Narrative:

After level off at FL290 the interphone rang. The flight engineer answered and stated a flight attendant needed to speak with the captain. The captain answered and I heard him say such things as, right now, is it important, etc. After hanging up he informed us that the flight attendant was demanding his presence in the cabin but could not say why. We assumed the situation was such that in her opinion his presence was required for safety reasons, eg, irate passenger etc. The captain told me that if he was not back in 5 mins to divert to mco. I donned the oxygen mask and waited. During his absence I asked the flight engineer to look back in the cabin to tell me what was going on. He stated that it appeared to him that the #2 was reading the captain the riot act. After 4 mins 30 seconds the captain returned, much to our relief, and informed us that he was summoned to the cabin due to a purported dispute the #2 had with the flight engineer over a carryon, and also due to the #2's and #3's perception that we were treating them poorly. I have no idea why they feel this way. Perhaps they misinterpreted our somber attitudes that were, at least in my part, due to recent events and being away during holiday. This was the most outrageous behavior I have ever seen exhibited by anyone at air carrier. Flight attendants should know that a flight crew member is not permitted to leave his duty station during flight unless it is safety related or is necessary for his physiological needs. Further it goes without saying that disputes over carryons are better handled on the ground. I don't know whether article in question was not placed in the closet in accordance with far 121.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FA SUMMONS CAPT FROM COCKPIT THEN PROCEEDS TO BERATE THE FLC'S BEHAVIOR.

Narrative: AFTER LEVEL OFF AT FL290 THE INTERPHONE RANG. THE FE ANSWERED AND STATED A FLT ATTENDANT NEEDED TO SPEAK WITH THE CAPT. THE CAPT ANSWERED AND I HEARD HIM SAY SUCH THINGS AS, RIGHT NOW, IS IT IMPORTANT, ETC. AFTER HANGING UP HE INFORMED US THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS DEMANDING HIS PRESENCE IN THE CABIN BUT COULD NOT SAY WHY. WE ASSUMED THE SIT WAS SUCH THAT IN HER OPINION HIS PRESENCE WAS REQUIRED FOR SAFETY REASONS, EG, IRATE PAX ETC. THE CAPT TOLD ME THAT IF HE WAS NOT BACK IN 5 MINS TO DIVERT TO MCO. I DONNED THE OXYGEN MASK AND WAITED. DURING HIS ABSENCE I ASKED THE FE TO LOOK BACK IN THE CABIN TO TELL ME WHAT WAS GOING ON. HE STATED THAT IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT THE #2 WAS READING THE CAPT THE RIOT ACT. AFTER 4 MINS 30 SECONDS THE CAPT RETURNED, MUCH TO OUR RELIEF, AND INFORMED US THAT HE WAS SUMMONED TO THE CABIN DUE TO A PURPORTED DISPUTE THE #2 HAD WITH THE FE OVER A CARRYON, AND ALSO DUE TO THE #2'S AND #3'S PERCEPTION THAT WE WERE TREATING THEM POORLY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY FEEL THIS WAY. PERHAPS THEY MISINTERPRETED OUR SOMBER ATTITUDES THAT WERE, AT LEAST IN MY PART, DUE TO RECENT EVENTS AND BEING AWAY DURING HOLIDAY. THIS WAS THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS BEHAVIOR I HAVE EVER SEEN EXHIBITED BY ANYONE AT ACR. FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD KNOW THAT A FLC MEMBER IS NOT PERMITTED TO LEAVE HIS DUTY STATION DURING FLT UNLESS IT IS SAFETY RELATED OR IS NECESSARY FOR HIS PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS. FURTHER IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT DISPUTES OVER CARRYONS ARE BETTER HANDLED ON THE GND. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER ARTICLE IN QUESTION WAS NOT PLACED IN THE CLOSET IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 121.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.