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B757 captain reported communication breakdown between flight and cabin crew as a result of false lavatory smoke alarm.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1601993 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201812 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.ARTCC |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Toilet Smoke Overheat Fire Detectors & Warning |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying Captain |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine |
| Experience | Flight Crew Total 5559 Flight Crew Type 380 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Other / Unknown Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown |
Narrative:
About an hour into the flight; during cruise at FL340; had an EICAS lavatory smoke indication. I asked the copilot to get WX/ATIS for the nearest airport and be ready to don the o2 mask. I then transferred aircraft control to him and called the forward cabin inter phone to establish communication with the cabin. The flight attendant in the aft galley answered. I started to ask about the situation and the flight attendant cut me off and said 'I'm working it!!! I'll call you back' and hung up.I [checked] the clock and quickly reviewed the emergency descent and smoke; fire; or fumes quick reference checklist with the copilot. At 45 seconds elapsed time; I called the forward cabin again to establish communication (if I couldn't; I would assume that the crew was fighting a fire and I would initiate the descent). This time; the purser and aft galley flight attendant answered. The aft flight attendant kept talking over the purser and said that if was a false detection. I thoroughly debriefed them both on crew communication protocol and how very close we came to going to [an alternate].
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B757 Captain reported communication breakdown between flight and cabin crew as a result of false lavatory smoke alarm.
Narrative: About an hour into the flight; during cruise at FL340; had an EICAS lavatory smoke indication. I asked the copilot to get WX/ATIS for the nearest airport and be ready to don the o2 mask. I then transferred aircraft control to him and called the forward cabin inter phone to establish communication with the cabin. The Flight Attendant in the aft galley answered. I started to ask about the situation and the Flight Attendant cut me off and said 'I'm working it!!! I'll call you back' and hung up.I [checked] the clock and quickly reviewed the emergency descent and smoke; fire; or fumes Quick Reference Checklist with the copilot. At 45 seconds elapsed time; I called the forward cabin again to establish communication (if I couldn't; I would assume that the crew was fighting a fire and I would initiate the descent). This time; the Purser and aft galley Flight Attendant answered. The aft Flight Attendant kept talking over the Purser and said that if was a false detection. I thoroughly debriefed them both on crew communication protocol and how very close we came to going to [an alternate].
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.