacuate/evacuation while fumes were very strong. The flight attendant manager then had the flight attendant in charge terminated for the cabin crew not serving water while there were fumes in the cabin. The passenger were very upset that they were kept on an aircraft with fuel leaking and fumes in the cabin. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the agent violated FARS from the beginning by closing the door while a lot of luggage was in the aisle. The plane had been pushed back 50 ft when this fuel leak started. The captain was so busy running up and down the stairs checking things out that he didn't even know that the passenger were on board and was amazed that they were still on. He got very angry that he wasn't in charge anymore and couldn't believe that the passenger had to stay on while they had to test the engines, which would be very loud for the passenger. The passenger were very agitated that they were made to stay on board, and 1 woman became very afraid to fly and left the flight. The flight attendant manager was yelling at the flight attendants to do a beverage service in front of the passenger, who, in turn, got very upset with the flight attendant manager and fully supported the flight attendants. 1 flight attendant had just been in a gate evacuate/evacuation, due to a fuel leakage problem, and was extremely nervous about serving, and refused to do so. After they finally departed, the captain called the reporter up to the cockpit to tell him how angry he was with the gate agent and flight attendant manager.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT, A320, LAX-MSP. PUSHBACK, FUEL LEAK. CAPT WANTED PAX OFF AND GATE AGENT REFUSED. PAX UPSET. CABIN CREW REFUSED TO VIOLATE A FAR. PURSER FIRED.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO THE GATE AGENT CLOSING THE DOOR, 2 FIRST CLASS PAX WERE BOARDED WITH THEIR INFANT CHILD, CARRY-ON LUGGAGE, AND CAR SEAT. I TOLD THE GATE AGENT NOT TO CLOSE THE BOARDING DOOR UNTIL THE PAX'S BAGS WERE OFF THE AISLE FLOOR, AND THE CAR SEAT WAS CORRECTLY INSTALLED AND OFF THE FLOOR. THE AGENT REFUSED AND CLOSED THE DOOR. AFTER THE CABIN WAS SECURED, THE ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK. THE ACFT THEN DEVELOPED 2 MECHANICALS. AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE, A MECH CAME ON BOARD AND DETERMINED IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 45 MINS TO TROUBLESHOOT. THE CAPT TOLD THE GATE AGENT TO REMOVE THE PAX. THE AGENT AGAIN REFUSED. THE AGENT THEN DEMANDED THAT THE FLT CABIN CREW DO A FULL BEVERAGE SVC WITH THE CARTS IN THE AISLE. THE CREW INFORMED THE AGENT THIS WAS AGAINST REGS. FUEL BEGAN TO LEAK ON THE RAMP AND FUMES BEGAN TO FILL THE CABIN. 4 PAX WERE PLACED ON DIFFERENT FLTS. A FLT ATTENDANT MGR THEN ISSUED DISCIPLINARY ACTION TO 3 OF THE CABIN CREW FOR STAYING AT THEIR ASSIGNED POS FOR EVAC WHILE FUMES WERE VERY STRONG. THE FLT ATTENDANT MGR THEN HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE TERMINATED FOR THE CABIN CREW NOT SERVING WATER WHILE THERE WERE FUMES IN THE CABIN. THE PAX WERE VERY UPSET THAT THEY WERE KEPT ON AN ACFT WITH FUEL LEAKING AND FUMES IN THE CABIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE AGENT VIOLATED FARS FROM THE BEGINNING BY CLOSING THE DOOR WHILE A LOT OF LUGGAGE WAS IN THE AISLE. THE PLANE HAD BEEN PUSHED BACK 50 FT WHEN THIS FUEL LEAK STARTED. THE CAPT WAS SO BUSY RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS CHKING THINGS OUT THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE PAX WERE ON BOARD AND WAS AMAZED THAT THEY WERE STILL ON. HE GOT VERY ANGRY THAT HE WASN'T IN CHARGE ANYMORE AND COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THE PAX HAD TO STAY ON WHILE THEY HAD TO TEST THE ENGS, WHICH WOULD BE VERY LOUD FOR THE PAX. THE PAX WERE VERY AGITATED THAT THEY WERE MADE TO STAY ON BOARD, AND 1 WOMAN BECAME VERY AFRAID TO FLY AND LEFT THE FLT. THE FLT ATTENDANT MGR WAS YELLING AT THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO DO A BEVERAGE SVC IN FRONT OF THE PAX, WHO, IN TURN, GOT VERY UPSET WITH THE FA MGR AND FULLY SUPPORTED THE FLT ATTENDANTS. 1 FLT ATTENDANT HAD JUST BEEN IN A GATE EVAC, DUE TO A FUEL LEAKAGE PROB, AND WAS EXTREMELY NERVOUS ABOUT SERVING, AND REFUSED TO DO SO. AFTER THEY FINALLY DEPARTED, THE CAPT CALLED THE RPTR UP TO THE COCKPIT TO TELL HIM HOW ANGRY HE WAS WITH THE GATE AGENT AND FA MGR.

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.