Narrative:

Prior to 1 apr 1988, all flts were smoking flts, and turning on the no smoking sign prior to landing acted as a signal to the cabin attendants (ca's) that landing was imminent and that it was time to be seated and secured for landing. After 1 apr 1988, only those flts over 2 hours are smoking flts and on those under 2 hours, the no smoking sign is to be left on for the duration of the flight to indicate smoking is not permitted. This change in the far's caused no procedure changes on flts over 2 hours, as the no smoking sign would be used as it always had, a signal to be seated for landing. However, on flts over 2 hours, the no smoking sign is to be left on during the flight. This means another way must be found to notify the ca's to prepare for landing. Our airline put out a bulletin stating that the new procedure is to make a passenger announcement prior to 10000' to alert the ca's that it was time to be seated and secured for landing. On fri, sept 1988, on a flight from stl to mci, landing at (xxy hours) 1:24 flying time, we landed at mci west/O making the appropriate passenger announcement. The flight was uneventful, routine, smooth and all procedure and checklists were followed, except for the passenger announcement. This flight was the last flight on the 3RD day of a 4 day trip, and the 1ST leg of the trip under 2 hours. One of the ca's was still standing when we landed. On the before takeoff checklist, the 1ST item is 'cabin alert' with the response being 'alerted.' however, on the 'landing final' checklist, alerting the cabin is not mentioned. Since the no smoking flts are new and since they entail a change of crew procedure and a change of old, well rehearsed habit patterns, certainly a better way must be found to assure the cabin team is safely seated than a bulletin telling the flight crews that they should now make a passenger announcement to seat the flight attendants on flts less than 2 hours! Certainly, a checklist change would serve to do this better than memory!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NO LNDG ANNOUNCEMENT. FLT ATTENDANT NOT SEATED.

Narrative: PRIOR TO 1 APR 1988, ALL FLTS WERE SMOKING FLTS, AND TURNING ON THE NO SMOKING SIGN PRIOR TO LNDG ACTED AS A SIGNAL TO THE CABIN ATTENDANTS (CA'S) THAT LNDG WAS IMMINENT AND THAT IT WAS TIME TO BE SEATED AND SECURED FOR LNDG. AFTER 1 APR 1988, ONLY THOSE FLTS OVER 2 HRS ARE SMOKING FLTS AND ON THOSE UNDER 2 HRS, THE NO SMOKING SIGN IS TO BE LEFT ON FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT TO INDICATE SMOKING IS NOT PERMITTED. THIS CHANGE IN THE FAR'S CAUSED NO PROC CHANGES ON FLTS OVER 2 HRS, AS THE NO SMOKING SIGN WOULD BE USED AS IT ALWAYS HAD, A SIGNAL TO BE SEATED FOR LNDG. HOWEVER, ON FLTS OVER 2 HRS, THE NO SMOKING SIGN IS TO BE LEFT ON DURING THE FLT. THIS MEANS ANOTHER WAY MUST BE FOUND TO NOTIFY THE CA'S TO PREPARE FOR LNDG. OUR AIRLINE PUT OUT A BULLETIN STATING THAT THE NEW PROC IS TO MAKE A PAX ANNOUNCEMENT PRIOR TO 10000' TO ALERT THE CA'S THAT IT WAS TIME TO BE SEATED AND SECURED FOR LNDG. ON FRI, SEPT 1988, ON A FLT FROM STL TO MCI, LNDG AT (XXY HRS) 1:24 FLYING TIME, WE LANDED AT MCI W/O MAKING THE APPROPRIATE PAX ANNOUNCEMENT. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL, ROUTINE, SMOOTH AND ALL PROC AND CHKLISTS WERE FOLLOWED, EXCEPT FOR THE PAX ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS FLT WAS THE LAST FLT ON THE 3RD DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP, AND THE 1ST LEG OF THE TRIP UNDER 2 HRS. ONE OF THE CA'S WAS STILL STANDING WHEN WE LANDED. ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, THE 1ST ITEM IS 'CABIN ALERT' WITH THE RESPONSE BEING 'ALERTED.' HOWEVER, ON THE 'LNDG FINAL' CHKLIST, ALERTING THE CABIN IS NOT MENTIONED. SINCE THE NO SMOKING FLTS ARE NEW AND SINCE THEY ENTAIL A CHANGE OF CREW PROC AND A CHANGE OF OLD, WELL REHEARSED HABIT PATTERNS, CERTAINLY A BETTER WAY MUST BE FOUND TO ASSURE THE CABIN TEAM IS SAFELY SEATED THAN A BULLETIN TELLING THE FLT CREWS THAT THEY SHOULD NOW MAKE A PAX ANNOUNCEMENT TO SEAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON FLTS LESS THAN 2 HRS! CERTAINLY, A CHKLIST CHANGE WOULD SERVE TO DO THIS BETTER THAN MEMORY!

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.