Narrative:

Due to a verbal altercation with a coach passenger; one of my aft flight attendants called the captain and asked that the seatbelt sign be turned on. The captain refused; and then called me at 1L to get details; which I gave; saying we wanted the sign on to diffuse a situation in the aft galley between a passenger and flight attendant. Captain said he didn't want to use the seatbelt sign for 'crowd control.' I relayed this information to my flying partners in the forward galley. Flight attendant X; who had been working in coach; heard the exchange and grabbed the interphone at the jumpseat by the forward cross aisle; called the cockpit and said 'this is flight attendant X; put the seatbelt sign on now!' the first officer took the call and seatbelt sign went on immediately; and the passenger sat down shortly thereafter. The captain then called me at 1L and wanted clarification. I apologized for flight attendant X's tone of voice; etc; and went up to the cockpit to explain the situation shortly thereafter. There was a breakdown in CRM with the captain refusing to put on the seatbelt sign when asked by the coach flight attendant and then by me; as well as when flight attendant X took matters into her own hands; calling and alarming the pilots; bypassing chain of command. This could have broken down communications further because it sounded like I put her up to calling when I didn't like his reasoning. The next day; when I had calmed down enough to talk to her; I explained that her actions had put us all at jeopardy; undermined my role as purser; antagonized the captain and first officer; and by giving her name in such an abrupt manner; alerted the cockpit that something dire was taking place; when all we wanted to do was to de-escalate a minor situation in the coach cabin. I also had to speak to her about using loud; foul language when she was setting up the first class galley while passenger were boarding. We discussed her challenge with situational awareness and repercussions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POOR COM BTWN CABIN AND COCKPIT CAUSES A BREAKDOWN IN COORD AND TEAMWORK NECESSARY TO RESOLVE A CABIN DISRUPTION.

Narrative: DUE TO A VERBAL ALTERCATION WITH A COACH PAX; ONE OF MY AFT FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED THE CAPT AND ASKED THAT THE SEATBELT SIGN BE TURNED ON. THE CAPT REFUSED; AND THEN CALLED ME AT 1L TO GET DETAILS; WHICH I GAVE; SAYING WE WANTED THE SIGN ON TO DIFFUSE A SITUATION IN THE AFT GALLEY BTWN A PAX AND FLT ATTENDANT. CAPT SAID HE DIDN'T WANT TO USE THE SEATBELT SIGN FOR 'CROWD CTL.' I RELAYED THIS INFO TO MY FLYING PARTNERS IN THE FORWARD GALLEY. FLT ATTENDANT X; WHO HAD BEEN WORKING IN COACH; HEARD THE EXCHANGE AND GRABBED THE INTERPHONE AT THE JUMPSEAT BY THE FORWARD CROSS AISLE; CALLED THE COCKPIT AND SAID 'THIS IS FLT ATTENDANT X; PUT THE SEATBELT SIGN ON NOW!' THE FO TOOK THE CALL AND SEATBELT SIGN WENT ON IMMEDIATELY; AND THE PAX SAT DOWN SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE CAPT THEN CALLED ME AT 1L AND WANTED CLARIFICATION. I APOLOGIZED FOR FLT ATTENDANT X'S TONE OF VOICE; ETC; AND WENT UP TO THE COCKPIT TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN CRM WITH THE CAPT REFUSING TO PUT ON THE SEATBELT SIGN WHEN ASKED BY THE COACH FLT ATTENDANT AND THEN BY ME; AS WELL AS WHEN FLT ATTENDANT X TOOK MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS; CALLING AND ALARMING THE PLTS; BYPASSING CHAIN OF COMMAND. THIS COULD HAVE BROKEN DOWN COMS FURTHER BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE I PUT HER UP TO CALLING WHEN I DIDN'T LIKE HIS REASONING. THE NEXT DAY; WHEN I HAD CALMED DOWN ENOUGH TO TALK TO HER; I EXPLAINED THAT HER ACTIONS HAD PUT US ALL AT JEOPARDY; UNDERMINED MY ROLE AS PURSER; ANTAGONIZED THE CAPT AND FO; AND BY GIVING HER NAME IN SUCH AN ABRUPT MANNER; ALERTED THE COCKPIT THAT SOMETHING DIRE WAS TAKING PLACE; WHEN ALL WE WANTED TO DO WAS TO DE-ESCALATE A MINOR SITUATION IN THE COACH CABIN. I ALSO HAD TO SPEAK TO HER ABOUT USING LOUD; FOUL LANGUAGE WHEN SHE WAS SETTING UP THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY WHILE PAX WERE BOARDING. WE DISCUSSED HER CHALLENGE WITH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND REPERCUSSIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.