Narrative:

Our flight was an origination preflight. Just prior to out time, I noted that the electronic access door was open per the door warning light panel in cockpit. I had first officer open her side window to verbally contact a ground person while I alerted operations and maintenance to our need to have the door checked. I also told agent that we had a problem and to not close the cabin door until I got it resolved. We had a cockpit jumpseater which precluded my eye contact with my #1 flight attendant when the suspect door was closed after the normal departure time. I told the agent that we were ready and it was ok to close the cabin door. Apparently he did not check to see that all passenger were seated, but he did relate to me on the phone that all bins were closed and he waved to the #1 flight attendant and closed the cabin door. Later in the flight, the #1 expressed major concern for this and was also not sure who had told the flight deck that the cabin was ready when I released the brakes. She had 2 new trainees I had briefed and debriefed with before and after the flight, who did not have any complaint about procedure. This report is written to relieve tension that the #1 flight attendant was concerned about being fined by FAA as she said that the agent dumped an additional unaccompanied minor on the flight at the very last min and that there was need for her to go to the back of the aircraft to seat a passenger that was in the aft galley. Seconds after releasing brakes, the #1 flight attendant started complaining about the agent closing the door. I asked her if she needed anything and the reply was no. We continued the push and uneventful departure, but the #1 flight attendant still had reservations. I asked her to also submit an as soon as possible report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT CREW RECEIVES THE CABIN SECURE NOTIFICATION FROM THE OPS AGENT, NOT THE FLT ATTENDANT.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS AN ORIGINATION PREFLT. JUST PRIOR TO OUT TIME, I NOTED THAT THE ELECTRONIC ACCESS DOOR WAS OPEN PER THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT PANEL IN COCKPIT. I HAD FO OPEN HER SIDE WINDOW TO VERBALLY CONTACT A GND PERSON WHILE I ALERTED OPS AND MAINT TO OUR NEED TO HAVE THE DOOR CHKED. I ALSO TOLD AGENT THAT WE HAD A PROB AND TO NOT CLOSE THE CABIN DOOR UNTIL I GOT IT RESOLVED. WE HAD A COCKPIT JUMPSEATER WHICH PRECLUDED MY EYE CONTACT WITH MY #1 FLT ATTENDANT WHEN THE SUSPECT DOOR WAS CLOSED AFTER THE NORMAL DEP TIME. I TOLD THE AGENT THAT WE WERE READY AND IT WAS OK TO CLOSE THE CABIN DOOR. APPARENTLY HE DID NOT CHK TO SEE THAT ALL PAX WERE SEATED, BUT HE DID RELATE TO ME ON THE PHONE THAT ALL BINS WERE CLOSED AND HE WAVED TO THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND CLOSED THE CABIN DOOR. LATER IN THE FLT, THE #1 EXPRESSED MAJOR CONCERN FOR THIS AND WAS ALSO NOT SURE WHO HAD TOLD THE FLT DECK THAT THE CABIN WAS READY WHEN I RELEASED THE BRAKES. SHE HAD 2 NEW TRAINEES I HAD BRIEFED AND DEBRIEFED WITH BEFORE AND AFTER THE FLT, WHO DID NOT HAVE ANY COMPLAINT ABOUT PROC. THIS RPT IS WRITTEN TO RELIEVE TENSION THAT THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT BEING FINED BY FAA AS SHE SAID THAT THE AGENT DUMPED AN ADDITIONAL UNACCOMPANIED MINOR ON THE FLT AT THE VERY LAST MIN AND THAT THERE WAS NEED FOR HER TO GO TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT TO SEAT A PAX THAT WAS IN THE AFT GALLEY. SECONDS AFTER RELEASING BRAKES, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT STARTED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE AGENT CLOSING THE DOOR. I ASKED HER IF SHE NEEDED ANYTHING AND THE REPLY WAS NO. WE CONTINUED THE PUSH AND UNEVENTFUL DEP, BUT THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT STILL HAD RESERVATIONS. I ASKED HER TO ALSO SUBMIT AN ASAP RPT.

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.