Narrative:

Mdt aircraft entrance way is also 2 emergency exits. Floor on some is linoleum type surface. 2 yrs ago, we (crew: F/a's and pics and first officer's) complained, as a safety of flight problem, because when these floors get wet (for whatever reason: rain, snow, spilled drinks), floor becomes treacherously slippery. Management installed non-skid surface, all's well. Maintenance even replaced said surface from time to time. Then, nov 1989, new management said 'it's ugly, pull it up'. And so they did. I refused to fly said aircraft because it had been written up as 'slippery and unsafe for an emergency exit area'. I asked for the non-skid surface to be reinstalled. Then I got a call from the chief pilot and was told that since the manufacturer certified this floor area with linoleum, it was airworthy and I had to fly it. I did. Maintenance cleared entrance way: 'unable to install non-skid due to management. Aircraft conforms to aircraft certification specifications' or something to that effect. There has to be some form of consistency with the floor area of emergency exits. We have crew members with bruises due to normal operations. Also, with propeller aircraft passenger walk thru things like deice fluid, which combined with those floors, is deadly. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: I am in a verbal contest with the company over the slippery entrance and emergency exit areas. Am continuing to fly the aircraft on direct orders from my supervisor. During the winter months they are particularly bad. Our passenger walk across ramps to be loaded and frequently step in deicing fluid, track snow onto the linoleum, etc and the entrance area becomes very hazardous.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLOORING MATERIAL IN MDT TYPE ACFT ALLEGEDLY BECOMES VERY SLIPPERY WHEN MOISTURE OF ANY KIND IS TRACKED ABOARD THE ENTRANCE WAY WHICH IS ALSO AN EMERGENCY EXIT AREA. REPORTER PROTESTS REMOVAL OF NON SKID MATERIAL FROM THAT AREA.

Narrative: MDT ACFT ENTRANCE WAY IS ALSO 2 EMER EXITS. FLOOR ON SOME IS LINOLEUM TYPE SURFACE. 2 YRS AGO, WE (CREW: F/A'S AND PICS AND F/O'S) COMPLAINED, AS A SAFETY OF FLT PROBLEM, BECAUSE WHEN THESE FLOORS GET WET (FOR WHATEVER REASON: RAIN, SNOW, SPILLED DRINKS), FLOOR BECOMES TREACHEROUSLY SLIPPERY. MGMNT INSTALLED NON-SKID SURFACE, ALL'S WELL. MAINT EVEN REPLACED SAID SURFACE FROM TIME TO TIME. THEN, NOV 1989, NEW MGMNT SAID 'IT'S UGLY, PULL IT UP'. AND SO THEY DID. I REFUSED TO FLY SAID ACFT BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP AS 'SLIPPERY AND UNSAFE FOR AN EMER EXIT AREA'. I ASKED FOR THE NON-SKID SURFACE TO BE REINSTALLED. THEN I GOT A CALL FROM THE CHIEF PLT AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE THE MANUFACTURER CERTIFIED THIS FLOOR AREA WITH LINOLEUM, IT WAS AIRWORTHY AND I HAD TO FLY IT. I DID. MAINT CLRED ENTRANCE WAY: 'UNABLE TO INSTALL NON-SKID DUE TO MGMNT. ACFT CONFORMS TO ACFT CERTIFICATION SPECS' OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. THERE HAS TO BE SOME FORM OF CONSISTENCY WITH THE FLOOR AREA OF EMER EXITS. WE HAVE CREW MEMBERS WITH BRUISES DUE TO NORMAL OPERATIONS. ALSO, WITH PROPELLER ACFT PAX WALK THRU THINGS LIKE DEICE FLUID, WHICH COMBINED WITH THOSE FLOORS, IS DEADLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: I AM IN A VERBAL CONTEST WITH THE COMPANY OVER THE SLIPPERY ENTRANCE AND EMER EXIT AREAS. AM CONTINUING TO FLY THE ACFT ON DIRECT ORDERS FROM MY SUPVR. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS THEY ARE PARTICULARLY BAD. OUR PAX WALK ACROSS RAMPS TO BE LOADED AND FREQUENTLY STEP IN DEICING FLUID, TRACK SNOW ONTO THE LINOLEUM, ETC AND THE ENTRANCE AREA BECOMES VERY HAZARDOUS.

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.