Narrative:

#2 flight attendant calls to tell me a 6 yr old male passenger, with an assigned seat, has an infant in lap. His mother (sitting next to him) has another infant in lap. I tell passenger service. Agent's response is that regulations do not prohibit a child from holding an infant. The flight attendant safety manual mentions infants in relation to adults. An absence of a clear prohibition should not supersede common sense. Captain was told of situation, yet did not support flight attendant's opinion. This situation is a dangerous one, which may be repeating itself every day, several times over. Without a well-established and clear policy, flight attendants may be subject to corporate discipline for erring on the side of safety and common sense. A child should not be holding another child. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he reviewed his flight attendant manual after this incident and all references to lap children indicate an 'adult' holding the child. Thus, reporter feels there is no allowance for a child to hold a lap child. He feels there is a tremendous safety issue here. He received no support from the gate agent or the captain who just wanted to get the flight underway. He has submitted a written report to the company and spoken with his supervisor but no indication of any follow up action. Reporter was referred to the hotline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING A LAP CHILD WHO WAS HELD BY A 6 YR OLD CHILD.

Narrative: #2 FLT ATTENDANT CALLS TO TELL ME A 6 YR OLD MALE PAX, WITH AN ASSIGNED SEAT, HAS AN INFANT IN LAP. HIS MOTHER (SITTING NEXT TO HIM) HAS ANOTHER INFANT IN LAP. I TELL PAX SVC. AGENT'S RESPONSE IS THAT REGS DO NOT PROHIBIT A CHILD FROM HOLDING AN INFANT. THE FLT ATTENDANT SAFETY MANUAL MENTIONS INFANTS IN RELATION TO ADULTS. AN ABSENCE OF A CLR PROHIBITION SHOULD NOT SUPERSEDE COMMON SENSE. CAPT WAS TOLD OF SIT, YET DID NOT SUPPORT FLT ATTENDANT'S OPINION. THIS SIT IS A DANGEROUS ONE, WHICH MAY BE REPEATING ITSELF EVERY DAY, SEVERAL TIMES OVER. WITHOUT A WELL-ESTABLISHED AND CLR POLICY, FLT ATTENDANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CORPORATE DISCIPLINE FOR ERRING ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY AND COMMON SENSE. A CHILD SHOULD NOT BE HOLDING ANOTHER CHILD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE REVIEWED HIS FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL AFTER THIS INCIDENT AND ALL REFS TO LAP CHILDREN INDICATE AN 'ADULT' HOLDING THE CHILD. THUS, RPTR FEELS THERE IS NO ALLOWANCE FOR A CHILD TO HOLD A LAP CHILD. HE FEELS THERE IS A TREMENDOUS SAFETY ISSUE HERE. HE RECEIVED NO SUPPORT FROM THE GATE AGENT OR THE CAPT WHO JUST WANTED TO GET THE FLT UNDERWAY. HE HAS SUBMITTED A WRITTEN RPT TO THE COMPANY AND SPOKEN WITH HIS SUPVR BUT NO INDICATION OF ANY FOLLOW UP ACTION. RPTR WAS REFERRED TO THE HOTLINE.

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.