Narrative:

In spite of a fasten seat belt sign being on a corporate official (traveling on a company pass with his family) got out of his seat and moved to the back of the aircraft to talk to the F/a. Before he could be instructed to return to his seat he idented himself and started berating the F/a for not serving beverages. When told that the captain had told her to expect turbulence (based on our earlier flight) he ordered her to not only serve but to take the extra time required to set up the serving cart. The F/a being newly hired was intimidated and did as she was told. The F/a served all of the passenger as quickly as she could, even though we were announcing our approach into rdg. After the passenger deplaned she opened the cockpit door with tears streaming down her face and told us what had happened. The company official had left his seat when a fasten seatbelt sign was on publicly berated the F/a and ordered her to do something against her (and the rest of the crew's) better judgement. He so emotionally disturbed her that she could have easily been slow to react to an emergency situation. It also created an emotional distraction that the captain and first officer had to overcome on subsequent flts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the corporate official involved here was the vp of operations, whose father owns the airline. Therefore, there is little hope for relief by reporting to anyone else in the company. A bad scene exists on the property. Management did not bother to attend opening labor negotiations. Captain and F/a have written to the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPANY OFFICIAL FLYING AS PASSENGER LEFT HIS SEAT WHILE SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON.

Narrative: IN SPITE OF A FASTEN SEAT BELT SIGN BEING ON A CORPORATE OFFICIAL (TRAVELING ON A COMPANY PASS WITH HIS FAMILY) GOT OUT OF HIS SEAT AND MOVED TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT TO TALK TO THE F/A. BEFORE HE COULD BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO HIS SEAT HE IDENTED HIMSELF AND STARTED BERATING THE F/A FOR NOT SERVING BEVERAGES. WHEN TOLD THAT THE CAPT HAD TOLD HER TO EXPECT TURB (BASED ON OUR EARLIER FLT) HE ORDERED HER TO NOT ONLY SERVE BUT TO TAKE THE EXTRA TIME REQUIRED TO SET UP THE SERVING CART. THE F/A BEING NEWLY HIRED WAS INTIMIDATED AND DID AS SHE WAS TOLD. THE F/A SERVED ALL OF THE PAX AS QUICKLY AS SHE COULD, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ANNOUNCING OUR APCH INTO RDG. AFTER THE PAX DEPLANED SHE OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR WITH TEARS STREAMING DOWN HER FACE AND TOLD US WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE COMPANY OFFICIAL HAD LEFT HIS SEAT WHEN A FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN WAS ON PUBLICLY BERATED THE F/A AND ORDERED HER TO DO SOMETHING AGAINST HER (AND THE REST OF THE CREW'S) BETTER JUDGEMENT. HE SO EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED HER THAT SHE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN SLOW TO REACT TO AN EMER SITUATION. IT ALSO CREATED AN EMOTIONAL DISTR THAT THE CAPT AND F/O HAD TO OVERCOME ON SUBSEQUENT FLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE CORPORATE OFFICIAL INVOLVED HERE WAS THE VP OF OPS, WHOSE FATHER OWNS THE AIRLINE. THEREFORE, THERE IS LITTLE HOPE FOR RELIEF BY RPTING TO ANYONE ELSE IN THE COMPANY. A BAD SCENE EXISTS ON THE PROPERTY. MGMNT DID NOT BOTHER TO ATTEND OPENING LABOR NEGOTIATIONS. CAPT AND F/A HAVE WRITTEN TO THE FAA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.