B757 crew inadvertently did not have either one of them seated at the aircraft controls for a few se...

Attributes
ACN	545641
Time
Date	200204
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : lvs.vortac
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 161 flight time total : 10591 flight time type : 4073
ASRS Report	545641
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During cruise flight, I needed to leave my seat and go to the forward lavatory to use the facilities. The first officer decided to take this opportunity to do the same after I was finished. After complying with all company SOP's, I exited the cockpit as a flight attendant entered to secure the cockpit door behind me, as is company policy. After using the facility, I cleared the area and knocked on the cockpit door for re-entry. Instead of the flight attendant opening the door, I was very surprised to see the first officer at the cockpit door when it opened we passed each other at the door as he let me in and quickly exited to use the facility himself. I knew instantly that no one was 'flying' the plane (of course, the autoplt was on and we were in level flight). I quickly jumped into my seat. No one was at the controls (I found the flight attendant sitting sideways in my seat) for maybe 5-10 seconds. When the first officer returned from the lavatory, I restated what had happened and he couldn't believe what he had done. In his zest to be efficient and minimize the opening of the cockpit door (for security reasons) he had a mental lapse and completely forgot he was leaving the airplane unattended when he got up to let me in and himself out. He was completely familiar with proper procedures for leaving the cockpit and had always performed them properly in the past. This time, his eagerness to be fast and efficient with cumbersome new procedures instituted since sep/11 led him to momentarily forget who was flying the plane (in this case, the autoplt). To make matters worse, when the first officer opened the cockpit door, we were both in the doorway at the same time in view of the first class passenger. Additionally, since the flight attendant had apparently retreated momentarily to the captain's seat to let the first officer get by her (the jump seat was folded up) when he went to the door, she may have been observed by 1 or more passenger to be 'at the controls' when the door was opened. This was an embarrassing and misleading situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW INADVERTENTLY DID NOT HAVE EITHER ONE OF THEM SEATED AT THE ACFT CTLS FOR A FEW SECONDS WHILE THE CAPT CAME BACK FROM THE LAVATORY AND THE FO WENT OUT THROUGH THE DOOR AT THE SAME TIME.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT, I NEEDED TO LEAVE MY SEAT AND GO TO THE FORWARD LAVATORY TO USE THE FACILITIES. THE FO DECIDED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE SAME AFTER I WAS FINISHED. AFTER COMPLYING WITH ALL COMPANY SOP'S, I EXITED THE COCKPIT AS A FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED TO SECURE THE COCKPIT DOOR BEHIND ME, AS IS COMPANY POLICY. AFTER USING THE FACILITY, I CLRED THE AREA AND KNOCKED ON THE COCKPIT DOOR FOR RE-ENTRY. INSTEAD OF THE FLT ATTENDANT OPENING THE DOOR, I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THE FO AT THE COCKPIT DOOR WHEN IT OPENED WE PASSED EACH OTHER AT THE DOOR AS HE LET ME IN AND QUICKLY EXITED TO USE THE FACILITY HIMSELF. I KNEW INSTANTLY THAT NO ONE WAS 'FLYING' THE PLANE (OF COURSE, THE AUTOPLT WAS ON AND WE WERE IN LEVEL FLT). I QUICKLY JUMPED INTO MY SEAT. NO ONE WAS AT THE CTLS (I FOUND THE FLT ATTENDANT SITTING SIDEWAYS IN MY SEAT) FOR MAYBE 5-10 SECONDS. WHEN THE FO RETURNED FROM THE LAVATORY, I RESTATED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT HE HAD DONE. IN HIS ZEST TO BE EFFICIENT AND MINIMIZE THE OPENING OF THE COCKPIT DOOR (FOR SECURITY REASONS) HE HAD A MENTAL LAPSE AND COMPLETELY FORGOT HE WAS LEAVING THE AIRPLANE UNATTENDED WHEN HE GOT UP TO LET ME IN AND HIMSELF OUT. HE WAS COMPLETELY FAMILIAR WITH PROPER PROCS FOR LEAVING THE COCKPIT AND HAD ALWAYS PERFORMED THEM PROPERLY IN THE PAST. THIS TIME, HIS EAGERNESS TO BE FAST AND EFFICIENT WITH CUMBERSOME NEW PROCS INSTITUTED SINCE SEP/11 LED HIM TO MOMENTARILY FORGET WHO WAS FLYING THE PLANE (IN THIS CASE, THE AUTOPLT). TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, WHEN THE FO OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR, WE WERE BOTH IN THE DOORWAY AT THE SAME TIME IN VIEW OF THE FIRST CLASS PAX. ADDITIONALLY, SINCE THE FLT ATTENDANT HAD APPARENTLY RETREATED MOMENTARILY TO THE CAPT'S SEAT TO LET THE FO GET BY HER (THE JUMP SEAT WAS FOLDED UP) WHEN HE WENT TO THE DOOR, SHE MAY HAVE BEEN OBSERVED BY 1 OR MORE PAX TO BE 'AT THE CTLS' WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED. THIS WAS AN EMBARRASSING AND MISLEADING SIT.

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 crew inadvertently did not have either one of them seated at the aircraft controls for a few seconds while the captain came back from the lavatory and the first officer went out through the door at the same time.