B767 crew blocked at the gate. United states customs officials directed the aircraft doors remain cl...

Attributes
ACN	544573
Time
Date	200204
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier other
Function	flight crew : captain observation : passenger oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	544573
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 6
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company FAA
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Timely opening of entry door. Upon arrival to the gate, I was informed that the door would remain closed until customs were ready for the passenger. I had several concerns about this because we had no ready egress from the aircraft because the doors were unarmed and the front door was closed. The situation was discussed with the chief pilot of boston. He had people open the door. My concerns were addressed and confirmed, that if the doors were still armed at the gate, they would deploy on top of the ground equipment and refuelers. There needs to be a coordinated effort between customs and the ramp to warn us if there will be a hold, so the passenger can be informed, to avoid the rush on the front door. Also, the agents need to make a PA to inform them that it is a customs problem, and not air carrier's. It also needs to be clarified that the flight attendants will be paid holding time from brakes parked until passenger release. The jetbridge should be the last to leave the aircraft prior to departure and the first to arrive after the aircraft arrival with the door opened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW BLOCKED AT THE GATE. UNITED STATES CUSTOMS OFFICIALS DIRECTED THE ACFT DOORS REMAIN CLOSED LEAVING THE PAX NO WAY OUT OF THE ACFT IF AN EMER OCCURRED.

Narrative: TIMELY OPENING OF ENTRY DOOR. UPON ARR TO THE GATE, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE DOOR WOULD REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL CUSTOMS WERE READY FOR THE PAX. I HAD SEVERAL CONCERNS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE HAD NO READY EGRESS FROM THE ACFT BECAUSE THE DOORS WERE UNARMED AND THE FRONT DOOR WAS CLOSED. THE SIT WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE CHIEF PLT OF BOSTON. HE HAD PEOPLE OPEN THE DOOR. MY CONCERNS WERE ADDRESSED AND CONFIRMED, THAT IF THE DOORS WERE STILL ARMED AT THE GATE, THEY WOULD DEPLOY ON TOP OF THE GND EQUIP AND REFUELERS. THERE NEEDS TO BE A COORDINATED EFFORT BTWN CUSTOMS AND THE RAMP TO WARN US IF THERE WILL BE A HOLD, SO THE PAX CAN BE INFORMED, TO AVOID THE RUSH ON THE FRONT DOOR. ALSO, THE AGENTS NEED TO MAKE A PA TO INFORM THEM THAT IT IS A CUSTOMS PROB, AND NOT ACR'S. IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WILL BE PAID HOLDING TIME FROM BRAKES PARKED UNTIL PAX RELEASE. THE JETBRIDGE SHOULD BE THE LAST TO LEAVE THE ACFT PRIOR TO DEP AND THE FIRST TO ARRIVE AFTER THE ACFT ARR WITH THE DOOR OPENED.

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.

B767 crew blocked at the gate. United states customs officials directed the aircraft doors remain closed leaving the passenger no way out of the aircraft if an emergency occurred.