Narrative:

I briefed the flight attendants prior to flight about the need to strictly follow the cart security procedures. The flight attendant working the fc galley refused to follow security SOP. I spoke to her at least 2 times during the flight trying to convey the SOP and the rationale behind it. The first officer also spoke to her. Even so, the flight attendant seemed to be ambivalent about security and instead complained about the lack of staffing, etc. During the flight, she did not place the cart across the aisle on several occasions. Did not have someone manning the cart when she came into the cockpit. Did not use the electronic pad as instructed but an uncoordinated knock instead. Did not clear the lavs prior to entry into the cockpit. When I exited the cockpit, I found the DH captain coming out of the lav which the flight attendant obviously did not know about. Was not going to place the cart across the aisle for my re-entry even after our discussion until I insisted upon it. Did not visually identify me prior to opening the cockpit door on one occasion. Left the cart across the aisle unattended for long periods of time, according to deadheading pilots in fc. I called the purser to the cockpit and explained what had happened and the need to brief her crew on security procedures. The purser was very cooperative. The lack of respect and knowledge of cockpit door procedures seems to be widespread amongst the flight attendant group. I make it a habit to specifically brief these procedures to the flight attendants prior to flight, but have noticed that the procedures are not being followed much of the time. Flight attendants seem to have a lack of knowledge about the reinforced door, especially the emergency procedure. Also, they seem not to understand the need to minimize the time that the door is open, taking time to pass trays back and forth with the door open, etc. Also, flight attendants seem to not understand the priority that the cockpit demands when they are asked to come up, citing that their cabins take priority. This needs to be corrected. Deadheading pilot later told me that he had become very uncomfortable with the situation as viewed from the cabin. I believe that cockpit door procedures need to be re-briefed to the flight attendant group and strict compliance to the SOP must be required as soon as possible. Also, they should be briefed that the physiological needs of the pilots take priority over the cabin service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF B777 RPTS REPEATED FAILURE OF CABIN ATTENDANTS TO FOLLOW PRESCRIBED AIRBORNE SECURITY PROCS.

Narrative: I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS PRIOR TO FLT ABOUT THE NEED TO STRICTLY FOLLOW THE CART SECURITY PROCS. THE FLT ATTENDANT WORKING THE FC GALLEY REFUSED TO FOLLOW SECURITY SOP. I SPOKE TO HER AT LEAST 2 TIMES DURING THE FLT TRYING TO CONVEY THE SOP AND THE RATIONALE BEHIND IT. THE FO ALSO SPOKE TO HER. EVEN SO, THE FLT ATTENDANT SEEMED TO BE AMBIVALENT ABOUT SECURITY AND INSTEAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LACK OF STAFFING, ETC. DURING THE FLT, SHE DID NOT PLACE THE CART ACROSS THE AISLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. DID NOT HAVE SOMEONE MANNING THE CART WHEN SHE CAME INTO THE COCKPIT. DID NOT USE THE ELECTRONIC PAD AS INSTRUCTED BUT AN UNCOORDINATED KNOCK INSTEAD. DID NOT CLR THE LAVS PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO THE COCKPIT. WHEN I EXITED THE COCKPIT, I FOUND THE DH CAPT COMING OUT OF THE LAV WHICH THE FLT ATTENDANT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT. WAS NOT GOING TO PLACE THE CART ACROSS THE AISLE FOR MY RE-ENTRY EVEN AFTER OUR DISCUSSION UNTIL I INSISTED UPON IT. DID NOT VISUALLY IDENTIFY ME PRIOR TO OPENING THE COCKPIT DOOR ON ONE OCCASION. LEFT THE CART ACROSS THE AISLE UNATTENDED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, ACCORDING TO DEADHEADING PLTS IN FC. I CALLED THE PURSER TO THE COCKPIT AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THE NEED TO BRIEF HER CREW ON SECURITY PROCS. THE PURSER WAS VERY COOPERATIVE. THE LACK OF RESPECT AND KNOWLEDGE OF COCKPIT DOOR PROCS SEEMS TO BE WIDESPREAD AMONGST THE FLT ATTENDANT GROUP. I MAKE IT A HABIT TO SPECIFICALLY BRIEF THESE PROCS TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS PRIOR TO FLT, BUT HAVE NOTICED THAT THE PROCS ARE NOT BEING FOLLOWED MUCH OF THE TIME. FLT ATTENDANTS SEEM TO HAVE A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE REINFORCED DOOR, ESPECIALLY THE EMER PROC. ALSO, THEY SEEM NOT TO UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO MINIMIZE THE TIME THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN, TAKING TIME TO PASS TRAYS BACK AND FORTH WITH THE DOOR OPEN, ETC. ALSO, FLT ATTENDANTS SEEM TO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITY THAT THE COCKPIT DEMANDS WHEN THEY ARE ASKED TO COME UP, CITING THAT THEIR CABINS TAKE PRIORITY. THIS NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. DEADHEADING PLT LATER TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BECOME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE SITUATION AS VIEWED FROM THE CABIN. I BELIEVE THAT COCKPIT DOOR PROCS NEED TO BE RE-BRIEFED TO THE FLT ATTENDANT GROUP AND STRICT COMPLIANCE TO THE SOP MUST BE REQUIRED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ALSO, THEY SHOULD BE BRIEFED THAT THE PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS OF THE PLTS TAKE PRIORITY OVER THE CABIN SERVICE.

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.