Cabin attendant noted cabin to cockpit call system inoperative during preflight check and advised th...

Attributes
ACN	84924
Time
Date	198804
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	84924
Person 2
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Arrived at aircraft to operate ewr to bos. After briefing the cabin attendants, the first F/a informed me that the cabin to cockpit call system was inoperative. Further investigation revealed that a circuit breaker was pulled and resetting it solved the problem. It was interesting to note that the circuit breaker that pwrs this required system is the same circuit breaker that power the takeoff warning system in the medium large transport (circuit breaker P-38-CAWS). I think that the power for this chime system should be drawn from another source. Should the center aural warning circuit breaker be open for some reason, and an improper flap/slat combination be selected for takeoff, a cabin crew member could not signal the cockpit should a passenger or crew member notice the discrepancy. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the adjacent call system circuit breaker is for the passenger cabin call lights. The circuit breaker in question is a checklist item for this airline and a copy of this report has been given to the airline management. Reporter indicated that his company does not think the safety improvement suggestion is very important and no action is being taken.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT NOTED CABIN TO COCKPIT CALL SYSTEM INOPERATIVE DURING PREFLT CHECK AND ADVISED THE PIC. FLT CREW RESET TKOF WARNING CIRCUIT BREAKER CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. PIC THINKS THIS CABIN CALL POWER SOURCE SHOULD BE SEPARATE FROM TKOF WARNING POWER SOURCE.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT ACFT TO OPERATE EWR TO BOS. AFTER BRIEFING THE CABIN ATTENDANTS, THE FIRST F/A INFORMED ME THAT THE CABIN TO COCKPIT CALL SYS WAS INOP. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A CB WAS PULLED AND RESETTING IT SOLVED THE PROB. IT WAS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE CB THAT PWRS THIS REQUIRED SYS IS THE SAME CB THAT PWR THE TKOF WARNING SYS IN THE MLG (CB P-38-CAWS). I THINK THAT THE PWR FOR THIS CHIME SYS SHOULD BE DRAWN FROM ANOTHER SOURCE. SHOULD THE CENTER AURAL WARNING CB BE OPEN FOR SOME REASON, AND AN IMPROPER FLAP/SLAT COMBINATION BE SELECTED FOR TKOF, A CABIN CREW MEMBER COULD NOT SIGNAL THE COCKPIT SHOULD A PAX OR CREW MEMBER NOTICE THE DISCREPANCY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE ADJACENT CALL SYS CB IS FOR THE PAX CABIN CALL LIGHTS. THE CB IN QUESTION IS A CHKLIST ITEM FOR THIS AIRLINE AND A COPY OF THIS RPT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE AIRLINE MGMNT. RPTR INDICATED THAT HIS COMPANY DOES NOT THINK THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTION IS VERY IMPORTANT AND NO ACTION IS BEING TAKEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.

Cabin attendant noted cabin to cockpit call system inoperative during preflight check and advised the PIC. Flight crew reset takeoff warning circuit breaker correcting the problem. PIC thinks this cabin call power source should be separate from takeoff warning power source.