B737 flight crew and flight attendants surprised to find that a passenger was in the aft lavatory du...

Attributes
ACN	538677
Time
Date	200202
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 12000
ASRS Report	538677
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : pax 4
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Cabin Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Landing with passenger in lavatory. Flight landed at tpa uneventfully. After shutdown, flight attendants informed me that there was a passenger still in the lavatory during our landing. This, despite the fact that the 'fasten seatbelt' signs were illuminated and that I had made our arrival announcement prior to descending through 10000 ft reminding the passenger of our imminent approach and that the seatbelt sign was illuminated. I asked the passenger to 'insure that they remain in their seats with their seatbelts fastened for the remainder of the flight.' I am not blameless in this matter. I failed to make the 'secure the cabin for arrival' announcement which would have alerted the flight attendants to be more aware of passenger getting up and going to the lavatory. As it was, the flight attendants recognized our imminent landing and quickly took their jump seat in time for the landing. The passenger, however, remained in the lavatory. I had to configure early during the approach because ATC vectored me off my direct path to the IAF buccs to flow a much slower aircraft. As I responded 'complete' to the flight attendant notification portion of the checklist, I thought I had made the announcement. It was when I heard the flight attendants dropping their jump seats while on short final that I realized that I had forgotten to make the announcement. Mitigating factors include the following: 1) we were late and the hour was late -- we had an unscheduled aircraft change in jacksonville. 2) this was our third aircraft type (500, 300, 700) in 4 legs. 3) our approach required some unusual vectors and early confign in order to maintain proper spacing behind a slow aircraft in IMC which caused enough distraction that I missed making the 'secure the cabin' at my normal time, ie, 6000 ft or 20 mi. 4) I 'thought' I had made the announcement when I responded to the checklist. Future prevention is simply a reapplication of attention to tasks and checklist responses. Did I really give the announcement or was that last leg? -- Particularly when the crew is getting tired and it's late.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC AND FLT ATTENDANTS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT A PAX WAS IN THE AFT LAVATORY DURING FINAL APCH PHASE OF FLT AND LNDG AT TPA, FL.

Narrative: LNDG WITH PAX IN LAVATORY. FLT LANDED AT TPA UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER SHUTDOWN, FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A PAX STILL IN THE LAVATORY DURING OUR LNDG. THIS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE 'FASTEN SEATBELT' SIGNS WERE ILLUMINATED AND THAT I HAD MADE OUR ARR ANNOUNCEMENT PRIOR TO DSNDING THROUGH 10000 FT REMINDING THE PAX OF OUR IMMINENT APCH AND THAT THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ILLUMINATED. I ASKED THE PAX TO 'INSURE THAT THEY REMAIN IN THEIR SEATS WITH THEIR SEATBELTS FASTENED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT.' I AM NOT BLAMELESS IN THIS MATTER. I FAILED TO MAKE THE 'SECURE THE CABIN FOR ARR' ANNOUNCEMENT WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE MORE AWARE OF PAX GETTING UP AND GOING TO THE LAVATORY. AS IT WAS, THE FLT ATTENDANTS RECOGNIZED OUR IMMINENT LNDG AND QUICKLY TOOK THEIR JUMP SEAT IN TIME FOR THE LNDG. THE PAX, HOWEVER, REMAINED IN THE LAVATORY. I HAD TO CONFIGURE EARLY DURING THE APCH BECAUSE ATC VECTORED ME OFF MY DIRECT PATH TO THE IAF BUCCS TO FLOW A MUCH SLOWER ACFT. AS I RESPONDED 'COMPLETE' TO THE FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFICATION PORTION OF THE CHKLIST, I THOUGHT I HAD MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT. IT WAS WHEN I HEARD THE FLT ATTENDANTS DROPPING THEIR JUMP SEATS WHILE ON SHORT FINAL THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT. MITIGATING FACTORS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: 1) WE WERE LATE AND THE HR WAS LATE -- WE HAD AN UNSCHEDULED ACFT CHANGE IN JACKSONVILLE. 2) THIS WAS OUR THIRD ACFT TYPE (500, 300, 700) IN 4 LEGS. 3) OUR APCH REQUIRED SOME UNUSUAL VECTORS AND EARLY CONFIGN IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN PROPER SPACING BEHIND A SLOW ACFT IN IMC WHICH CAUSED ENOUGH DISTR THAT I MISSED MAKING THE 'SECURE THE CABIN' AT MY NORMAL TIME, IE, 6000 FT OR 20 MI. 4) I 'THOUGHT' I HAD MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT WHEN I RESPONDED TO THE CHKLIST. FUTURE PREVENTION IS SIMPLY A REAPPLICATION OF ATTN TO TASKS AND CHKLIST RESPONSES. DID I REALLY GIVE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OR WAS THAT LAST LEG? -- PARTICULARLY WHEN THE CREW IS GETTING TIRED AND IT'S LATE.

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.

B737 flight crew and flight attendants surprised to find that a passenger was in the aft lavatory during final approach phase of flight and landing at tpa, fl.