Cabin attendant reports passenger agent closed boarding door after being advised that there was no s...

Attributes
ACN	697849
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
ASRS Report	697849
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	697849
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

As we started boarding our aircraft for our departure to chicago; all flight attendants were in the aisle tending to FAA regulated duties. Once the bins filled up; I called to let the agent know the bins were full. Passenger kept coming down with roller boards. When the agent approached the door to the aircraft; I told her not to close the door as we had bags to check. Her response to me was 'I don't want to open the pit at this point; find some space in the middle seats where there is no one sitting.' I told her that would be violating FARS and the egress of passenger into the aisle should we need to evacuate/evacuation. I again told her not to close the door; she chose to ignore my request and closed the door and pulled the jetway. We had no choice but to violate FARS; and overload the closet on our aircraft as they were not bringing the jetway back.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS PAX AGENT CLOSED BOARDING DOOR AFTER BEING ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO SPACE AVAILABLE FOR MANY PAX CARRY-ON BAGS ALREADY IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: AS WE STARTED BOARDING OUR ACFT FOR OUR DEP TO CHICAGO; ALL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN THE AISLE TENDING TO FAA REGULATED DUTIES. ONCE THE BINS FILLED UP; I CALLED TO LET THE AGENT KNOW THE BINS WERE FULL. PAX KEPT COMING DOWN WITH ROLLER BOARDS. WHEN THE AGENT APCHED THE DOOR TO THE ACFT; I TOLD HER NOT TO CLOSE THE DOOR AS WE HAD BAGS TO CHK. HER RESPONSE TO ME WAS 'I DON'T WANT TO OPEN THE PIT AT THIS POINT; FIND SOME SPACE IN THE MIDDLE SEATS WHERE THERE IS NO ONE SITTING.' I TOLD HER THAT WOULD BE VIOLATING FARS AND THE EGRESS OF PAX INTO THE AISLE SHOULD WE NEED TO EVAC. I AGAIN TOLD HER NOT TO CLOSE THE DOOR; SHE CHOSE TO IGNORE MY REQUEST AND CLOSED THE DOOR AND PULLED THE JETWAY. WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO VIOLATE FARS; AND OVERLOAD THE CLOSET ON OUR ACFT AS THEY WERE NOT BRINGING THE JETWAY BACK.

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.

Cabin attendant reports passenger agent closed boarding door after being advised that there was no space available for many passenger carry-on bags already in the cabin.