Flight attendant's were unable to utilize the 'safety demonstration' tape for passenger briefing. A ...

Narrative:

When we boarded the aircraft in ord; I attempted to retrieve the safety demonstration tape to make sure the system worked correctly; however; the tape was locked in the storage compartment. I told the captain that I couldn't check it and he said that it happens frequently; the box would unlock as soon as they released the brake and that I should just test the system with another tape. I tested the system by using one of the onboard movies. The system was in working order and I told the crew that they should doublechk where their live demonstration equipment was; just in case there would be any problems with the tape once I was able to access it. After the csr closed the door and we had armed our doors we waited for the pilots to release the brake. I repeatedly checked to see if the storage compartment was unlocked yet; which it wasn't. The aircraft had not moved yet; so I just assumed that they had not released the brake. As soon as we were aware of the aircraft moving; I checked the storage box again and it still was locked. At this point we realized we would have to do a live demonstration; which we did. As soon as we started to demonstrate the oxygen masks; the pilot said; 'flight attendants prepare for departure.' I rang the cockpit 3 times to let them know we weren't completely done with the safety demonstration and they did not answer the phone. Since it was sterile cockpit and we were taxiing at a high rate of speed; we took our seats. I was unable to conclude the safety demonstration based on how it is worded in the announcement booklet. I did not say the paragraphs about no smoking or cabin preparation. After we had taken off; I did say the no smoking paragraph along with my other in-flight announcements. I spoke with the captain about this and let him know that I had called him 3 times. He said they did not hear that. He said they checked to make sure the video system was not still operating when they were cleared for takeoff. In hindsight; I think I should have called the cockpit before we started the live demonstration but because I felt that the live demonstration and the recorded demonstration are approximately the same length; I thought we still had plenty of time to get that accomplished. I made the captain aware that I would be filing a safety report due to the fact that I was unable to read all of the gray shaded areas per far's before takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FA'S WERE UNABLE TO UTILIZE THE 'SAFETY DEMO' TAPE FOR PAX BRIEFING. A LIVE DEMONSTRATION WAS PERFORMED; BUT NOT FINISHED BEFORE TKOF WAS INITIATED.

Narrative: WHEN WE BOARDED THE ACFT IN ORD; I ATTEMPTED TO RETRIEVE THE SAFETY DEMO TAPE TO MAKE SURE THE SYS WORKED CORRECTLY; HOWEVER; THE TAPE WAS LOCKED IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I COULDN'T CHK IT AND HE SAID THAT IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY; THE BOX WOULD UNLOCK AS SOON AS THEY RELEASED THE BRAKE AND THAT I SHOULD JUST TEST THE SYS WITH ANOTHER TAPE. I TESTED THE SYS BY USING ONE OF THE ONBOARD MOVIES. THE SYS WAS IN WORKING ORDER AND I TOLD THE CREW THAT THEY SHOULD DOUBLECHK WHERE THEIR LIVE DEMO EQUIP WAS; JUST IN CASE THERE WOULD BE ANY PROBS WITH THE TAPE ONCE I WAS ABLE TO ACCESS IT. AFTER THE CSR CLOSED THE DOOR AND WE HAD ARMED OUR DOORS WE WAITED FOR THE PLTS TO RELEASE THE BRAKE. I REPEATEDLY CHKED TO SEE IF THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT WAS UNLOCKED YET; WHICH IT WASN'T. THE ACFT HAD NOT MOVED YET; SO I JUST ASSUMED THAT THEY HAD NOT RELEASED THE BRAKE. AS SOON AS WE WERE AWARE OF THE ACFT MOVING; I CHKED THE STORAGE BOX AGAIN AND IT STILL WAS LOCKED. AT THIS POINT WE REALIZED WE WOULD HAVE TO DO A LIVE DEMO; WHICH WE DID. AS SOON AS WE STARTED TO DEMONSTRATE THE OXYGEN MASKS; THE PLT SAID; 'FLT ATTENDANTS PREPARE FOR DEP.' I RANG THE COCKPIT 3 TIMES TO LET THEM KNOW WE WEREN'T COMPLETELY DONE WITH THE SAFETY DEMO AND THEY DID NOT ANSWER THE PHONE. SINCE IT WAS STERILE COCKPIT AND WE WERE TAXIING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPD; WE TOOK OUR SEATS. I WAS UNABLE TO CONCLUDE THE SAFETY DEMO BASED ON HOW IT IS WORDED IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT BOOKLET. I DID NOT SAY THE PARAGRAPHS ABOUT NO SMOKING OR CABIN PREPARATION. AFTER WE HAD TAKEN OFF; I DID SAY THE NO SMOKING PARAGRAPH ALONG WITH MY OTHER INFLT ANNOUNCEMENTS. I SPOKE WITH THE CAPT ABOUT THIS AND LET HIM KNOW THAT I HAD CALLED HIM 3 TIMES. HE SAID THEY DID NOT HEAR THAT. HE SAID THEY CHKED TO MAKE SURE THE VIDEO SYS WAS NOT STILL OPERATING WHEN THEY WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. IN HINDSIGHT; I THINK I SHOULD HAVE CALLED THE COCKPIT BEFORE WE STARTED THE LIVE DEMO BUT BECAUSE I FELT THAT THE LIVE DEMO AND THE RECORDED DEMO ARE APPROX THE SAME LENGTH; I THOUGHT WE STILL HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO GET THAT ACCOMPLISHED. I MADE THE CAPT AWARE THAT I WOULD BE FILING A SAFETY RPT DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS UNABLE TO READ ALL OF THE GRAY SHADED AREAS PER FAR'S BEFORE TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Attributes
ACN	779470
Time
Date	200803
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
ASRS Report	779470
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Flight attendant's were unable to utilize the 'safety demonstration' tape for passenger briefing. A live demonstration was performed; but not finished before takeoff was initiated.