Narrative:

I had a situation arise on a recent flight and after doing much research I need some clarification. This issue involves an off-gate ground delay with the seat belt sign off and flight attendants not remaining by our armed doors the entire time. I had thought that this was an far; but I have searched my faom as well as the FAA website for specific safety information regarding this situation and have been unsuccessful. Therefore; I do not know if I was in compliance with FAA regulations and I would like guidance on this issue. I was working flight attendant position #3 with the evacuation assignment door 3L on a 757 with a total of 4 working flight attendants (the FAA minimum). We knew we would push back and taxi to a holding area to wait at least 20 minutes before being able to take off. After reaching the holding area the captain immediately turned off the seat belt sign; shut down the engines and opened the cockpit door. The flight attendants wanted to do a water service in the aisle and a few minutes into the service I realized I was supposed to remain by my armed exit door (or at least I thought I was supposed to do this). More specifically I believed that at least one flight attendant should remain by each set of armed doors (i.e. One flight attendant by doors 1L and 1R; one by doors 2L and 2R and one by doors 3L and 3R). When I realized this I was in the front half of the economy cabin closest to doors 2L and 2R while two flight attendants were working in the first class galley by doors 1L and 1R and one flight attendant was getting supplies in the aft galley by doors 3L and 3R. I immediately went to doors 2L and 2R. After discussing the issue by interphone the purser asked the captain and he told her we do not need to remain near the armed doors while the cockpit door was open (since the engines were shut off). The purser then came to where I was seated at the 2L jumpseat with her faom and showed me the 'off-gate ground delays' section. This section addresses service issues with bullet points of what we may do at the captain's discretion. Regardless of the lack of specific direction from the faom I felt this was a safety issue. I remained by doors 2L/right until flight attendant #2 came back to her assigned exit by these doors then returned to my assigned exit door area in the aft galley.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT ATTENDANT QUESTIONS THE LEGALITY OF LEAVING AN EVACUATION STATION FOR PAX SVC DURING AN EXTENDED GND STOP.

Narrative: I HAD A SITUATION ARISE ON A RECENT FLIGHT AND AFTER DOING MUCH RESEARCH I NEED SOME CLARIFICATION. THIS ISSUE INVOLVES AN OFF-GATE GROUND DELAY WITH THE SEAT BELT SIGN OFF AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS NOT REMAINING BY OUR ARMED DOORS THE ENTIRE TIME. I HAD THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS AN FAR; BUT I HAVE SEARCHED MY FAOM AS WELL AS THE FAA WEBSITE FOR SPECIFIC SAFETY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS SITUATION AND HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. THEREFORE; I DO NOT KNOW IF I WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH FAA REGULATIONS AND I WOULD LIKE GUIDANCE ON THIS ISSUE. I WAS WORKING FLIGHT ATTENDANT POSITION #3 WITH THE EVACUATION ASSIGNMENT DOOR 3L ON A 757 WITH A TOTAL OF 4 WORKING FLIGHT ATTENDANTS (THE FAA MINIMUM). WE KNEW WE WOULD PUSH BACK AND TAXI TO A HOLDING AREA TO WAIT AT LEAST 20 MINUTES BEFORE BEING ABLE TO TAKE OFF. AFTER REACHING THE HOLDING AREA THE CAPTAIN IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT BELT SIGN; SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES AND OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WANTED TO DO A WATER SERVICE IN THE AISLE AND A FEW MINUTES INTO THE SERVICE I REALIZED I WAS SUPPOSED TO REMAIN BY MY ARMED EXIT DOOR (OR AT LEAST I THOUGHT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THIS). MORE SPECIFICALLY I BELIEVED THAT AT LEAST ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SHOULD REMAIN BY EACH SET OF ARMED DOORS (I.E. ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT BY DOORS 1L AND 1R; ONE BY DOORS 2L AND 2R AND ONE BY DOORS 3L AND 3R). WHEN I REALIZED THIS I WAS IN THE FRONT HALF OF THE ECONOMY CABIN CLOSEST TO DOORS 2L AND 2R WHILE TWO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE WORKING IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY BY DOORS 1L AND 1R AND ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WAS GETTING SUPPLIES IN THE AFT GALLEY BY DOORS 3L AND 3R. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO DOORS 2L AND 2R. AFTER DISCUSSING THE ISSUE BY INTERPHONE THE PURSER ASKED THE CAPTAIN AND HE TOLD HER WE DO NOT NEED TO REMAIN NEAR THE ARMED DOORS WHILE THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS OPEN (SINCE THE ENGINES WERE SHUT OFF). THE PURSER THEN CAME TO WHERE I WAS SEATED AT THE 2L JUMPSEAT WITH HER FAOM AND SHOWED ME THE 'OFF-GATE GROUND DELAYS' SECTION. THIS SECTION ADDRESSES SERVICE ISSUES WITH BULLET POINTS OF WHAT WE MAY DO AT THE CAPTAIN'S DISCRETION. REGARDLESS OF THE LACK OF SPECIFIC DIRECTION FROM THE FAOM I FELT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. I REMAINED BY DOORS 2L/R UNTIL FLIGHT ATTENDANT #2 CAME BACK TO HER ASSIGNED EXIT BY THESE DOORS THEN RETURNED TO MY ASSIGNED EXIT DOOR AREA IN THE AFT GALLEY.

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.