Narrative:

Our inbound flight to sea was on a B737-500 with no APU. There was to be an aircraft change in sea to a B737-300. This flight is apparently normally planned to keep the same aircraft. The galley boarded in ZZZ was to be xferred to the return flight in sea as it was a 2 segment galley. The sea station queried us via ACARS en route about this. After arrival in sea; minimal galley supplies were xferred from the inbound flight to the gate area for the outbound (aircraft not there yet). I called the station to get more supplies; they replied that the catering supervisor said they were not allowed to touch the galley per company instructions; on a through galley. While boarding; catering did show up with some additional supplies; but no more meals. They were asked to remove the trash from the aircraft as the bins were full on this aircraft from a 2 segment turn. They removed the trash from the forward galley and said they would get the aft. The agent asked if we were ready; and I replied yes; assuming the caterers were going to the back. They didn't; they left. The flight attendants said they had no place to put any trash as all carts and bins were full. I contacted the ramp and had them pull a belt loader up to the aft door to remove the trash which I personally did; approximately 12 bags. We then closed the doors and departed. Safety issues: during the trash removal; the jetway was pulled; all passenger were boarded; but the doors were not armed until the trash issue was remedied. This resulted in a period of several mins with no 'exit' from the airplane; until the doors were clear of equipment and personnel before arming. I'd like to contrast this with the no APU situation on previous leg; and starting an engine at the gate with the jetway up to the aircraft (can't pull it until electrics are xferred and the cord retracted); the doors closed; but not armed; because the flight attendants won't arm the doors until the jetway is safely away from the aircraft. This also yields a situation with no 'exit' from the aircraft. This situation highlights several issues: poor coordination between company and catering on galley xfers; severe limitations on the station on trying to remedy the situation as phone calls had to be made; and possible safety issues regarding 'exit' from the aircraft during unusual circumstances such as this trash removal and engine starts at the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPTAIN REPORTS CONCERNS REGARDING RESTRICTIONS TO POSSIBLE EMERGENCY EVACUATION ROUTES WHEN NON STANDARD GATE PROCEDURES ARE EMPLOYED.

Narrative: OUR INBOUND FLT TO SEA WAS ON A B737-500 WITH NO APU. THERE WAS TO BE AN ACFT CHANGE IN SEA TO A B737-300. THIS FLT IS APPARENTLY NORMALLY PLANNED TO KEEP THE SAME ACFT. THE GALLEY BOARDED IN ZZZ WAS TO BE XFERRED TO THE RETURN FLT IN SEA AS IT WAS A 2 SEGMENT GALLEY. THE SEA STATION QUERIED US VIA ACARS ENRTE ABOUT THIS. AFTER ARR IN SEA; MINIMAL GALLEY SUPPLIES WERE XFERRED FROM THE INBOUND FLT TO THE GATE AREA FOR THE OUTBOUND (ACFT NOT THERE YET). I CALLED THE STATION TO GET MORE SUPPLIES; THEY REPLIED THAT THE CATERING SUPVR SAID THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE GALLEY PER COMPANY INSTRUCTIONS; ON A THROUGH GALLEY. WHILE BOARDING; CATERING DID SHOW UP WITH SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES; BUT NO MORE MEALS. THEY WERE ASKED TO REMOVE THE TRASH FROM THE ACFT AS THE BINS WERE FULL ON THIS ACFT FROM A 2 SEGMENT TURN. THEY REMOVED THE TRASH FROM THE FORWARD GALLEY AND SAID THEY WOULD GET THE AFT. THE AGENT ASKED IF WE WERE READY; AND I REPLIED YES; ASSUMING THE CATERERS WERE GOING TO THE BACK. THEY DIDN'T; THEY LEFT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY HAD NO PLACE TO PUT ANY TRASH AS ALL CARTS AND BINS WERE FULL. I CONTACTED THE RAMP AND HAD THEM PULL A BELT LOADER UP TO THE AFT DOOR TO REMOVE THE TRASH WHICH I PERSONALLY DID; APPROX 12 BAGS. WE THEN CLOSED THE DOORS AND DEPARTED. SAFETY ISSUES: DURING THE TRASH REMOVAL; THE JETWAY WAS PULLED; ALL PAX WERE BOARDED; BUT THE DOORS WERE NOT ARMED UNTIL THE TRASH ISSUE WAS REMEDIED. THIS RESULTED IN A PERIOD OF SEVERAL MINS WITH NO 'EXIT' FROM THE AIRPLANE; UNTIL THE DOORS WERE CLR OF EQUIP AND PERSONNEL BEFORE ARMING. I'D LIKE TO CONTRAST THIS WITH THE NO APU SITUATION ON PREVIOUS LEG; AND STARTING AN ENG AT THE GATE WITH THE JETWAY UP TO THE ACFT (CAN'T PULL IT UNTIL ELECTRICS ARE XFERRED AND THE CORD RETRACTED); THE DOORS CLOSED; BUT NOT ARMED; BECAUSE THE FLT ATTENDANTS WON'T ARM THE DOORS UNTIL THE JETWAY IS SAFELY AWAY FROM THE ACFT. THIS ALSO YIELDS A SITUATION WITH NO 'EXIT' FROM THE ACFT. THIS SITUATION HIGHLIGHTS SEVERAL ISSUES: POOR COORD BTWN COMPANY AND CATERING ON GALLEY XFERS; SEVERE LIMITATIONS ON THE STATION ON TRYING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION AS PHONE CALLS HAD TO BE MADE; AND POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUES REGARDING 'EXIT' FROM THE ACFT DURING UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THIS TRASH REMOVAL AND ENG STARTS AT THE GATE.

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.