NUMEROUS ACFT DELAYS DUE TO LATE ARRS OF FLT ATTENDANTS; DEICING; POOR INTRACOMPANY COORD. RPTR CAPT EMBARRASSED BY DELAYS BECAUSE PAX ARE PRESS GROUP.

Date: 1996-03 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: ground

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

NUMEROUS ACFT DELAYS DUE TO LATE ARRS OF FLT ATTENDANTS; DEICING; POOR INTRACOMPANY COORD. RPTR CAPT EMBARRASSED BY DELAYS BECAUSE PAX ARE PRESS GROUP.

Narrative

THE INITIAL DELAY FROM DCA WAS DUE TO WX. ONE FLT ATTENDANT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND DID NOT ARRIVE UNTIL AFTER OUR DEP. THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT ARRIVED 20- 25 MINS AFTER SCHEDULED DEP. THE FO AND MAINT CREW MEMBERS PREPARED THE ACFT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FUEL LOAD. A DOD FUEL CARD WAS REQUIRED. DELAY 2 WAS 30 MINS. SINCE DEICING WAS NOW REQUIRED; THIS CAUSED DELAY 3; 15- 20 MINS. LEAVING ADW 1.5 HRS LATE CREATED PROBS FOR THE PRESS GROUP. WE ARRIVED AT BUR 20 MINS EARLY AND WERE ASSIGNED THE WRONG PARKING AREA. ONCE AGAIN NO PRIOR COORD AND LACK OF COM RESULTED WITH DELAY 4. WE NEEDED TO PARK AT FBO. THIS FINAL BREAKDOWN IN OPS WAS VERY FRUSTRATING AND QUITE EMBARRASSING. THE FIRST PROB WAS LOCATING THE ACFT. A SKYCAP INFORMED ME WHERE THE ACFT WAS PARKED. OPS PERSONNEL WERE HELPFUL WITH TRANSPORTATION BUT KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE CHARTER FLT. DELAY 1 WAS 10 MINS. THE SECOND PROB; INSUFFICIENT FUEL LOAD AND NO FLT ON FILE. FORTUNATELY; THE PAX HAD NOT ARRIVED AT THIS TIME. POSSIBLE DELAY 25-30 MINS. THE NEXT PROB; UNABLE TO REACH OAK OPS FOR LOAD CLOSEOUT. ACTUAL DELAY 15 MINS. AND FINALLY; WE ARRIVED AT ADW WITH NO PPR.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.