B767 crew was unable to communicate with the passenger because they were using dvd players.

Attributes
ACN	469128
Time
Date	200004
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	469128
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Dvd players in first class can't be overridden by PA. I was informed by a flight attendant of a safety problem on B767 aircraft equipped in first class cabin with dvd personal entertainment devices. The audio channel of these devices is not routed through the aircraft audio system and as such are not overridden by the PA system when in use. Coupled with the use of the noise canceling headsets, the passenger in first class often situation oblivious to safety and other PA announcements. As the dvd's are stand alone units, I doubt they underwent stc certification. Had they been required to be considered as integral, the FARS would require they be overridden like the normal audio channel. This may be a regulatory oversight but it still leaves a serious safety gap should time critical information need to be passed by PA. I recommend that the dvd players be withheld from further service until a PA override to both the dvd and noise canceling headsets be devised and implemented. Cabin crews cannot be expected to circulate through the cabin pulling headsets off passenger in an emergency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PAX BECAUSE THEY WERE USING DVD PLAYERS.

Narrative: DVD PLAYERS IN FIRST CLASS CAN'T BE OVERRIDDEN BY PA. I WAS INFORMED BY A FLT ATTENDANT OF A SAFETY PROB ON B767 ACFT EQUIPPED IN FIRST CLASS CABIN WITH DVD PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT DEVICES. THE AUDIO CHANNEL OF THESE DEVICES IS NOT ROUTED THROUGH THE ACFT AUDIO SYS AND AS SUCH ARE NOT OVERRIDDEN BY THE PA SYS WHEN IN USE. COUPLED WITH THE USE OF THE NOISE CANCELING HEADSETS, THE PAX IN FIRST CLASS OFTEN SIT OBLIVIOUS TO SAFETY AND OTHER PA ANNOUNCEMENTS. AS THE DVD'S ARE STAND ALONE UNITS, I DOUBT THEY UNDERWENT STC CERTIFICATION. HAD THEY BEEN REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED AS INTEGRAL, THE FARS WOULD REQUIRE THEY BE OVERRIDDEN LIKE THE NORMAL AUDIO CHANNEL. THIS MAY BE A REGULATORY OVERSIGHT BUT IT STILL LEAVES A SERIOUS SAFETY GAP SHOULD TIME CRITICAL INFO NEED TO BE PASSED BY PA. I RECOMMEND THAT THE DVD PLAYERS BE WITHHELD FROM FURTHER SVC UNTIL A PA OVERRIDE TO BOTH THE DVD AND NOISE CANCELING HEADSETS BE DEVISED AND IMPLEMENTED. CABIN CREWS CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO CIRCULATE THROUGH THE CABIN PULLING HEADSETS OFF PAX IN AN EMER.

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.