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B737 flight crew; during preflight; is interrupted and interfered with in the cockpit by the customer service agent. The flight crew felt pressured and were concerned with the affect it had on their preflight duties.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 688360 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200602 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ord.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : eug.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 688360 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
We arrived at the aircraft in timely manner and were completing our preflight duties. The first officer found what appeared to be a hydraulic leak on the right wing from the lower aft edge of a leading edge slat. We called maintenance with the problem to come out and look at it. I then had a question on a non-related MEL and called maintenance again for more information. Things were getting busy on the flight deck and we were getting numerous interruptions; increasing our workload and limiting our ability to complete checks and other duties. While I was on a second cell phone call to maintenance; the first officer was actuating flaps and spoilers at the request of the mechanic. The first officer's cockpit window was open and it was noisy. A customer service agent entered the cockpit and began talking loudly asking 'when are you doing to be ready to leave? I need this gate for another aircraft.' I said 'I don't know; I'm on the phone trying to figure this out; give me a min.' she said; 'I need to know now.' I said; 'just wait a min.' she then said; 'I'm not talking to you; I'm talking to him;' referring to the first officer. I said again; 'wait a min; I can't hear when you are talking; I am on the phone.' she said a second time; 'I am not talking to you; I am talking to him.' I then said; 'stop.' the maintenance controller on the phone heard this and said to me; 'throw her out of the cockpit.' she said to me a third time; 'I am not talking to you; I am talking to him.' she was rude; belligerent and grossly unconcerned with the seriousness of our duties. She finally stormed out of the cockpit. Later my 'a' flight attendant said she was treated in a similar manner when our 'a' tried to gate check first class passenger carry-ONS. According to the flight attendant; she rudely said 'put them in the overheads.' when told that there was no room; she again got rude. This is a wonton disregard for FAA cabin safety regulations. I am filing another report with air carrier X and asking a complaint be filed with air carrier Y. I never got the agent's name.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 FLT CREW; DURING PREFLT; IS INTERRUPTED AND INTERFERED WITH IN THE COCKPIT BY THE CUSTOMER SVC AGENT. THE FLT CREW FELT PRESSURED AND WERE CONCERNED WITH THE AFFECT IT HAD ON THEIR PREFLT DUTIES.
Narrative: WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT IN TIMELY MANNER AND WERE COMPLETING OUR PREFLT DUTIES. THE FO FOUND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A HYD LEAK ON THE R WING FROM THE LOWER AFT EDGE OF A LEADING EDGE SLAT. WE CALLED MAINT WITH THE PROB TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT IT. I THEN HAD A QUESTION ON A NON-RELATED MEL AND CALLED MAINT AGAIN FOR MORE INFO. THINGS WERE GETTING BUSY ON THE FLT DECK AND WE WERE GETTING NUMEROUS INTERRUPTIONS; INCREASING OUR WORKLOAD AND LIMITING OUR ABILITY TO COMPLETE CHKS AND OTHER DUTIES. WHILE I WAS ON A SECOND CELL PHONE CALL TO MAINT; THE FO WAS ACTUATING FLAPS AND SPOILERS AT THE REQUEST OF THE MECH. THE FO'S COCKPIT WINDOW WAS OPEN AND IT WAS NOISY. A CUSTOMER SVC AGENT ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN TALKING LOUDLY ASKING 'WHEN ARE YOU DOING TO BE READY TO LEAVE? I NEED THIS GATE FOR ANOTHER ACFT.' I SAID 'I DON'T KNOW; I'M ON THE PHONE TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT; GIVE ME A MIN.' SHE SAID; 'I NEED TO KNOW NOW.' I SAID; 'JUST WAIT A MIN.' SHE THEN SAID; 'I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU; I'M TALKING TO HIM;' REFERRING TO THE FO. I SAID AGAIN; 'WAIT A MIN; I CAN'T HEAR WHEN YOU ARE TALKING; I AM ON THE PHONE.' SHE SAID A SECOND TIME; 'I AM NOT TALKING TO YOU; I AM TALKING TO HIM.' I THEN SAID; 'STOP.' THE MAINT CTLR ON THE PHONE HEARD THIS AND SAID TO ME; 'THROW HER OUT OF THE COCKPIT.' SHE SAID TO ME A THIRD TIME; 'I AM NOT TALKING TO YOU; I AM TALKING TO HIM.' SHE WAS RUDE; BELLIGERENT AND GROSSLY UNCONCERNED WITH THE SERIOUSNESS OF OUR DUTIES. SHE FINALLY STORMED OUT OF THE COCKPIT. LATER MY 'A' FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE WAS TREATED IN A SIMILAR MANNER WHEN OUR 'A' TRIED TO GATE CHK FIRST CLASS PAX CARRY-ONS. ACCORDING TO THE FLT ATTENDANT; SHE RUDELY SAID 'PUT THEM IN THE OVERHEADS.' WHEN TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO ROOM; SHE AGAIN GOT RUDE. THIS IS A WONTON DISREGARD FOR FAA CABIN SAFETY REGS. I AM FILING ANOTHER RPT WITH ACR X AND ASKING A COMPLAINT BE FILED WITH ACR Y. I NEVER GOT THE AGENT'S NAME.
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.