Narrative:

Current air carrier procedures require the gate agents to close the aircraft door as soon as they are finished with boarding; sometimes as early as 10 mins before scheduled departure time. They do this by asking the captain if we are ready (sometimes without asking). Once they close the door; they have to wait for signals from the ramp to guide the jetway back to its parking location. The ramp personnel (because of man power shortage) are busy loading cargo; and most of the time are not ready until departure time or well past it (refer to air carrier on-time departure performance) so; the jetway sits there about 1 inch away from the aircraft door. The flight attendants are not supposed to arm their doors until jetway is far enough distance from the door. This creates a safety problem; if we have any kind of an emergency requiring evacuate/evacuation. With both cargo doors open; and all the equipment parked just before departure; none of the doors would be usable except jetway to get passenger off the airplane. Therefore I; as the captain; will not allow the gate agents to close the aircraft door until all the cargo doors have been closed; men and equipment clear of the ramp area and in fact they are ready for departure. Air carrier needs to reconsider their commitment to safety and stop the agents from pushing the captain to close the door just because they are finished boarding passenger. On this particular flight; we waited 18 more mins for the cargo doors to be closed after this agent said they were ready!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT REQUIRED THAT ACFT DOORS REMAIN OPEN WHILE ACFT LOADING IS IN PROCESS BECAUSE EMER SLIDES WOULD BE UNUSABLE UNTIL JETWAYS WITHDRAW FROM THE ACFT. JETWAYS CAN ONLY WITHDRAW AFTER CARGO LOADING IS COMPLETE.

Narrative: CURRENT ACR PROCS REQUIRE THE GATE AGENTS TO CLOSE THE ACFT DOOR AS SOON AS THEY ARE FINISHED WITH BOARDING; SOMETIMES AS EARLY AS 10 MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP TIME. THEY DO THIS BY ASKING THE CAPT IF WE ARE READY (SOMETIMES WITHOUT ASKING). ONCE THEY CLOSE THE DOOR; THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR SIGNALS FROM THE RAMP TO GUIDE THE JETWAY BACK TO ITS PARKING LOCATION. THE RAMP PERSONNEL (BECAUSE OF MAN PWR SHORTAGE) ARE BUSY LOADING CARGO; AND MOST OF THE TIME ARE NOT READY UNTIL DEP TIME OR WELL PAST IT (REFER TO ACR ON-TIME DEP PERFORMANCE) SO; THE JETWAY SITS THERE ABOUT 1 INCH AWAY FROM THE ACFT DOOR. THE FLT ATTENDANTS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO ARM THEIR DOORS UNTIL JETWAY IS FAR ENOUGH DISTANCE FROM THE DOOR. THIS CREATES A SAFETY PROB; IF WE HAVE ANY KIND OF AN EMER REQUIRING EVAC. WITH BOTH CARGO DOORS OPEN; AND ALL THE EQUIP PARKED JUST BEFORE DEP; NONE OF THE DOORS WOULD BE USABLE EXCEPT JETWAY TO GET PAX OFF THE AIRPLANE. THEREFORE I; AS THE CAPT; WILL NOT ALLOW THE GATE AGENTS TO CLOSE THE ACFT DOOR UNTIL ALL THE CARGO DOORS HAVE BEEN CLOSED; MEN AND EQUIP CLR OF THE RAMP AREA AND IN FACT THEY ARE READY FOR DEP. ACR NEEDS TO RECONSIDER THEIR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND STOP THE AGENTS FROM PUSHING THE CAPT TO CLOSE THE DOOR JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE FINISHED BOARDING PAX. ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT; WE WAITED 18 MORE MINS FOR THE CARGO DOORS TO BE CLOSED AFTER THIS AGENT SAID THEY WERE READY!

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.