Narrative:

After the gear had been down and we appeared to be fairly close to landing we aborted and climbed. The captain made a convoluted PA that I could not hear because the PA volume was low and I was in my jump seat by the noisy forward entry door. I picked out words like 'landing gear,' 'indicator,' and 'problem.' after several mins -- not knowing what was wrong but not wanting to break 'sterile cockpit' or interrupt the pilot's work, the captain interphoned the crew. He told us there was a landing gear problem but did not provide details. He asked me if there was some sort of 'shortened 5 min version' of our cabin emergency checklist we could complete. I explained that we had only 1 checklist that was prioritized and that we could complete as much as possible in 5 mins if he wished. He said no. He said he had plenty of fuel and he wanted the cabin crew to complete the entire checklist. I told him it would probably take at least 20 mins, that we would began immediately, and that I would call him when we had completed it. He said okay. Immediately the 3 of us began the F100 planned emergency checklist: I had already obtained the information. I turned the cabin lights to bright. I began the planned emergency PA per procedure. Flight attendants demonstrated everything I spoke of, performed compliance checks, and collected passenger's sharp objects. I ensured the 2 door girt bars were armed and that the exits were unobstructed. We had already cleared the cabin of catering items, secured galleys and cabin dividers. I locked the lavatory doors as flight attendants finished removing sharp objects and loose personal effects from passenger. I made an announcement stating we wanted all family members to be seated together and to notify us if they were not. All families were already seated together. A flight attendant began briefing assistants for the window exits as I chose my assistants for the forward doors and briefed them with my duty assignment chart. 15-20 mins into our preparations, the captain made a very brief announcement saying the problem was fixed and we would be landing soon. Many passenger were panicked, though most were behaving calmly, they were clearly in distress. The cabin crew came forward to me at the front of the aircraft. We were not clear if we were to continue with the checklist. We were also unable to effectively answer the passenger, as many asked what had really been wrong and could they be confident the problem truly had been corrected. Again, the captain did not call his cabin crew with information. I made the decision to break 'sterile cockpit.' I opened the cockpit door. Both the captain and the first officer appeared to be on the radio. I said nothing and waited to be acknowledged. After perhaps 2 mins the captain asked what I wanted. I told him I wanted to know if we were to complete our checklist or discontinue. He told me stop the emergency preparations, that he had fixed the problem. I told the flight attendants that all I knew was that we were to discontinue with our checklist, the problem, whatever it was, was fixed, and that we should expect a normal landing. I felt that the captain's PA was insufficient for our passenger and made a PA apologizing for any fear we may have caused them, told them we prefer to err on the conservative side, and that the aircraft was in perfect working order and that we all could expect a normal landing. I thanked everyone for being calm and cooperative. 3 of our passenger were in what I would describe as a state of hysterics. After the gear came down the captain finally came on the PA and assured passenger the aircraft was fixed and to expect a normal landing. After landing normally and taxiing to the gate, we (the cabin crew) were surprised not to be met by a member of management. I told him I was calling flight service to get assistance and report the incident. He asked, 'what incident? We landed normally.' the captain appeared surprised to hear this and said we may have trouble reporting the incident, as he never declared an emergency. We were shocked to hear that an emergency had not been declared.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, F100, EWR-ORD. CAPT INFORMED PAX, CABIN ATTENDANT ABOUT LNDG GEAR PROB, ASKED CABIN ATTENDANT TO DO EMER PREPARATION CHKLIST. PROB FIXED. PAX HYSTERICAL. NORMAL LNDG. CAPT LACKED COM SKILLS.

Narrative: AFTER THE GEAR HAD BEEN DOWN AND WE APPEARED TO BE FAIRLY CLOSE TO LNDG WE ABORTED AND CLBED. THE CAPT MADE A CONVOLUTED PA THAT I COULD NOT HEAR BECAUSE THE PA VOLUME WAS LOW AND I WAS IN MY JUMP SEAT BY THE NOISY FORWARD ENTRY DOOR. I PICKED OUT WORDS LIKE 'LNDG GEAR,' 'INDICATOR,' AND 'PROB.' AFTER SEVERAL MINS -- NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG BUT NOT WANTING TO BREAK 'STERILE COCKPIT' OR INTERRUPT THE PLT'S WORK, THE CAPT INTERPHONED THE CREW. HE TOLD US THERE WAS A LNDG GEAR PROB BUT DID NOT PROVIDE DETAILS. HE ASKED ME IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF 'SHORTENED 5 MIN VERSION' OF OUR CABIN EMER CHKLIST WE COULD COMPLETE. I EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD ONLY 1 CHKLIST THAT WAS PRIORITIZED AND THAT WE COULD COMPLETE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN 5 MINS IF HE WISHED. HE SAID NO. HE SAID HE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL AND HE WANTED THE CABIN CREW TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE CHKLIST. I TOLD HIM IT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE AT LEAST 20 MINS, THAT WE WOULD BEGAN IMMEDIATELY, AND THAT I WOULD CALL HIM WHEN WE HAD COMPLETED IT. HE SAID OKAY. IMMEDIATELY THE 3 OF US BEGAN THE F100 PLANNED EMER CHKLIST: I HAD ALREADY OBTAINED THE INFO. I TURNED THE CABIN LIGHTS TO BRIGHT. I BEGAN THE PLANNED EMER PA PER PROC. FLT ATTENDANTS DEMONSTRATED EVERYTHING I SPOKE OF, PERFORMED COMPLIANCE CHKS, AND COLLECTED PAX'S SHARP OBJECTS. I ENSURED THE 2 DOOR GIRT BARS WERE ARMED AND THAT THE EXITS WERE UNOBSTRUCTED. WE HAD ALREADY CLRED THE CABIN OF CATERING ITEMS, SECURED GALLEYS AND CABIN DIVIDERS. I LOCKED THE LAVATORY DOORS AS FLT ATTENDANTS FINISHED REMOVING SHARP OBJECTS AND LOOSE PERSONAL EFFECTS FROM PAX. I MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT STATING WE WANTED ALL FAMILY MEMBERS TO BE SEATED TOGETHER AND TO NOTIFY US IF THEY WERE NOT. ALL FAMILIES WERE ALREADY SEATED TOGETHER. A FLT ATTENDANT BEGAN BRIEFING ASSISTANTS FOR THE WINDOW EXITS AS I CHOSE MY ASSISTANTS FOR THE FORWARD DOORS AND BRIEFED THEM WITH MY DUTY ASSIGNMENT CHART. 15-20 MINS INTO OUR PREPARATIONS, THE CAPT MADE A VERY BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT SAYING THE PROB WAS FIXED AND WE WOULD BE LNDG SOON. MANY PAX WERE PANICKED, THOUGH MOST WERE BEHAVING CALMLY, THEY WERE CLRLY IN DISTRESS. THE CABIN CREW CAME FORWARD TO ME AT THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. WE WERE NOT CLR IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE WITH THE CHKLIST. WE WERE ALSO UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY ANSWER THE PAX, AS MANY ASKED WHAT HAD REALLY BEEN WRONG AND COULD THEY BE CONFIDENT THE PROB TRULY HAD BEEN CORRECTED. AGAIN, THE CAPT DID NOT CALL HIS CABIN CREW WITH INFO. I MADE THE DECISION TO BREAK 'STERILE COCKPIT.' I OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR. BOTH THE CAPT AND THE FO APPEARED TO BE ON THE RADIO. I SAID NOTHING AND WAITED TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED. AFTER PERHAPS 2 MINS THE CAPT ASKED WHAT I WANTED. I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE TO COMPLETE OUR CHKLIST OR DISCONTINUE. HE TOLD ME STOP THE EMER PREPARATIONS, THAT HE HAD FIXED THE PROB. I TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT ALL I KNEW WAS THAT WE WERE TO DISCONTINUE WITH OUR CHKLIST, THE PROB, WHATEVER IT WAS, WAS FIXED, AND THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT A NORMAL LNDG. I FELT THAT THE CAPT'S PA WAS INSUFFICIENT FOR OUR PAX AND MADE A PA APOLOGIZING FOR ANY FEAR WE MAY HAVE CAUSED THEM, TOLD THEM WE PREFER TO ERR ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE, AND THAT THE ACFT WAS IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER AND THAT WE ALL COULD EXPECT A NORMAL LNDG. I THANKED EVERYONE FOR BEING CALM AND COOPERATIVE. 3 OF OUR PAX WERE IN WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS A STATE OF HYSTERICS. AFTER THE GEAR CAME DOWN THE CAPT FINALLY CAME ON THE PA AND ASSURED PAX THE ACFT WAS FIXED AND TO EXPECT A NORMAL LNDG. AFTER LNDG NORMALLY AND TAXIING TO THE GATE, WE (THE CABIN CREW) WERE SURPRISED NOT TO BE MET BY A MEMBER OF MGMNT. I TOLD HIM I WAS CALLING FLT SVC TO GET ASSISTANCE AND RPT THE INCIDENT. HE ASKED, 'WHAT INCIDENT? WE LANDED NORMALLY.' THE CAPT APPEARED SURPRISED TO HEAR THIS AND SAID WE MAY HAVE TROUBLE RPTING THE INCIDENT, AS HE NEVER DECLARED AN EMER. WE WERE SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT AN EMER HAD NOT BEEN DECLARED.

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.