Narrative:

Approaching departure time on a convoluted mechanical induced delay that started on the previous leg; we were rushed by flight attendant duty time constrictions to close aircraft door or have a flight attendant go illegal thus delaying an already extensively delayed departure. I shouted my permission to close the aircraft door while inside the forward lavatory. I did not realize that the aircraft was not properly fueled for departure. Returning to the cockpit and realizing the problem; I then summoned fuelers and had the jetbridge brought to the L-1 door for the fueling but told the agent not to open the door as this would probably terminate the flight as if we had to wait for another flight attendant; fatigue would overcome us and we would have to cancel the flight. The agent complied with my request but another agent got on the headset on the ramp demanding the door be opened citing safety concerns. I exerted my authority/authorized to continue as I planned as I had the exits manned by flight attendants; the jetbridge was in position should it be needed and the flight manual allows some latitude in this regard. Specifically; the relevant sentence states that 'normally the cabin door will be open.' I take this verbiage to allow some latitude as it does not specifically direct that the door must be open. Allowing that these were not 'normal' circumstances; I elected to proceed as above as to do otherwise would have resulted in further delay and possible degradation of safety from the possible delay of the flight. While not optimal; I believe that my course of action was reasonable and safe as I had more avenues of evacuate/evacuation available than the sole exit provided by an open L-1 door.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 CAPTAIN EXERTS HIS CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE THE FUELING OF THE ACFT WITH PAX ABOARD AND DOORS CLOSED IN ORDER TO PRECLUDE ADDITIONAL DELAY DUE TO A CABIN ATTENDANT DUTY TIME RESTRICTION ABOUT TO TAKE EFFECT.

Narrative: APCHING DEP TIME ON A CONVOLUTED MECHANICAL INDUCED DELAY THAT STARTED ON THE PREVIOUS LEG; WE WERE RUSHED BY FLT ATTENDANT DUTY TIME CONSTRICTIONS TO CLOSE ACFT DOOR OR HAVE A FLT ATTENDANT GO ILLEGAL THUS DELAYING AN ALREADY EXTENSIVELY DELAYED DEP. I SHOUTED MY PERMISSION TO CLOSE THE ACFT DOOR WHILE INSIDE THE FORWARD LAVATORY. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT PROPERLY FUELED FOR DEP. RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT AND REALIZING THE PROB; I THEN SUMMONED FUELERS AND HAD THE JETBRIDGE BROUGHT TO THE L-1 DOOR FOR THE FUELING BUT TOLD THE AGENT NOT TO OPEN THE DOOR AS THIS WOULD PROBABLY TERMINATE THE FLT AS IF WE HAD TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT; FATIGUE WOULD OVERCOME US AND WE WOULD HAVE TO CANCEL THE FLT. THE AGENT COMPLIED WITH MY REQUEST BUT ANOTHER AGENT GOT ON THE HEADSET ON THE RAMP DEMANDING THE DOOR BE OPENED CITING SAFETY CONCERNS. I EXERTED MY AUTH TO CONTINUE AS I PLANNED AS I HAD THE EXITS MANNED BY FLT ATTENDANTS; THE JETBRIDGE WAS IN POS SHOULD IT BE NEEDED AND THE FLT MANUAL ALLOWS SOME LATITUDE IN THIS REGARD. SPECIFICALLY; THE RELEVANT SENTENCE STATES THAT 'NORMALLY THE CABIN DOOR WILL BE OPEN.' I TAKE THIS VERBIAGE TO ALLOW SOME LATITUDE AS IT DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY DIRECT THAT THE DOOR MUST BE OPEN. ALLOWING THAT THESE WERE NOT 'NORMAL' CIRCUMSTANCES; I ELECTED TO PROCEED AS ABOVE AS TO DO OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN FURTHER DELAY AND POSSIBLE DEGRADATION OF SAFETY FROM THE POSSIBLE DELAY OF THE FLT. WHILE NOT OPTIMAL; I BELIEVE THAT MY COURSE OF ACTION WAS REASONABLE AND SAFE AS I HAD MORE AVENUES OF EVAC AVAILABLE THAN THE SOLE EXIT PROVIDED BY AN OPEN L-1 DOOR.

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.