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A320 flight crew has a confrontation in the cockpit during climb.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 698250 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200603 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zau.artcc |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 20000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 698250 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
According to what captain told me; I missed a radio call from center and also missed his verbal instructions to answer the radio. The first thing that did happen from my viewpoint is having captain yell at me in a very forceful; angry tone to 'wake the %$#* up!' simultaneously to yelling that command at me; captain struck me with a significant amount of force on my left shoulder. I was totally dumbfounded and in disbelief at being physically attacked. He told me that if I couldn't do my job that I should get out of my seat. He then ordered first officer ZZZZ to replace me at the radios. As I was leaving my seat; a verbal argument between us started. At that point; I realized that my continued presence in the cockpit was not conducive to safety. I asked for him to buzz the lead flight attendant so that I could remove myself from the volatile situation that was developing. I didn't want things to continue and I felt that leaving was the safest course of action for me to take. In response to my request to leave the cockpit; captain told me that I could only leave when he excused me and that I should 'situation the %$#* down.' I followed his order and took a seat in the jumpseat. A couple of mins later; after reaching top of climb; captain called the forward flight attendant to secure the galley for my exit. I left the cockpit and didn't return until after the flight landed and the passenger had deplaned. Upon returning to the cockpit to retrieve my telephone; captain asked me if I still felt the need to talk to our chief pilot upon returning to domicile. My response to him was that I didn't wish to have any more arguments with him and that it would be best if we didn't talk at all. He responded by saying; 'at least answer that question first.' my response was that I was going to call the chief pilot immediately. I then left the cockpit. One final note: one of the comments that captain made to me during our verbal argument was that if I was not fit to fly; that I should have called in sick. I did a self assessment of my ability to operate safely before this flight just as I do every time before I come to work. I was at 100% both before and during the flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLT CREW HAS A CONFRONTATION IN THE COCKPIT DURING CLB.
Narrative: ACCORDING TO WHAT CAPT TOLD ME; I MISSED A RADIO CALL FROM CTR AND ALSO MISSED HIS VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS TO ANSWER THE RADIO. THE FIRST THING THAT DID HAPPEN FROM MY VIEWPOINT IS HAVING CAPT YELL AT ME IN A VERY FORCEFUL; ANGRY TONE TO 'WAKE THE %$#* UP!' SIMULTANEOUSLY TO YELLING THAT COMMAND AT ME; CAPT STRUCK ME WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FORCE ON MY L SHOULDER. I WAS TOTALLY DUMBFOUNDED AND IN DISBELIEF AT BEING PHYSICALLY ATTACKED. HE TOLD ME THAT IF I COULDN'T DO MY JOB THAT I SHOULD GET OUT OF MY SEAT. HE THEN ORDERED FO ZZZZ TO REPLACE ME AT THE RADIOS. AS I WAS LEAVING MY SEAT; A VERBAL ARGUMENT BTWN US STARTED. AT THAT POINT; I REALIZED THAT MY CONTINUED PRESENCE IN THE COCKPIT WAS NOT CONDUCIVE TO SAFETY. I ASKED FOR HIM TO BUZZ THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT SO THAT I COULD REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE VOLATILE SITUATION THAT WAS DEVELOPING. I DIDN'T WANT THINGS TO CONTINUE AND I FELT THAT LEAVING WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR ME TO TAKE. IN RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST TO LEAVE THE COCKPIT; CAPT TOLD ME THAT I COULD ONLY LEAVE WHEN HE EXCUSED ME AND THAT I SHOULD 'SIT THE %$#* DOWN.' I FOLLOWED HIS ORDER AND TOOK A SEAT IN THE JUMPSEAT. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER; AFTER REACHING TOP OF CLB; CAPT CALLED THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT TO SECURE THE GALLEY FOR MY EXIT. I LEFT THE COCKPIT AND DIDN'T RETURN UNTIL AFTER THE FLT LANDED AND THE PAX HAD DEPLANED. UPON RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT TO RETRIEVE MY TELEPHONE; CAPT ASKED ME IF I STILL FELT THE NEED TO TALK TO OUR CHIEF PLT UPON RETURNING TO DOMICILE. MY RESPONSE TO HIM WAS THAT I DIDN'T WISH TO HAVE ANY MORE ARGUMENTS WITH HIM AND THAT IT WOULD BE BEST IF WE DIDN'T TALK AT ALL. HE RESPONDED BY SAYING; 'AT LEAST ANSWER THAT QUESTION FIRST.' MY RESPONSE WAS THAT I WAS GOING TO CALL THE CHIEF PLT IMMEDIATELY. I THEN LEFT THE COCKPIT. ONE FINAL NOTE: ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT CAPT MADE TO ME DURING OUR VERBAL ARGUMENT WAS THAT IF I WAS NOT FIT TO FLY; THAT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED IN SICK. I DID A SELF ASSESSMENT OF MY ABILITY TO OPERATE SAFELY BEFORE THIS FLT JUST AS I DO EVERY TIME BEFORE I COME TO WORK. I WAS AT 100% BOTH BEFORE AND DURING THE FLT.
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.