Narrative:

Deletion of command guidance from fom. I believe that we have created a potentially hazardous situation by virtue of a recent change to fom. Whether by design or accidental omission, the section formerly entitled 'duration of command' has been left out. This section had an important element in it which does not currently appear. This element stated that the captain is in command of the crew from the time he reports until the completion of flight duty (or words essentially to that effect). There are 2 problems with this omission. The first has safety implications. 1) no one is specifically charged with command of the aircraft prior to the door being closed. If an evacuate/evacuation were necessary, who would authority/authorized it? Would anyone literally be in charge in a situation like that? The lack of a clearly designated commander might create undue confusion in a situation requiring immediate judgement. It is true that flight attendants are authority/authorized to initiate an evacuate/evacuation when an immediate threat -- such as a fire -- is present, but what about a situation that is not so clear cut? Surely we do not mean to vest command in a ground agent who has had no training in such areas as command judgement or evacuate/evacuations. 2) this problem involves the issue of command of the crew. From our military roots we know that there can be only 1 person in command of a crew, and that command must exist from the moment the crew is constituted and extend until the crew is dispersed after its duty is completed. The lack of a statement to that effect in the manual implies that a pilot or flight attendant is not beholden to the command authority/authorized of the captain until the door is closed. What if the first officer decides not to do the preflight until the captain orders him to do it? -- After the door is closed? What if the purser decides he has no time for a briefing from the captain and cannot be instructed to attend until the door closes, establishing the captain's command authority/authorized? Farfetched you say. Wait until contract time. This situation provides fertile ground for the malcontents, and it is all unnecessary. What manual should say is this: 'the captain is in command of the crew from the time the crew reports for duty until the time the duty period ends. Further, the captain is in command of the aircraft he is assigned to fly from the time he first boards for flight duty.' no doubt if this omission from the manual is deliberate and not accidental, it has resulted from aberrant behavior on the part of some of our fellow employees, but to attempt to dilute the statutory command authority/authorized of the captain is absolutely not the way to correct personnel problems. Instead, revise the manual back to where it was, as indicated above, and correct the people problems at the people level -- individually. This will enhance our operation and at the same time avoid giving the discontent among the brethren another cause to celebrate on which to hand their hats and make more mischief.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT WORRIES ABOUT A RECENT CHANGE TO THE OPS MANUAL THAT HE BELIEVES DILUTES THE COMMAND AUTH OF THE CAPT.

Narrative: DELETION OF COMMAND GUIDANCE FROM FOM. I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE CREATED A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT BY VIRTUE OF A RECENT CHANGE TO FOM. WHETHER BY DESIGN OR ACCIDENTAL OMISSION, THE SECTION FORMERLY ENTITLED 'DURATION OF COMMAND' HAS BEEN LEFT OUT. THIS SECTION HAD AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN IT WHICH DOES NOT CURRENTLY APPEAR. THIS ELEMENT STATED THAT THE CAPT IS IN COMMAND OF THE CREW FROM THE TIME HE RPTS UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF FLT DUTY (OR WORDS ESSENTIALLY TO THAT EFFECT). THERE ARE 2 PROBS WITH THIS OMISSION. THE FIRST HAS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. 1) NO ONE IS SPECIFICALLY CHARGED WITH COMMAND OF THE ACFT PRIOR TO THE DOOR BEING CLOSED. IF AN EVAC WERE NECESSARY, WHO WOULD AUTH IT? WOULD ANYONE LITERALLY BE IN CHARGE IN A SIT LIKE THAT? THE LACK OF A CLRLY DESIGNATED COMMANDER MIGHT CREATE UNDUE CONFUSION IN A SIT REQUIRING IMMEDIATE JUDGEMENT. IT IS TRUE THAT FLT ATTENDANTS ARE AUTH TO INITIATE AN EVAC WHEN AN IMMEDIATE THREAT -- SUCH AS A FIRE -- IS PRESENT, BUT WHAT ABOUT A SIT THAT IS NOT SO CLR CUT? SURELY WE DO NOT MEAN TO VEST COMMAND IN A GND AGENT WHO HAS HAD NO TRAINING IN SUCH AREAS AS COMMAND JUDGEMENT OR EVACS. 2) THIS PROB INVOLVES THE ISSUE OF COMMAND OF THE CREW. FROM OUR MIL ROOTS WE KNOW THAT THERE CAN BE ONLY 1 PERSON IN COMMAND OF A CREW, AND THAT COMMAND MUST EXIST FROM THE MOMENT THE CREW IS CONSTITUTED AND EXTEND UNTIL THE CREW IS DISPERSED AFTER ITS DUTY IS COMPLETED. THE LACK OF A STATEMENT TO THAT EFFECT IN THE MANUAL IMPLIES THAT A PLT OR FLT ATTENDANT IS NOT BEHOLDEN TO THE COMMAND AUTH OF THE CAPT UNTIL THE DOOR IS CLOSED. WHAT IF THE FO DECIDES NOT TO DO THE PREFLT UNTIL THE CAPT ORDERS HIM TO DO IT? -- AFTER THE DOOR IS CLOSED? WHAT IF THE PURSER DECIDES HE HAS NO TIME FOR A BRIEFING FROM THE CAPT AND CANNOT BE INSTRUCTED TO ATTEND UNTIL THE DOOR CLOSES, ESTABLISHING THE CAPT'S COMMAND AUTH? FARFETCHED YOU SAY. WAIT UNTIL CONTRACT TIME. THIS SIT PROVIDES FERTILE GND FOR THE MALCONTENTS, AND IT IS ALL UNNECESSARY. WHAT MANUAL SHOULD SAY IS THIS: 'THE CAPT IS IN COMMAND OF THE CREW FROM THE TIME THE CREW RPTS FOR DUTY UNTIL THE TIME THE DUTY PERIOD ENDS. FURTHER, THE CAPT IS IN COMMAND OF THE ACFT HE IS ASSIGNED TO FLY FROM THE TIME HE FIRST BOARDS FOR FLT DUTY.' NO DOUBT IF THIS OMISSION FROM THE MANUAL IS DELIBERATE AND NOT ACCIDENTAL, IT HAS RESULTED FROM ABERRANT BEHAVIOR ON THE PART OF SOME OF OUR FELLOW EMPLOYEES, BUT TO ATTEMPT TO DILUTE THE STATUTORY COMMAND AUTH OF THE CAPT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE WAY TO CORRECT PERSONNEL PROBS. INSTEAD, REVISE THE MANUAL BACK TO WHERE IT WAS, AS INDICATED ABOVE, AND CORRECT THE PEOPLE PROBS AT THE PEOPLE LEVEL -- INDIVIDUALLY. THIS WILL ENHANCE OUR OP AND AT THE SAME TIME AVOID GIVING THE DISCONTENT AMONG THE BRETHREN ANOTHER CAUSE TO CELEBRATE ON WHICH TO HAND THEIR HATS AND MAKE MORE MISCHIEF.

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.