B757-200 crew had numerous spanish speaking passenger aboard. No flight attendant was able to speak ...

Attributes
ACN	531438
Time
Date	200111
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	531438
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company FAA
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Lack of speakers on flight. There were no spanish speakers assigned to flight XXX on 11/thu/01 from ZZZ airport to ZZZ1 airport when I checked with dispatch and air carrier operations control, they informed me that as long as the briefing card was in english and spanish and the safety video was in english and spanish that the FAA's minimum requirements were satisfied. With 54 spanish speaking passenger entrusted to my care and with no way of being able to communicate with them in an extreme situation, I found this answer to be extremely unsatisfactory. After all, meeting the FAA's minimum safety/security requirements is what allowed 09/tue/01 to happen. Accepting foreign nationals for transport in the international arena morally requires us to be able to provide for their safety in the event of an unforeseen incident, and that includes being able to communicate with them in their language.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW HAD NUMEROUS SPANISH SPEAKING PAX ABOARD. NO FA WAS ABLE TO SPEAK SPANISH.

Narrative: LACK OF SPEAKERS ON FLT. THERE WERE NO SPANISH SPEAKERS ASSIGNED TO FLT XXX ON 11/THU/01 FROM ZZZ ARPT TO ZZZ1 ARPT WHEN I CHECKED WITH DISPATCH AND ACR OPS CTL, THEY INFORMED ME THAT AS LONG AS THE BRIEFING CARD WAS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AND THE SAFETY VIDEO WAS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH THAT THE FAA'S MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS WERE SATISFIED. WITH 54 SPANISH SPEAKING PAX ENTRUSTED TO MY CARE AND WITH NO WAY OF BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM IN AN EXTREME SIT, I FOUND THIS ANSWER TO BE EXTREMELY UNSATISFACTORY. AFTER ALL, MEETING THE FAA'S MINIMUM SAFETY/SECURITY REQUIREMENTS IS WHAT ALLOWED 09/TUE/01 TO HAPPEN. ACCEPTING FOREIGN NATIONALS FOR TRANSPORT IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA MORALLY REQUIRES US TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR SAFETY IN THE EVENT OF AN UNFORESEEN INCIDENT, AND THAT INCLUDES BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM IN THEIR LANGUAGE.

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.

B757-200 crew had numerous spanish speaking passenger aboard. No flight attendant was able to speak spanish.