An MD80 crew, en route dfw, were informed by a flight attendant that a rear lavatory smoke alarm was...

Attributes
ACN	534808
Time
Date	200201
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hfd.airport
State Reference	CT
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	534808
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Cabin Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Our crew was flying a hartford turnaround on jan/tue/02, with 3 senior flight attendants. We had the same super 80 for both legs with 1 hour and 18 mins scheduled on the ground in hartford. About 1 hour and 30 mins from dfw on our return leg the first officer was in the cabin using the lavatory. A flight attendant who was working the main cabin, told the first officer that they had been hearing a lavatory smoke alarm sound ever since we left dfw, and she suspected that it was coming from the left aft lavatory. The first officer relayed the information to me when he returned to the cockpit. I was surprised that the flight attendants did not notify me about the smoke alarm. I called to the back on the interphone to speak to the flight attendant who had informed the first officer about the smoke alarm. I expressed to her the importance of informing the flight crew of the smoke alarm activation, and also checking the lavatory to make sure that there wasn't any fire. Her reaction to me indicated that she didn't share my concern for a possible hazard on board the aircraft. Especially her unwillingness to check a lavatory even if it is occupied. In our current environment with terrorist threats a reality, checking the lavatory when it is occupied in the event of a smoke alarm being activated is extremely important. I showed the flight attendants the fire emergency section of the S80 manual. 1 flight attendant in particular was argumentative on my insistence that she check a lavatory when it is occupied for a possible fire.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, ENRTE DFW, WERE INFORMED BY A FLT ATTENDANT THAT A REAR LAVATORY SMOKE ALARM WAS HEARD BY THE CABIN CREW DURING THIS AND PREVIOUS LEG OF THEIR DFW TO BDL TURNAROUND.

Narrative: OUR CREW WAS FLYING A HARTFORD TURNAROUND ON JAN/TUE/02, WITH 3 SENIOR FLT ATTENDANTS. WE HAD THE SAME SUPER 80 FOR BOTH LEGS WITH 1 HR AND 18 MINS SCHEDULED ON THE GND IN HARTFORD. ABOUT 1 HR AND 30 MINS FROM DFW ON OUR RETURN LEG THE FO WAS IN THE CABIN USING THE LAVATORY. A FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS WORKING THE MAIN CABIN, TOLD THE FO THAT THEY HAD BEEN HEARING A LAVATORY SMOKE ALARM SOUND EVER SINCE WE LEFT DFW, AND SHE SUSPECTED THAT IT WAS COMING FROM THE L AFT LAVATORY. THE FO RELAYED THE INFO TO ME WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT NOTIFY ME ABOUT THE SMOKE ALARM. I CALLED TO THE BACK ON THE INTERPHONE TO SPEAK TO THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO HAD INFORMED THE FO ABOUT THE SMOKE ALARM. I EXPRESSED TO HER THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMING THE FLC OF THE SMOKE ALARM ACTIVATION, AND ALSO CHKING THE LAVATORY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WASN'T ANY FIRE. HER REACTION TO ME INDICATED THAT SHE DIDN'T SHARE MY CONCERN FOR A POSSIBLE HAZARD ON BOARD THE ACFT. ESPECIALLY HER UNWILLINGNESS TO CHK A LAVATORY EVEN IF IT IS OCCUPIED. IN OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT WITH TERRORIST THREATS A REALITY, CHKING THE LAVATORY WHEN IT IS OCCUPIED IN THE EVENT OF A SMOKE ALARM BEING ACTIVATED IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. I SHOWED THE FLT ATTENDANTS THE FIRE EMER SECTION OF THE S80 MANUAL. 1 FLT ATTENDANT IN PARTICULAR WAS ARGUMENTATIVE ON MY INSISTENCE THAT SHE CHK A LAVATORY WHEN IT IS OCCUPIED FOR A POSSIBLE FIRE.

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.

An MD80 crew, en route dfw, were informed by a flight attendant that a rear lavatory smoke alarm was heard by the cabin crew during this and previous leg of their dfw to bdl turnaround.