Narrative:

Boarded aircraft on time with crew. I was flight attendant #7 sitting at 4L. In accordance with my flight attendant's manual; I performed my preflight safety inspection. In the course of those checks; I noticed that the door pressure gauge was not in the green band. In fact; the yellow needle clearly had portions of the red band on either side. I immediately notified the purser; who then requested a mechanic. When the mechanic arrived; he looked at the gauge and remarked; 'make yourselves comfortable.' he left to tend to the issue. Shortly afterward; the first officer came back to introduce himself and to look on the flight attendant view panel. I explained the problem to him and asked him to relay the issue to the captain. A short time later; the mechanic returned with another mechanic (perhaps a foreman) who then looked at the gauge. He acknowledged that the needle was not in the green band as required and stated; 'we don't have any slides here.' he went on to explain that there is a new agreement between air carrier X and the FAA that permits air carrier X to allow the flight to be discharged with a door pressure gauge outside of the green band so long as the flight is on the ground for less than two hours. Apparently; the two hours is meant to allow a cold door pressure bottle to acclimate to the ambient temperature thus rendering an accurate reading. The temperature on this day was 97 degrees and a heat warning had been issued by the national WX service. In my view the bottle would have reached ambient temperature very quickly in this heat. Since I had dealt with this very same issue weeks previously on the ZZZZ flight; I knew something about this agreement and asked him how long it had been in effect. He stated that it had been about two months. Since the plane had been on the ground less than two hours; he felt that the aircraft would probably be discharged. I pointed out that the aircraft would have much more than two hours on the ground in ZZZZ1 and that they would not have any replacement slides available there either. He stated that that was up to the mechanics in ZZZZ1 and that perhaps one could be flown in there. I told him that if the plane was discharged; that it would likely return in the same unsafe condition. A few moments after they left; I called the purser; and asked to find out from the cockpit what time the plane had landed. After checking with the captain; I was told that the plane landed at xa:15. After discussing this with another flight attendant; we realized that with our departure time scheduled at xc:20; the ground time would be 2:05; five minutes over the time allowed by the FAA. I then called the cockpit and spoke with the captain. He stated that he would come back and take a look at the door. When he arrived; he acknowledged that the yellow needle was not in the green band and stated that there were no slides in stock that could be used as a replacement. I pointed out that the plane could go with an inoperable door so long as the required number of passenger were moved away from the area. The requirements are spelled out in detail in our flight attendant manual; and date back to january/sat/2005. I told him that the only alternative was to replace the slide but that I did not have any confidence that there was sufficient air in the bottle to fully inflate the slide in an emergency evacuation. I pointed out that the flight was fully loaded with passenger and repeatedly stated my concerns about the viability of the slide should an evacuation be required. I mentioned the ground time in ZZZZ1 and that the issue would have to be addressed there; which might result in a cancellation or lengthy delay. He listened to my concerns and then returned to the cockpit. As departure time approached; it became clear that no action was going to be taken. I telephoned onboard services supervisor on my cell phone to express my concerns. Services supervisor placed me on hold and called maintenance. They told the services supervisor that they 'felt' the slide was ok; as did the captain. No objective criteria was offered allowing the aircraft to be dispatched. At no point did anyone indicate that moving passenger from thearea was being considered; nor did anyone suggest that the slide would be replaced. Instead; the only reaction I heard was that 'no replacement slide was available' regardless of the ground time and no one had any interest in taking one from another aircraft or switching aircraft. It was clear at that point that air carrier intended to dispatch the aircraft with a door inflation bottle that may or may not be capable of inflating the evacuation slide fully. Rather than run that risk; I chose to disembark the aircraft. The flight departed without me. As I mentioned earlier; I had the same situation three weeks ago on a flight to ZZZZ. In that instance; the door was 4R. The needle was in the exact same position with red clearly visible on both sides of the needle. Since the plane was on the ground for more than two hours; I was told by the mechanic then that the slide would have to be replaced. The captain on that flight had looked at the gauge; declared it ok; and was overridden by the mechanic foreman who explained the procedure. That is when I first heard of this two hour agreement with the FAA. What; then; accounts for the different results with two identical slide pressure gauges and ground times greater than two hours? How can a captain say a slide is ok when it clearly is not? To my knowledge; this aircraft has now made three trans-atlantic crossings with the door slide indicator at 4L outside of the green band; despite the fact that the plane has had a ground time in excess of two hours on at least two occasions. It is my hope that; if that slide is needed in an evacuation; that there will be enough air in the door bottle to inflate it fully. Hopefully; it will get replaced before we find out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the escape slide bottle pressure indicator yellow needle had red on each side of the needle and no question that it was out of limits. Checking the slide bottle pressure is part of pre departure cabin check and is done by the handbook. The other door slide bottle pressures were all found in the green band. Reporter left the airplane prior to departure and a replacement was required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS ON CONFUSING AND CONTRADICTORY COMPANY PROCS CONCERNING DOOR ESCAPE SLIDE BOTTLE PRESSURE LIMITS.

Narrative: BOARDED ACFT ON TIME WITH CREW. I WAS FLT ATTENDANT #7 SITTING AT 4L. IN ACCORDANCE WITH MY FLT ATTENDANT'S MANUAL; I PERFORMED MY PREFLT SAFETY INSPECTION. IN THE COURSE OF THOSE CHKS; I NOTICED THAT THE DOOR PRESSURE GAUGE WAS NOT IN THE GREEN BAND. IN FACT; THE YELLOW NEEDLE CLEARLY HAD PORTIONS OF THE RED BAND ON EITHER SIDE. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE PURSER; WHO THEN REQUESTED A MECHANIC. WHEN THE MECHANIC ARRIVED; HE LOOKED AT THE GAUGE AND REMARKED; 'MAKE YOURSELVES COMFORTABLE.' HE LEFT TO TEND TO THE ISSUE. SHORTLY AFTERWARD; THE FO CAME BACK TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND TO LOOK ON THE FLT ATTENDANT VIEW PANEL. I EXPLAINED THE PROB TO HIM AND ASKED HIM TO RELAY THE ISSUE TO THE CAPT. A SHORT TIME LATER; THE MECHANIC RETURNED WITH ANOTHER MECHANIC (PERHAPS A FOREMAN) WHO THEN LOOKED AT THE GAUGE. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE NEEDLE WAS NOT IN THE GREEN BAND AS REQUIRED AND STATED; 'WE DON'T HAVE ANY SLIDES HERE.' HE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THERE IS A NEW AGREEMENT BETWEEN ACR X AND THE FAA THAT PERMITS ACR X TO ALLOW THE FLT TO BE DISCHARGED WITH A DOOR PRESSURE GAUGE OUTSIDE OF THE GREEN BAND SO LONG AS THE FLT IS ON THE GND FOR LESS THAN TWO HOURS. APPARENTLY; THE TWO HOURS IS MEANT TO ALLOW A COLD DOOR PRESSURE BOTTLE TO ACCLIMATE TO THE AMBIENT TEMP THUS RENDERING AN ACCURATE READING. THE TEMP ON THIS DAY WAS 97 DEGS AND A HEAT WARNING HAD BEEN ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WX SVC. IN MY VIEW THE BOTTLE WOULD HAVE REACHED AMBIENT TEMP VERY QUICKLY IN THIS HEAT. SINCE I HAD DEALT WITH THIS VERY SAME ISSUE WEEKS PREVIOUSLY ON THE ZZZZ FLT; I KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT THIS AGREEMENT AND ASKED HIM HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN IN EFFECT. HE STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN ABOUT TWO MONTHS. SINCE THE PLANE HAD BEEN ON THE GND LESS THAN TWO HOURS; HE FELT THAT THE ACFT WOULD PROBABLY BE DISCHARGED. I POINTED OUT THAT THE ACFT WOULD HAVE MUCH MORE THAN TWO HOURS ON THE GND IN ZZZZ1 AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE ANY REPLACEMENT SLIDES AVAILABLE THERE EITHER. HE STATED THAT THAT WAS UP TO THE MECHANICS IN ZZZZ1 AND THAT PERHAPS ONE COULD BE FLOWN IN THERE. I TOLD HIM THAT IF THE PLANE WAS DISCHARGED; THAT IT WOULD LIKELY RETURN IN THE SAME UNSAFE CONDITION. A FEW MOMENTS AFTER THEY LEFT; I CALLED THE PURSER; AND ASKED TO FIND OUT FROM THE COCKPIT WHAT TIME THE PLANE HAD LANDED. AFTER CHKING WITH THE CAPT; I WAS TOLD THAT THE PLANE LANDED AT XA:15. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS WITH ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT; WE REALIZED THAT WITH OUR DEP TIME SCHEDULED AT XC:20; THE GND TIME WOULD BE 2:05; FIVE MINUTES OVER THE TIME ALLOWED BY THE FAA. I THEN CALLED THE COCKPIT AND SPOKE WITH THE CAPT. HE STATED THAT HE WOULD COME BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE DOOR. WHEN HE ARRIVED; HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE YELLOW NEEDLE WAS NOT IN THE GREEN BAND AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO SLIDES IN STOCK THAT COULD BE USED AS A REPLACEMENT. I POINTED OUT THAT THE PLANE COULD GO WITH AN INOPERABLE DOOR SO LONG AS THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF PAX WERE MOVED AWAY FROM THE AREA. THE REQUIREMENTS ARE SPELLED OUT IN DETAIL IN OUR FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL; AND DATE BACK TO JANUARY/SAT/2005. I TOLD HIM THAT THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE WAS TO REPLACE THE SLIDE BUT THAT I DID NOT HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT AIR IN THE BOTTLE TO FULLY INFLATE THE SLIDE IN AN EMER EVACUATION. I POINTED OUT THAT THE FLT WAS FULLY LOADED WITH PAX AND REPEATEDLY STATED MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE VIABILITY OF THE SLIDE SHOULD AN EVACUATION BE REQUIRED. I MENTIONED THE GND TIME IN ZZZZ1 AND THAT THE ISSUE WOULD HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED THERE; WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN A CANCELLATION OR LENGTHY DELAY. HE LISTENED TO MY CONCERNS AND THEN RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. AS DEP TIME APCHED; IT BECAME CLR THAT NO ACTION WAS GOING TO BE TAKEN. I TELEPHONED ONBOARD SVCS SUPVR ON MY CELL PHONE TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS. SVCS SUPVR PLACED ME ON HOLD AND CALLED MAINT. THEY TOLD THE SVCS SUPVR THAT THEY 'FELT' THE SLIDE WAS OK; AS DID THE CAPT. NO OBJECTIVE CRITERIA WAS OFFERED ALLOWING THE ACFT TO BE DISPATCHED. AT NO POINT DID ANYONE INDICATE THAT MOVING PAX FROM THEAREA WAS BEING CONSIDERED; NOR DID ANYONE SUGGEST THAT THE SLIDE WOULD BE REPLACED. INSTEAD; THE ONLY REACTION I HEARD WAS THAT 'NO REPLACEMENT SLIDE WAS AVAILABLE' REGARDLESS OF THE GND TIME AND NO ONE HAD ANY INTEREST IN TAKING ONE FROM ANOTHER ACFT OR SWITCHING ACFT. IT WAS CLR AT THAT POINT THAT ACR INTENDED TO DISPATCH THE ACFT WITH A DOOR INFLATION BOTTLE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE CAPABLE OF INFLATING THE EVACUATION SLIDE FULLY. RATHER THAN RUN THAT RISK; I CHOSE TO DISEMBARK THE ACFT. THE FLT DEPARTED WITHOUT ME. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER; I HAD THE SAME SIT THREE WEEKS AGO ON A FLT TO ZZZZ. IN THAT INSTANCE; THE DOOR WAS 4R. THE NEEDLE WAS IN THE EXACT SAME POSITION WITH RED CLEARLY VISIBLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE NEEDLE. SINCE THE PLANE WAS ON THE GND FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS; I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THEN THAT THE SLIDE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CAPT ON THAT FLT HAD LOOKED AT THE GAUGE; DECLARED IT OK; AND WAS OVERRIDDEN BY THE MECHANIC FOREMAN WHO EXPLAINED THE PROC. THAT IS WHEN I FIRST HEARD OF THIS TWO HOUR AGREEMENT WITH THE FAA. WHAT; THEN; ACCOUNTS FOR THE DIFFERENT RESULTS WITH TWO IDENTICAL SLIDE PRESSURE GAUGES AND GND TIMES GREATER THAN TWO HOURS? HOW CAN A CAPT SAY A SLIDE IS OK WHEN IT CLEARLY IS NOT? TO MY KNOWLEDGE; THIS ACFT HAS NOW MADE THREE TRANS-ATLANTIC CROSSINGS WITH THE DOOR SLIDE INDICATOR AT 4L OUTSIDE OF THE GREEN BAND; DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE PLANE HAS HAD A GND TIME IN EXCESS OF TWO HOURS ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS. IT IS MY HOPE THAT; IF THAT SLIDE IS NEEDED IN AN EVACUATION; THAT THERE WILL BE ENOUGH AIR IN THE DOOR BOTTLE TO INFLATE IT FULLY. HOPEFULLY; IT WILL GET REPLACED BEFORE WE FIND OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE ESCAPE SLIDE BOTTLE PRESSURE INDICATOR YELLOW NEEDLE HAD RED ON EACH SIDE OF THE NEEDLE AND NO QUESTION THAT IT WAS OUT OF LIMITS. CHKING THE SLIDE BOTTLE PRESSURE IS PART OF PRE DEP CABIN CHK AND IS DONE BY THE HANDBOOK. THE OTHER DOOR SLIDE BOTTLE PRESSURES WERE ALL FOUND IN THE GREEN BAND. RPTR LEFT THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO DEP AND A REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.