Narrative:

The problem was primarily due to attitudes of captain on this trip. It was a 2-DAY trip, same crew both days, 2 crew in cockpit and 3 in cabin. The captain made some decisions and took some actions that we (the rest of the crew) felt compromised safety. It was an adversarial situation and it was obvious this put undue strain on the first officer also, which could be a safety problem. The captain set this adversarial tone in his preflight briefing to the cabin crew. Most of it was to set up his rules for us, such as requiring us to knock on the door prior to entering the cockpit just in case they were reading the paper or something, so they could put it aside and passenger would not see them reading during the flight. I wanted to say that if he was so concerned about it perhaps he should monitor his instruments and not read newspapers. However, I did not want to add fuel to the fire by sounding sarcastic or disrespectful. My understanding is company policy states pilots are not supposed to read extraneous materials during a flight. Apparently this captain had got a passenger complaint about this at some time. When we were departing from lga, there was a long line of aircraft waiting to depart (had some bad WX in the area). During boarding, the captain had made a PA announcement that if folks needed to use the lavs, now was a good time. This annoyed the cabin crew as we needed to complete boarding as soon as possible, we were already delayed due to our late arrival at lga. We were out on a taxiway in line, and out of the blue the captain made another PA that we'd be sitting there 20-25 mins, and if passenger wished, they could use the lavs. The cabin crew were surprised as we have never seen this done. We would have thought that passenger are required to remain seated with seat belts on at this time. We were on a taxiway and we felt it doesn't matter if the plane was in motion right at the moment (ie, not ok to get up if we hold short for traffic before we can cross a runway. We also felt this gives passenger the idea that it's ok to get up when we're not at the gate on future flts). Believe me, we have enough trouble with that anyway, especially with new yorkers! Also several passenger went to the galley for a cup of water, etc. This forced us to get out of our jumpseats for non-safety-related tasks, and also necessitated an extra aisle check, and we already in our seats prior to this. After about 7 mins, the captain notified us we had to move the plane, so we had to rush these people and try to get them seated. This took several mins, and may have caused problems for ground control or planes behind us. The captain got very impatient and acted as though it was our fault for not rushing these passenger faster, but it was his idea to let them up in the first place! Had he discussed it with the first officer or told us before he did it, any of us would've felt comfortable telling him it was a bad idea. Accidents could happen on a taxiway, too! Also there was a disagreement in the cockpit, which came up in conversation during our layover, when the first officer asked us to clarify what we are taught the signal to release us from our jumpseat means. We all concurred that our training is that when we get that signal, it means that it is safe to get up from our jumpseats. The first officer then told us during a climb out checklist that the captain was going to release us, but the first officer refused to, due to upcoming turbulence. The first officer had pointed out that the cabin crew would take it to mean it was safe to begin service, and the captain responded that the cabin crew should figure out whether it was safe on our own. The first officer had countered that the cabin crew does not have access to detailed WX information, or even have a forward-facing window to look out of, and so we must rely on the pilots to determine if it's safe. This same captain will berate us for asking how much time we have to complete our cabin service, which he felt we should figure out based on departure time and proposed flight time. The first officer felt that it is a legitimate question, and we need to know for safety reasons if we should modify our service. We ask because it is very common that we arrive earlier or later than scheduled. Fortunately this is the one glaring example of safety concerns and truly poor CRM I have seen at my airline. Most of our pilots are just super- conscientious about safety and very cognizant of our situation back in the cabin. While we did have a very good level of understanding and excellent communication with the first officer, we felt that being stuck flying with someone like that for 2 solid days would take its toll on even the best of pilots. It showed me that you can't take CRM for granted, but also shows that even by the best efforts of the rest of the crew, it may be impossible to overcome the problem of a crew member who has some really unsafe attitudes, or to prevent an unsafe situation from developing!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING 'ATTITUDE' OF CAPT WHICH PUTS ENTIRE CREW AT ODDS. FLT ATTENDANT FEELS THIS IS A REAL SAFETY FACTOR FOR FO AS WELL AS CABIN CREW.

Narrative: THE PROB WAS PRIMARILY DUE TO ATTITUDES OF CAPT ON THIS TRIP. IT WAS A 2-DAY TRIP, SAME CREW BOTH DAYS, 2 CREW IN COCKPIT AND 3 IN CABIN. THE CAPT MADE SOME DECISIONS AND TOOK SOME ACTIONS THAT WE (THE REST OF THE CREW) FELT COMPROMISED SAFETY. IT WAS AN ADVERSARIAL SIT AND IT WAS OBVIOUS THIS PUT UNDUE STRAIN ON THE FO ALSO, WHICH COULD BE A SAFETY PROB. THE CAPT SET THIS ADVERSARIAL TONE IN HIS PREFLT BRIEFING TO THE CABIN CREW. MOST OF IT WAS TO SET UP HIS RULES FOR US, SUCH AS REQUIRING US TO KNOCK ON THE DOOR PRIOR TO ENTERING THE COCKPIT JUST IN CASE THEY WERE READING THE PAPER OR SOMETHING, SO THEY COULD PUT IT ASIDE AND PAX WOULD NOT SEE THEM READING DURING THE FLT. I WANTED TO SAY THAT IF HE WAS SO CONCERNED ABOUT IT PERHAPS HE SHOULD MONITOR HIS INSTS AND NOT READ NEWSPAPERS. HOWEVER, I DID NOT WANT TO ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE BY SOUNDING SARCASTIC OR DISRESPECTFUL. MY UNDERSTANDING IS COMPANY POLICY STATES PLTS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO READ EXTRANEOUS MATERIALS DURING A FLT. APPARENTLY THIS CAPT HAD GOT A PAX COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS AT SOME TIME. WHEN WE WERE DEPARTING FROM LGA, THERE WAS A LONG LINE OF ACFT WAITING TO DEPART (HAD SOME BAD WX IN THE AREA). DURING BOARDING, THE CAPT HAD MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IF FOLKS NEEDED TO USE THE LAVS, NOW WAS A GOOD TIME. THIS ANNOYED THE CABIN CREW AS WE NEEDED TO COMPLETE BOARDING ASAP, WE WERE ALREADY DELAYED DUE TO OUR LATE ARR AT LGA. WE WERE OUT ON A TXWY IN LINE, AND OUT OF THE BLUE THE CAPT MADE ANOTHER PA THAT WE'D BE SITTING THERE 20-25 MINS, AND IF PAX WISHED, THEY COULD USE THE LAVS. THE CABIN CREW WERE SURPRISED AS WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS DONE. WE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT PAX ARE REQUIRED TO REMAIN SEATED WITH SEAT BELTS ON AT THIS TIME. WE WERE ON A TXWY AND WE FELT IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE PLANE WAS IN MOTION RIGHT AT THE MOMENT (IE, NOT OK TO GET UP IF WE HOLD SHORT FOR TFC BEFORE WE CAN CROSS A RWY. WE ALSO FELT THIS GIVES PAX THE IDEA THAT IT'S OK TO GET UP WHEN WE'RE NOT AT THE GATE ON FUTURE FLTS). BELIEVE ME, WE HAVE ENOUGH TROUBLE WITH THAT ANYWAY, ESPECIALLY WITH NEW YORKERS! ALSO SEVERAL PAX WENT TO THE GALLEY FOR A CUP OF WATER, ETC. THIS FORCED US TO GET OUT OF OUR JUMPSEATS FOR NON-SAFETY-RELATED TASKS, AND ALSO NECESSITATED AN EXTRA AISLE CHK, AND WE ALREADY IN OUR SEATS PRIOR TO THIS. AFTER ABOUT 7 MINS, THE CAPT NOTIFIED US WE HAD TO MOVE THE PLANE, SO WE HAD TO RUSH THESE PEOPLE AND TRY TO GET THEM SEATED. THIS TOOK SEVERAL MINS, AND MAY HAVE CAUSED PROBS FOR GND CTL OR PLANES BEHIND US. THE CAPT GOT VERY IMPATIENT AND ACTED AS THOUGH IT WAS OUR FAULT FOR NOT RUSHING THESE PAX FASTER, BUT IT WAS HIS IDEA TO LET THEM UP IN THE FIRST PLACE! HAD HE DISCUSSED IT WITH THE FO OR TOLD US BEFORE HE DID IT, ANY OF US WOULD'VE FELT COMFORTABLE TELLING HIM IT WAS A BAD IDEA. ACCIDENTS COULD HAPPEN ON A TXWY, TOO! ALSO THERE WAS A DISAGREEMENT IN THE COCKPIT, WHICH CAME UP IN CONVERSATION DURING OUR LAYOVER, WHEN THE FO ASKED US TO CLARIFY WHAT WE ARE TAUGHT THE SIGNAL TO RELEASE US FROM OUR JUMPSEAT MEANS. WE ALL CONCURRED THAT OUR TRAINING IS THAT WHEN WE GET THAT SIGNAL, IT MEANS THAT IT IS SAFE TO GET UP FROM OUR JUMPSEATS. THE FO THEN TOLD US DURING A CLBOUT CHKLIST THAT THE CAPT WAS GOING TO RELEASE US, BUT THE FO REFUSED TO, DUE TO UPCOMING TURB. THE FO HAD POINTED OUT THAT THE CABIN CREW WOULD TAKE IT TO MEAN IT WAS SAFE TO BEGIN SVC, AND THE CAPT RESPONDED THAT THE CABIN CREW SHOULD FIGURE OUT WHETHER IT WAS SAFE ON OUR OWN. THE FO HAD COUNTERED THAT THE CABIN CREW DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO DETAILED WX INFO, OR EVEN HAVE A FORWARD-FACING WINDOW TO LOOK OUT OF, AND SO WE MUST RELY ON THE PLTS TO DETERMINE IF IT'S SAFE. THIS SAME CAPT WILL BERATE US FOR ASKING HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE TO COMPLETE OUR CABIN SVC, WHICH HE FELT WE SHOULD FIGURE OUT BASED ON DEP TIME AND PROPOSED FLT TIME. THE FO FELT THAT IT IS A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, AND WE NEED TO KNOW FOR SAFETY REASONS IF WE SHOULD MODIFY OUR SVC. WE ASK BECAUSE IT IS VERY COMMON THAT WE ARRIVE EARLIER OR LATER THAN SCHEDULED. FORTUNATELY THIS IS THE ONE GLARING EXAMPLE OF SAFETY CONCERNS AND TRULY POOR CRM I HAVE SEEN AT MY AIRLINE. MOST OF OUR PLTS ARE JUST SUPER- CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT SAFETY AND VERY COGNIZANT OF OUR SIT BACK IN THE CABIN. WHILE WE DID HAVE A VERY GOOD LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING AND EXCELLENT COM WITH THE FO, WE FELT THAT BEING STUCK FLYING WITH SOMEONE LIKE THAT FOR 2 SOLID DAYS WOULD TAKE ITS TOLL ON EVEN THE BEST OF PLTS. IT SHOWED ME THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE CRM FOR GRANTED, BUT ALSO SHOWS THAT EVEN BY THE BEST EFFORTS OF THE REST OF THE CREW, IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERCOME THE PROB OF A CREW MEMBER WHO HAS SOME REALLY UNSAFE ATTITUDES, OR TO PREVENT AN UNSAFE SIT FROM DEVELOPING!

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.