Narrative:

Could you imagine 260 aluminum cans of gatorade and water bottles rolling on the floor of the airbus while a full load of passenger are trying to evacuate a smoke filled aircraft at night? Sound far fetched; it isn't. On sports charter flts where a water bottle -- a large one of one liter; and a can of gatorade is supplied to each passenger; catering places these items in the seat back pocket of each seat. Also; the flight attendant informational paperwork advises the flight attendant that this procedure is company policy. The proper stowage location for takeoff and landing of beverages is in the FAA approved galley carts. The design of the galley carts protects passenger from service items becoming hazardous projectiles during takeoff and landing. The applicable far is: 121.576 retention of items of mass in passenger and crew compartments. 1) the certificate holder must provide and use means to prevent each item of galley equipment and each serving cart; when not in use; and each item of crew baggage; which is carried in a passenger or crew compartment from becoming a hazard by shifting under the appropriate load factors corresponding to the emergency landing conditions under which the airplane was type certificated. To a non crew member this seat back beverage placement procedure may seem ok; but the flimsy seat back pocket will only secure the bulky water and can of gatorade in positive g-forces. A negative g-force; such as one experienced in severe turbulence or hopefully never; an evacuation scenario; would most likely dislodge some of the 260 cans and bottles; sending them rolling about the aircraft floor. To a resistant manager who created this improper policy; whose reaction might be; 'but it is not a regular flight....it is a charter....supplemental....not domestic.' please refer to the applicable far; 121.577 stowage of food; beverage; and passenger service equipment during airplane movement on the surface; takeoff; and landing. 1)(a) no certificate holder may move an airplane on the surface; take off; or land when any food; beverage; or tableware furnished by the certificate holder is located at any passenger seat. 1.) with coordination with the catering department; relocate all beverages to the FAA approved beverage carts for all flts -- including charters. 2) revise the informational paperwork the flight attendant receives in ZZZ for sports charters to clearly indicate all beverages must be stowed in the galley carts in ZZZ. 3) communicate to the flight attendants via their 'must read' binder this change of policy. 4) review/revise the flight attendant manual as necessary so flight attendants have a clear understanding of the applicability of far 121.577.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CAPT NOTED THAT ON SPORTS CHARTERS; CATERING WAS PLACING A 1 LITER BOTTLE OF WATER AND A CAN OF GATORADE IN EACH SEAT BACK POCKET. CREW WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FAR 121.577 COMPLIANCE.

Narrative: COULD YOU IMAGINE 260 ALUMINUM CANS OF GATORADE AND WATER BOTTLES ROLLING ON THE FLOOR OF THE AIRBUS WHILE A FULL LOAD OF PAX ARE TRYING TO EVACUATE A SMOKE FILLED ACFT AT NIGHT? SOUND FAR FETCHED; IT ISN'T. ON SPORTS CHARTER FLTS WHERE A WATER BOTTLE -- A LARGE ONE OF ONE LITER; AND A CAN OF GATORADE IS SUPPLIED TO EACH PAX; CATERING PLACES THESE ITEMS IN THE SEAT BACK POCKET OF EACH SEAT. ALSO; THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT INFORMATIONAL PAPERWORK ADVISES THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT THAT THIS PROCEDURE IS COMPANY POLICY. THE PROPER STOWAGE LOCATION FOR TKOF AND LNDG OF BEVERAGES IS IN THE FAA APPROVED GALLEY CARTS. THE DESIGN OF THE GALLEY CARTS PROTECTS PAX FROM SERVICE ITEMS BECOMING HAZARDOUS PROJECTILES DURING TKOF AND LNDG. THE APPLICABLE FAR IS: 121.576 RETENTION OF ITEMS OF MASS IN PAX AND CREW COMPARTMENTS. 1) THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER MUST PROVIDE AND USE MEANS TO PREVENT EACH ITEM OF GALLEY EQUIPMENT AND EACH SERVING CART; WHEN NOT IN USE; AND EACH ITEM OF CREW BAGGAGE; WHICH IS CARRIED IN A PAX OR CREW COMPARTMENT FROM BECOMING A HAZARD BY SHIFTING UNDER THE APPROPRIATE LOAD FACTORS CORRESPONDING TO THE EMER LNDG CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE AIRPLANE WAS TYPE CERTIFICATED. TO A NON CREW MEMBER THIS SEAT BACK BEVERAGE PLACEMENT PROCEDURE MAY SEEM OK; BUT THE FLIMSY SEAT BACK POCKET WILL ONLY SECURE THE BULKY WATER AND CAN OF GATORADE IN POSITIVE G-FORCES. A NEGATIVE G-FORCE; SUCH AS ONE EXPERIENCED IN SEVERE TURB OR HOPEFULLY NEVER; AN EVACUATION SCENARIO; WOULD MOST LIKELY DISLODGE SOME OF THE 260 CANS AND BOTTLES; SENDING THEM ROLLING ABOUT THE ACFT FLOOR. TO A RESISTANT MANAGER WHO CREATED THIS IMPROPER POLICY; WHOSE REACTION MIGHT BE; 'BUT IT IS NOT A REGULAR FLIGHT....IT IS A CHARTER....SUPPLEMENTAL....NOT DOMESTIC.' PLEASE REFER TO THE APPLICABLE FAR; 121.577 STOWAGE OF FOOD; BEVERAGE; AND PAX SERVICE EQUIPMENT DURING AIRPLANE MOVEMENT ON THE SURFACE; TAKEOFF; AND LANDING. 1)(A) NO CERTIFICATE HOLDER MAY MOVE AN AIRPLANE ON THE SURFACE; TAKE OFF; OR LAND WHEN ANY FOOD; BEVERAGE; OR TABLEWARE FURNISHED BY THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER IS LOCATED AT ANY PAX SEAT. 1.) WITH COORDINATION WITH THE CATERING DEPARTMENT; RELOCATE ALL BEVERAGES TO THE FAA APPROVED BEVERAGE CARTS FOR ALL FLTS -- INCLUDING CHARTERS. 2) REVISE THE INFORMATIONAL PAPERWORK THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT RECEIVES IN ZZZ FOR SPORTS CHARTERS TO CLEARLY INDICATE ALL BEVERAGES MUST BE STOWED IN THE GALLEY CARTS IN ZZZ. 3) COMMUNICATE TO THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS VIA THEIR 'MUST READ' BINDER THIS CHANGE OF POLICY. 4) REVIEW/REVISE THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT MANUAL AS NECESSARY SO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE APPLICABILITY OF FAR 121.577.

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.