Air carrier landing with flight attendant's and equipment still in aisle.

Attributes
ACN	108356
Time
Date	198904
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : acy
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : acy
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	108356
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Landed with F/a's still standing with service equipment still in aisle. Initially the reason for the slow service was 2-FOLD: 1) the entire crew was reserve and brand new to operation, 2) the signal to alert the F/a's that it's all right to get out of their seats failed to function causing them to remain seated excessively long. Contributing factors: 1) lack of experience--all F/a's less than 1 month on the line. 2) poor system for notification--in airplanes everything is cause and effect. Turn on a switch, look for something to happen. With our air carrier the F/a is alerted with the fasten seat belt or (usually) no smoke sign and chime. Cockpit crew assumes they receive the message--the F/a's don't give an answer. 3) negative transfer from training program. F/a's are trained not to contact the cockpit during sterile cockpit procedures. F/a's interpret this to mean under no circumstances do they 'bother' the pilots, even if the cabin is not safe for landing. My opinion is emphasis should be keeping cockpit crew and the captain informed of unusual or potentially dangerous conditions--always!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LNDG WITH FA'S AND EQUIPMENT STILL IN AISLE.

Narrative: LANDED WITH F/A'S STILL STANDING WITH SVC EQUIP STILL IN AISLE. INITIALLY THE REASON FOR THE SLOW SVC WAS 2-FOLD: 1) THE ENTIRE CREW WAS RESERVE AND BRAND NEW TO OPERATION, 2) THE SIGNAL TO ALERT THE F/A'S THAT IT'S ALL RIGHT TO GET OUT OF THEIR SEATS FAILED TO FUNCTION CAUSING THEM TO REMAIN SEATED EXCESSIVELY LONG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) LACK OF EXPERIENCE--ALL F/A'S LESS THAN 1 MONTH ON THE LINE. 2) POOR SYS FOR NOTIFICATION--IN AIRPLANES EVERYTHING IS CAUSE AND EFFECT. TURN ON A SWITCH, LOOK FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. WITH OUR ACR THE F/A IS ALERTED WITH THE FASTEN SEAT BELT OR (USUALLY) NO SMOKE SIGN AND CHIME. COCKPIT CREW ASSUMES THEY RECEIVE THE MESSAGE--THE F/A'S DON'T GIVE AN ANSWER. 3) NEGATIVE TRANSFER FROM TRNING PROGRAM. F/A'S ARE TRAINED NOT TO CONTACT THE COCKPIT DURING STERILE COCKPIT PROCS. F/A'S INTERPRET THIS TO MEAN UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DO THEY 'BOTHER' THE PLTS, EVEN IF THE CABIN IS NOT SAFE FOR LNDG. MY OPINION IS EMPHASIS SHOULD BE KEEPING COCKPIT CREW AND THE CAPT INFORMED OF UNUSUAL OR POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS--ALWAYS!

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.