Narrative:

Due to a combination of misunderstanding and miscom, flight attendants did not make it to designated jump seat for takeoff. We were in middle of a safety demonstration when aircraft started its takeoff roll. Cockpit did not understand the distance between our working area versus jump seat location nor the time required to get to our jump seats in a safe manner. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the B777 has an anomaly in that quite frequently the demonstration system shuts off when aircraft electrical power is placed on-line when switching from the external source. In this case, the reporter had to 'shift gears' for a manual demonstration as there appears to be a problem in getting the electronic system back on line in a timely fashion. She got onto the aircraft's interphone and talked with the relief pilot, telling him the cabin needed more time, that they were still up and not ready for takeoff saying, 'do you want us to stop or what?' the reply was 'just a min.' the cabin team had done the english version of the demonstration and were starting to work on the japanese version which could have been presented later after takeoff. Reporter had not heard the pre takeoff 'chime' that was supposed to have been rung prior to the takeoff announcement. Reporter alleges that the check captain in the cockpit, PF, was not in tune with the cabin team's predicament and was caught on the runway with having expected the cabin to be ready for takeoff. Reporter spoke with a fairly heavy accent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT RPT ON AN UNEXPECTED TKOF ROLL THAT CAUGHT THEM UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A MANUAL SAFETY DEMONSTRATION AT DFW, TX.

Narrative: DUE TO A COMBINATION OF MISUNDERSTANDING AND MISCOM, FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT MAKE IT TO DESIGNATED JUMP SEAT FOR TKOF. WE WERE IN MIDDLE OF A SAFETY DEMO WHEN ACFT STARTED ITS TKOF ROLL. COCKPIT DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE DISTANCE BTWN OUR WORKING AREA VERSUS JUMP SEAT LOCATION NOR THE TIME REQUIRED TO GET TO OUR JUMP SEATS IN A SAFE MANNER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE B777 HAS AN ANOMALY IN THAT QUITE FREQUENTLY THE DEMO SYS SHUTS OFF WHEN ACFT ELECTRICAL PWR IS PLACED ON-LINE WHEN SWITCHING FROM THE EXTERNAL SOURCE. IN THIS CASE, THE RPTR HAD TO 'SHIFT GEARS' FOR A MANUAL DEMO AS THERE APPEARS TO BE A PROB IN GETTING THE ELECTRONIC SYS BACK ON LINE IN A TIMELY FASHION. SHE GOT ONTO THE ACFT'S INTERPHONE AND TALKED WITH THE RELIEF PLT, TELLING HIM THE CABIN NEEDED MORE TIME, THAT THEY WERE STILL UP AND NOT READY FOR TKOF SAYING, 'DO YOU WANT US TO STOP OR WHAT?' THE REPLY WAS 'JUST A MIN.' THE CABIN TEAM HAD DONE THE ENGLISH VERSION OF THE DEMO AND WERE STARTING TO WORK ON THE JAPANESE VERSION WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN PRESENTED LATER AFTER TKOF. RPTR HAD NOT HEARD THE PRE TKOF 'CHIME' THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN RUNG PRIOR TO THE TKOF ANNOUNCEMENT. RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE CHK CAPT IN THE COCKPIT, PF, WAS NOT IN TUNE WITH THE CABIN TEAM'S PREDICAMENT AND WAS CAUGHT ON THE RWY WITH HAVING EXPECTED THE CABIN TO BE READY FOR TKOF. RPTR SPOKE WITH A FAIRLY HVY ACCENT.

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.