Narrative:

Passenger boarded while cockpit crew completed before start checklist, contacted ramp agent on headset and affirmed 'a's' off brakes set. Excused myself off headset to secure cockpit door. Flight attendant disengaged bungee cord, handed me napkin with passenger count, pushing cockpit door toward me. I asked if they had found a volunteer to move so that a late boarding mother and child could situation together. They had, so door was shut and we were pinned in. Seat raised, door locked, pushback commenced. About 10 seconds into push, flight attendant rang twice and said that a game of 'musical chairs' had begun. I informed tug crew and said to be very gentle -- a plane was approaching the gate for taxi in and did not want to compromise our clearance nor did I want him to put on the brakes and possibly cause a passenger to lose their balance. The passenger sat down within 10 seconds and pushback was completed. Flight attendant later informed me that an FAA employee had made a minor issue of it and had given her his business card. I would like to point out that with our current security procedures of closing and locking and pinning the cockpit door, if someone does stand up or there is a need to get in touch with the cockpit, there will be a delay in communicating the particulars of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC PUSH BACK WITH PAX NOT SEATED. FAA INSPECTOR ABOARD INFORMED CABIN ATTENDANT OF NOTICING ERROR.

Narrative: PAX BOARDED WHILE COCKPIT CREW COMPLETED BEFORE START CHKLIST, CONTACTED RAMP AGENT ON HEADSET AND AFFIRMED 'A'S' OFF BRAKES SET. EXCUSED MYSELF OFF HEADSET TO SECURE COCKPIT DOOR. FLT ATTENDANT DISENGAGED BUNGEE CORD, HANDED ME NAPKIN WITH PAX COUNT, PUSHING COCKPIT DOOR TOWARD ME. I ASKED IF THEY HAD FOUND A VOLUNTEER TO MOVE SO THAT A LATE BOARDING MOTHER AND CHILD COULD SIT TOGETHER. THEY HAD, SO DOOR WAS SHUT AND WE WERE PINNED IN. SEAT RAISED, DOOR LOCKED, PUSHBACK COMMENCED. ABOUT 10 SECONDS INTO PUSH, FLT ATTENDANT RANG TWICE AND SAID THAT A GAME OF 'MUSICAL CHAIRS' HAD BEGUN. I INFORMED TUG CREW AND SAID TO BE VERY GENTLE -- A PLANE WAS APCHING THE GATE FOR TAXI IN AND DID NOT WANT TO COMPROMISE OUR CLRNC NOR DID I WANT HIM TO PUT ON THE BRAKES AND POSSIBLY CAUSE A PAX TO LOSE THEIR BAL. THE PAX SAT DOWN WITHIN 10 SECONDS AND PUSHBACK WAS COMPLETED. FLT ATTENDANT LATER INFORMED ME THAT AN FAA EMPLOYEE HAD MADE A MINOR ISSUE OF IT AND HAD GIVEN HER HIS BUSINESS CARD. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WITH OUR CURRENT SECURITY PROCS OF CLOSING AND LOCKING AND PINNING THE COCKPIT DOOR, IF SOMEONE DOES STAND UP OR THERE IS A NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE COCKPIT, THERE WILL BE A DELAY IN COMMUNICATING THE PARTICULARS OF THE SIT.

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.