Crew communication falls apart between the cockpit and cabin with passenger standing in the aisles o...

Attributes
ACN	597608
Time
Date	200310
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6600 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	597608
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	597626
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : cab 4
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Flight jfk-lax diverted into las after the coast approach ATC (socal) facility shut down due to wildfires that threatened it and its personnel. After landing las ground control directed us to taxi to holding area X4 to park until gate space on our ramp became available. Once abeam holding area X4 we discovered holding area X4 already held 2 other aircraft and decided that without wing walkers it would be unsafe to try to park in this confined space. We elected to continue our taxi to a more open holding area at X6. The passenger did not realize we had not finished our taxi so during the few mins we sat abeam holding area X4 a number of them stood up in the aisles to stretch their legs. A breakdown in communications occurred when the flight attendants failed to inform the flight deck that passenger were standing when taxi resumed. The flight attendants directed everybody to resume their seats while pointing out the seatbelt sign was still illuminated. The captain resumed taxi not realizing there were people standing in the cabin. While the apt concentrated on maneuvering our aircraft on a congested ramp we did not reconfirm with the flight attendants that the cabin was still secure. The flight attendants were busy trying to perform their duties getting people back into their seats and did not inform me that we had people standing. Our taxi to holding area X6 was uneventful. No injuries or incidents during the taxi to holding area X6. Later on the captain gathered our crew together and we reviewed the situation that developed during the taxi event. We all agreed a communication breakdown had occurred. The flight attendants felt they were so busy trying to get people seated they forgot to inform the flight deck. The flight attendants also felt that a contributing factor was that a number of people in the cabin did not speak english. These people did not understand the situation and did not respond to direction from the crew.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW COM FALLS APART BTWN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN WITH PAX STANDING IN THE AISLES OF A B757 FLT ON THE GND WAITING FOR TAXI CLRNC AFTER LNDG AT LAS, NV.

Narrative: FLT JFK-LAX DIVERTED INTO LAS AFTER THE COAST APCH ATC (SOCAL) FACILITY SHUT DOWN DUE TO WILDFIRES THAT THREATENED IT AND ITS PERSONNEL. AFTER LNDG LAS GND CTL DIRECTED US TO TAXI TO HOLDING AREA X4 TO PARK UNTIL GATE SPACE ON OUR RAMP BECAME AVAILABLE. ONCE ABEAM HOLDING AREA X4 WE DISCOVERED HOLDING AREA X4 ALREADY HELD 2 OTHER ACFT AND DECIDED THAT WITHOUT WING WALKERS IT WOULD BE UNSAFE TO TRY TO PARK IN THIS CONFINED SPACE. WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE OUR TAXI TO A MORE OPEN HOLDING AREA AT X6. THE PAX DID NOT REALIZE WE HAD NOT FINISHED OUR TAXI SO DURING THE FEW MINS WE SAT ABEAM HOLDING AREA X4 A NUMBER OF THEM STOOD UP IN THE AISLES TO STRETCH THEIR LEGS. A BREAKDOWN IN COMS OCCURRED WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS FAILED TO INFORM THE FLT DECK THAT PAX WERE STANDING WHEN TAXI RESUMED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DIRECTED EVERYBODY TO RESUME THEIR SEATS WHILE POINTING OUT THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. THE CAPT RESUMED TAXI NOT REALIZING THERE WERE PEOPLE STANDING IN THE CABIN. WHILE THE APT CONCENTRATED ON MANEUVERING OUR ACFT ON A CONGESTED RAMP WE DID NOT RECONFIRM WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THE CABIN WAS STILL SECURE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE BUSY TRYING TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES GETTING PEOPLE BACK INTO THEIR SEATS AND DID NOT INFORM ME THAT WE HAD PEOPLE STANDING. OUR TAXI TO HOLDING AREA X6 WAS UNEVENTFUL. NO INJURIES OR INCIDENTS DURING THE TAXI TO HOLDING AREA X6. LATER ON THE CAPT GATHERED OUR CREW TOGETHER AND WE REVIEWED THE SIT THAT DEVELOPED DURING THE TAXI EVENT. WE ALL AGREED A COM BREAKDOWN HAD OCCURRED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS FELT THEY WERE SO BUSY TRYING TO GET PEOPLE SEATED THEY FORGOT TO INFORM THE FLT DECK. THE FLT ATTENDANTS ALSO FELT THAT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE CABIN DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. THESE PEOPLE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE SIT AND DID NOT RESPOND TO DIRECTION FROM THE CREW.

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.

Crew communication falls apart between the cockpit and cabin with passenger standing in the aisles of a B757 flight on the ground waiting for taxi clearance after landing at las, nv.