Narrative:

This report highlights a safety problem of flight attendants opening the forward and aft service doors. Often when it is warm in the cabin; the flight attendants have an unsafe habit of opening the service doors for fresh air. If someone inadvertently leans against the door that is ajar; serious injury or death could result from their fall. They open the doors irrespective if passenger are on or off the aircraft. I repeatedly ask flight attendants why they opened the doors; and the answer is always the same: 'it's hot in the cabin.' never do I sense that they think an open door is a safety issue. It is simply not worth the potential risk of injury to have some fresh air. I have observed the 'a' flight attendant leave the forward galley to assist an elderly passenger in row 2 with stowage of carry-on luggage; all the while the forward right service door is open; and passenger standing in line/boarding. All it would take would be for a curious 2 yr old to dart from their mother and go towards the open forward right door. The consequences of a fall could be tragic. This issue is becoming common practice as often the APU is not started until several mins prior to pushback (as some pilots seem to be saving a little too much fuel); whereas a yr ago it was common practice to start the APU as soon as boarding began. As I heard one captain tell a flight attendant who asked to have the APU started (in ZZZ on a full flight). 'They're just going to have to suffer -- it's not time to go yet.' but more common; many captain simply won't start the APU until the last min; subsequently; the flight attendants won't say anything -- they'll just open their service doors. Yes; it is a problem. Write a revision for the flight attendant manual to include the following language: caution: to prevent someone from falling from the aircraft; never open a forward or aft service door for the purpose of fresh air ventilation. If an open service door is observed (except when the door is properly mated with a catering truck; or for trash removal); it is the responsibility of the flight attendant who observed an open door to close it. If the cabin is too warm for boarding; ask the captain or first officer; 'could you please turn on the APU for some cool air in the cabin.'

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANTS REGULARLY OPEN CABIN DOORS TO COOL THE CABIN; BUT FAIL MONITOR THE OPEN DOORS WHEN PAX BOARD THE ACFT.

Narrative: THIS RPT HIGHLIGHTS A SAFETY PROB OF FLT ATTENDANTS OPENING THE FORWARD AND AFT SVC DOORS. OFTEN WHEN IT IS WARM IN THE CABIN; THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE AN UNSAFE HABIT OF OPENING THE SVC DOORS FOR FRESH AIR. IF SOMEONE INADVERTENTLY LEANS AGAINST THE DOOR THAT IS AJAR; SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH COULD RESULT FROM THEIR FALL. THEY OPEN THE DOORS IRRESPECTIVE IF PAX ARE ON OR OFF THE ACFT. I REPEATEDLY ASK FLT ATTENDANTS WHY THEY OPENED THE DOORS; AND THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS THE SAME: 'IT'S HOT IN THE CABIN.' NEVER DO I SENSE THAT THEY THINK AN OPEN DOOR IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS SIMPLY NOT WORTH THE POTENTIAL RISK OF INJURY TO HAVE SOME FRESH AIR. I HAVE OBSERVED THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT LEAVE THE FORWARD GALLEY TO ASSIST AN ELDERLY PAX IN ROW 2 WITH STOWAGE OF CARRY-ON LUGGAGE; ALL THE WHILE THE FORWARD R SVC DOOR IS OPEN; AND PAX STANDING IN LINE/BOARDING. ALL IT WOULD TAKE WOULD BE FOR A CURIOUS 2 YR OLD TO DART FROM THEIR MOTHER AND GO TOWARDS THE OPEN FORWARD R DOOR. THE CONSEQUENCES OF A FALL COULD BE TRAGIC. THIS ISSUE IS BECOMING COMMON PRACTICE AS OFTEN THE APU IS NOT STARTED UNTIL SEVERAL MINS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK (AS SOME PLTS SEEM TO BE SAVING A LITTLE TOO MUCH FUEL); WHEREAS A YR AGO IT WAS COMMON PRACTICE TO START THE APU AS SOON AS BOARDING BEGAN. AS I HEARD ONE CAPT TELL A FLT ATTENDANT WHO ASKED TO HAVE THE APU STARTED (IN ZZZ ON A FULL FLT). 'THEY'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO SUFFER -- IT'S NOT TIME TO GO YET.' BUT MORE COMMON; MANY CAPT SIMPLY WON'T START THE APU UNTIL THE LAST MIN; SUBSEQUENTLY; THE FLT ATTENDANTS WON'T SAY ANYTHING -- THEY'LL JUST OPEN THEIR SVC DOORS. YES; IT IS A PROB. WRITE A REVISION FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE: CAUTION: TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM FALLING FROM THE ACFT; NEVER OPEN A FORWARD OR AFT SVC DOOR FOR THE PURPOSE OF FRESH AIR VENTILATION. IF AN OPEN SVC DOOR IS OBSERVED (EXCEPT WHEN THE DOOR IS PROPERLY MATED WITH A CATERING TRUCK; OR FOR TRASH REMOVAL); IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO OBSERVED AN OPEN DOOR TO CLOSE IT. IF THE CABIN IS TOO WARM FOR BOARDING; ASK THE CAPT OR FO; 'COULD YOU PLEASE TURN ON THE APU FOR SOME COOL AIR IN THE CABIN.'

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.