Narrative:

During the before takeoff check, the first officer made the standard PA stating that we were #3 for departure, flight attendants prepare for takeoff. The flight deck was chimed indicating that the cabin was ready for takeoff. Approximately 3-4 mins later we were cleared for takeoff and accelerated down the runway. During the takeoff sequence, we heard the flight deck door open. The first officer said, 'I forgot to latch the door' and I replied 'it's ok, we will get it on climb out' as it should be held closed by the flight attendant jumpseat. When flight deck duties allowed, I made a quick glance back at the door and had to take a second glance, as the door was wide open and I could see passenger, yet no flight attendant. Immediately, I called back. The aft flight attendant answered. I told her my door was open and it should have been stopped by the forward flight attendant jumpseat. Where is the flight attendant? She replied, 'I know, I know. She is seated in a passenger seat.' I asked why she was in a passenger seat. She responded, 'she just sat in a passenger seat!' I repeated the question why. She said, 'I know, I know. Do you want me to have her call you about this?' I replied that we would post brief this on the ground. After arriving in stl, we deplaned and caught our van ride to the hotel. The forward flight attendant was making an obvious attempt of de-communicating with us by carrying on with a loud and obnoxious phone conversation that started before we left the aircraft until after she entered her hotel room. I elected not to interrupt the conversation as I felt the early morning report would provide a better debriefing environment. When I reported to the hotel lobby the next morning, the aft flight attendant was already there and asked if she could talk to me. She gave me a short briefing stating her frustration and that the forward flight attendant was located in row 18 during takeoff. I thanked her for coming forward and told her we would brief at the aircraft prior to boarding. At the stl gate prior to boarding, I asked the agents to hold boarding for a min and called the crew together in the front row of the aircraft. I asked the forward flight attendant about the takeoff and she stated that she received the PA, responded to it by chiming the flight deck, and stated that she didn't have time to stow her bag so she took a seat in the front of the aircraft. I didn't debate with her about her position in the aircraft, but instructed the crew to follow the standards and we would ensure that this time the flight deck door would be latched and the flight attendants would be seated in their jumpseats for takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPERLY SECURED COCKPIT DOOR OPENS ON TKOF REVEALING ABSENCE OF REQUIRED FLT ATTENDANT IN ADJACENT JUMPSEAT. CREW REVIEW OF SOP'S AND REGS IS CONDUCTED BY CAPT PRIOR TO SUBSEQUENT TKOF.

Narrative: DURING THE BEFORE TKOF CHK, THE FO MADE THE STANDARD PA STATING THAT WE WERE #3 FOR DEP, FLT ATTENDANTS PREPARE FOR TKOF. THE FLT DECK WAS CHIMED INDICATING THAT THE CABIN WAS READY FOR TKOF. APPROX 3-4 MINS LATER WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND ACCELERATED DOWN THE RWY. DURING THE TKOF SEQUENCE, WE HEARD THE FLT DECK DOOR OPEN. THE FO SAID, 'I FORGOT TO LATCH THE DOOR' AND I REPLIED 'IT'S OK, WE WILL GET IT ON CLBOUT' AS IT SHOULD BE HELD CLOSED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT. WHEN FLT DECK DUTIES ALLOWED, I MADE A QUICK GLANCE BACK AT THE DOOR AND HAD TO TAKE A SECOND GLANCE, AS THE DOOR WAS WIDE OPEN AND I COULD SEE PAX, YET NO FLT ATTENDANT. IMMEDIATELY, I CALLED BACK. THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT ANSWERED. I TOLD HER MY DOOR WAS OPEN AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT. WHERE IS THE FLT ATTENDANT? SHE REPLIED, 'I KNOW, I KNOW. SHE IS SEATED IN A PAX SEAT.' I ASKED WHY SHE WAS IN A PAX SEAT. SHE RESPONDED, 'SHE JUST SAT IN A PAX SEAT!' I REPEATED THE QUESTION WHY. SHE SAID, 'I KNOW, I KNOW. DO YOU WANT ME TO HAVE HER CALL YOU ABOUT THIS?' I REPLIED THAT WE WOULD POST BRIEF THIS ON THE GND. AFTER ARRIVING IN STL, WE DEPLANED AND CAUGHT OUR VAN RIDE TO THE HOTEL. THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT WAS MAKING AN OBVIOUS ATTEMPT OF DE-COMMUNICATING WITH US BY CARRYING ON WITH A LOUD AND OBNOXIOUS PHONE CONVERSATION THAT STARTED BEFORE WE LEFT THE ACFT UNTIL AFTER SHE ENTERED HER HOTEL ROOM. I ELECTED NOT TO INTERRUPT THE CONVERSATION AS I FELT THE EARLY MORNING RPT WOULD PROVIDE A BETTER DEBRIEFING ENVIRONMENT. WHEN I RPTED TO THE HOTEL LOBBY THE NEXT MORNING, THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT WAS ALREADY THERE AND ASKED IF SHE COULD TALK TO ME. SHE GAVE ME A SHORT BRIEFING STATING HER FRUSTRATION AND THAT THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT WAS LOCATED IN ROW 18 DURING TKOF. I THANKED HER FOR COMING FORWARD AND TOLD HER WE WOULD BRIEF AT THE ACFT PRIOR TO BOARDING. AT THE STL GATE PRIOR TO BOARDING, I ASKED THE AGENTS TO HOLD BOARDING FOR A MIN AND CALLED THE CREW TOGETHER IN THE FRONT ROW OF THE ACFT. I ASKED THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT ABOUT THE TKOF AND SHE STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED THE PA, RESPONDED TO IT BY CHIMING THE FLT DECK, AND STATED THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO STOW HER BAG SO SHE TOOK A SEAT IN THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. I DIDN'T DEBATE WITH HER ABOUT HER POS IN THE ACFT, BUT INSTRUCTED THE CREW TO FOLLOW THE STANDARDS AND WE WOULD ENSURE THAT THIS TIME THE FLT DECK DOOR WOULD BE LATCHED AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD BE SEATED IN THEIR JUMPSEATS FOR TKOF.

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.