Narrative:

I firmly believe that rules must be put into place that would not allow an entire crew of brand new flight attendants to fly together -- just as new capts must be with an first officer that's flown for a while. This is a safety issue beyond all else, and is but one of many stories I have. All are similar and none are intended to get anyone in trouble. Initial climb out was to be bumpier than normal, so I briefed the flight attendants to remain seated for their safety until I called them and said it was ok to get up. They were all very concerned that there would not be enough time to do the meal service and were panicked that a ghost rider may be on board. This was a huge concern of theirs, but I reassured them that if any heat was to be taken, for the supervisor to talk to me, as their well-being comes before the service. My words did not do much. During climb out, after it became smooth enough for the flight attendants to move about, I called and told them so. A few mins later, my master caution light illuminated, indicating that the aft cabin door was not closed. I tried numerous times to chime the flight attendants, but even after I opened the cockpit door, they were so wrapped up in getting drink and meal orders, I could not get their attention. The flight attendants way in the back also never answered the chimes. There was a deadheading flight attendant whose attention I finally got via the #3 flight attendant, so I asked her to immediately go the back and check the aft cabin door. She did so, and reported all was ok. I was really pretty sure that it was a false warning since the aircraft pressure was ok. Upon landing, I spoke to the flight attendants as a group (as I've had to do numerous times) and explain to them that they are my eyes and ears in the back of the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he rang back to the cabin many, many times in the proper code sequence for a semi-emergency. He just happened to know the jump seating flight attendant personally, and knew that she was a senior flight attendant, so the jump seater actually checked the aft door. The captain was afraid that some of the elderly people going back to the lavatory might confuse the aft door handle with the lavatory door handle. The reporter stated that he and the copilot had enough to do and didn't want to leave the cockpit to check on the door, leaving just 1 pilot in the cockpit. He stated that almost all the brand new flight attendants get based in the new york city area, so this is not the first time the company has staffed a plane with all brand new flight attendants. He always believed this practice wasn't safe, but after this incident, he believes that it is vital that there be some rule put in place so that this type of staffing won't be 'SOP.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT STAFFED BY ALL NEW CABIN ATTENDANTS, JUST OUT OF TRAINING. NONE RESPONDED TO PLT CHIMES FOR DOOR CHK INFLT. HAD DEADHEADING CABIN ATTENDANT CHK DOOR.

Narrative: I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT RULES MUST BE PUT INTO PLACE THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW AN ENTIRE CREW OF BRAND NEW FLT ATTENDANTS TO FLY TOGETHER -- JUST AS NEW CAPTS MUST BE WITH AN FO THAT'S FLOWN FOR A WHILE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BEYOND ALL ELSE, AND IS BUT ONE OF MANY STORIES I HAVE. ALL ARE SIMILAR AND NONE ARE INTENDED TO GET ANYONE IN TROUBLE. INITIAL CLBOUT WAS TO BE BUMPIER THAN NORMAL, SO I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO REMAIN SEATED FOR THEIR SAFETY UNTIL I CALLED THEM AND SAID IT WAS OK TO GET UP. THEY WERE ALL VERY CONCERNED THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE MEAL SVC AND WERE PANICKED THAT A GHOST RIDER MAY BE ON BOARD. THIS WAS A HUGE CONCERN OF THEIRS, BUT I REASSURED THEM THAT IF ANY HEAT WAS TO BE TAKEN, FOR THE SUPVR TO TALK TO ME, AS THEIR WELL-BEING COMES BEFORE THE SVC. MY WORDS DID NOT DO MUCH. DURING CLBOUT, AFTER IT BECAME SMOOTH ENOUGH FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO MOVE ABOUT, I CALLED AND TOLD THEM SO. A FEW MINS LATER, MY MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THAT THE AFT CABIN DOOR WAS NOT CLOSED. I TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO CHIME THE FLT ATTENDANTS, BUT EVEN AFTER I OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR, THEY WERE SO WRAPPED UP IN GETTING DRINK AND MEAL ORDERS, I COULD NOT GET THEIR ATTN. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WAY IN THE BACK ALSO NEVER ANSWERED THE CHIMES. THERE WAS A DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANT WHOSE ATTN I FINALLY GOT VIA THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT, SO I ASKED HER TO IMMEDIATELY GO THE BACK AND CHK THE AFT CABIN DOOR. SHE DID SO, AND RPTED ALL WAS OK. I WAS REALLY PRETTY SURE THAT IT WAS A FALSE WARNING SINCE THE ACFT PRESSURE WAS OK. UPON LNDG, I SPOKE TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AS A GROUP (AS I'VE HAD TO DO NUMEROUS TIMES) AND EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT THEY ARE MY EYES AND EARS IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE RANG BACK TO THE CABIN MANY, MANY TIMES IN THE PROPER CODE SEQUENCE FOR A SEMI-EMER. HE JUST HAPPENED TO KNOW THE JUMP SEATING FLT ATTENDANT PERSONALLY, AND KNEW THAT SHE WAS A SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT, SO THE JUMP SEATER ACTUALLY CHKED THE AFT DOOR. THE CAPT WAS AFRAID THAT SOME OF THE ELDERLY PEOPLE GOING BACK TO THE LAVATORY MIGHT CONFUSE THE AFT DOOR HANDLE WITH THE LAVATORY DOOR HANDLE. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE AND THE COPLT HAD ENOUGH TO DO AND DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE THE COCKPIT TO CHK ON THE DOOR, LEAVING JUST 1 PLT IN THE COCKPIT. HE STATED THAT ALMOST ALL THE BRAND NEW FLT ATTENDANTS GET BASED IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA, SO THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE COMPANY HAS STAFFED A PLANE WITH ALL BRAND NEW FLT ATTENDANTS. HE ALWAYS BELIEVED THIS PRACTICE WASN'T SAFE, BUT AFTER THIS INCIDENT, HE BELIEVES THAT IT IS VITAL THAT THERE BE SOME RULE PUT IN PLACE SO THAT THIS TYPE OF STAFFING WON'T BE 'SOP.'

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.