Narrative:

Purser advised me that all the caps covering the evacuate/evacuation alarm activation buttons in the cabin at flight attendant's jump seats were safety wired. The flight attendants took all the safety wires off and called maintenance. Maintenance rewired all the caps and a 1 hour delay ensued. During the course of this delay, several different employee groups got involved including maintenance control, of course the pilots and flight attendants, local in-flight supervisor, and manager onboard service operations. During this hour, we determined that 2 other aircraft parked at the gate were not safety wired. I learned that the flight attendants were not trained to break safety wire prior to activating an evacuate/evacuation alarm. I learned that nowhere in their manuals does it state that a flight attendant has to break safety wire prior to evacuate/evacuation alarm activation. Lastly, I also learned that maintenance control has absolutely no guidance concerning this. This is a problem. Local maintenance thought that since the caps had the capability to be wired, it would be an FAA violation if they were not. Nobody knew the answer to this question. FYI, the airplane had just gotten out of a 'C' check a few days prior, and we all guessed it was there when it was safetied. I have advised pilot union, B767 safety committee representative. He will follow up with safety representative. P.south. Maintenance said to go without!

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 CREW TOOK A DELAY TRYING TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE ESCAPE ALARM SWITCHES AT THE FLT ATTENDANT STATIONS SHOULD BE SAFETY WIRED.

Narrative: PURSER ADVISED ME THAT ALL THE CAPS COVERING THE EVAC ALARM ACTIVATION BUTTONS IN THE CABIN AT FLT ATTENDANT'S JUMP SEATS WERE SAFETY WIRED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS TOOK ALL THE SAFETY WIRES OFF AND CALLED MAINT. MAINT REWIRED ALL THE CAPS AND A 1 HR DELAY ENSUED. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS DELAY, SEVERAL DIFFERENT EMPLOYEE GROUPS GOT INVOLVED INCLUDING MAINT CTL, OF COURSE THE PLTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS, LCL INFLT SUPVR, AND MGR ONBOARD SVC OPS. DURING THIS HR, WE DETERMINED THAT 2 OTHER ACFT PARKED AT THE GATE WERE NOT SAFETY WIRED. I LEARNED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOT TRAINED TO BREAK SAFETY WIRE PRIOR TO ACTIVATING AN EVAC ALARM. I LEARNED THAT NOWHERE IN THEIR MANUALS DOES IT STATE THAT A FLT ATTENDANT HAS TO BREAK SAFETY WIRE PRIOR TO EVAC ALARM ACTIVATION. LASTLY, I ALSO LEARNED THAT MAINT CTL HAS ABSOLUTELY NO GUIDANCE CONCERNING THIS. THIS IS A PROB. LCL MAINT THOUGHT THAT SINCE THE CAPS HAD THE CAPABILITY TO BE WIRED, IT WOULD BE AN FAA VIOLATION IF THEY WERE NOT. NOBODY KNEW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. FYI, THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF A 'C' CHK A FEW DAYS PRIOR, AND WE ALL GUESSED IT WAS THERE WHEN IT WAS SAFETIED. I HAVE ADVISED PLT UNION, B767 SAFETY COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE. HE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE. P.S. MAINT SAID TO GO WITHOUT!

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.