INTERRUPTION OF A320 FLT CREW PREPARATIONS BY MANAGEMENT PLT CONTRIBUTES TO ERRORS OF OMISSION AND COMMISSION ON TKOF.

Narrative

THE SAFETY OF THE FLT WAS COMPROMISED AS A RESULT OF AN INTERRUPTION OF OUR PREFLT PREPARATION. THE CAPT AND I WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR FINAL FLT DECK PREPARATION FLOWS APPROX 15 MINS PRIOR TO DEP WHEN WE WERE INTERRUPTED BY A MAN WHO ENTERED THE FLT DECK AND IDENTED HIMSELF AS CAPT B FROM THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE. HE STATED THAT HE RAN OVER TO OUR GATE TO SPEAK WITH MY CAPT A ABOUT NOT ALLOWING ANY JUMPSEATERS ON OUR FLT TODAY. I HAD OVERHEARD THE CAPT ADVISED THE GATE AGENT UPON OUR ARR THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO HAVE ANY JUMPSEATS AUTH FOR TODAY'S FLT. THAT WAS HIS PREROGATIVE AND I DID NOT QUESTION IT. CAPT B SAID HE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE JUMPSEAT ISSUE. HE QUICKLY APPEARED RATHER AGITATED AND WAS SPEAKING LOUD ENOUGH THAT MY CAPT ASKED HIM SEVERAL TIMES TO CLOSE THE FLT DECK DOOR. AS THIS CONVERSATION SEEMED TO BE ONLY BTWN THEM ABOUT ACCESS OF 'HIS PLTS' TO THE JUMPSEAT; I RETURNED TO MY FLT DECK PREPARATION AND PRE-DEP FLOWS FOR THE DEP PROC OUT OF ZZZ. AT ONE POINT I OVERHEARD CAPT B STATE THAT IF MY CAPT DID NOT WANT TO HAVE JUMPSEAT RIDERS THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE THE FAA MAKE A DETERMINATION OF HIS MENTAL STABILITY AND ABILITY TO ACT AS A CAPT ON THE FLT DECK IF HE COULD NOT FLY AN ACFT WITH 2 JUMPSEAT RIDERS. I WAS LITERALLY SO STUNNED TO HEAR A MGMNT PLT THREATEN ANOTHER PLT WITH SOME SORT OF CAREER JEOPARDIZING FAA PSYCHIATRIC EVAL THAT I COMPLETELY STOPPED EVERYTHING THAT I WAS DOING. AND IT WAS CLR THAT THE THREAT WAS HAVING AN IMPACT ON MY CAPT BY HIS DEMEANOR. THE TENSION NOT 15 MINS BEFORE DEP WITH A FULL PLANE LOAD OF PAX WAS AS HIGH AS I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED IN OVER 20 YRS AS A COMMERCIAL PLT. EVEN ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO MY DUTIES WAS OF NO USE AS CAPT B WANTED MY ATTN AS WELL. I WAS FACING FORWARD WHEN CAPT B STARTED POKING ME WITH HIS FINGER AS HE STATED TO MY CAPT THAT IF HE DID NOT ALLOW 'HIS PLTS' ON THE JUMPSEAT; THAT THERE WERE GOING TO BE CONSEQUENCES FOR BOTH OF US. EACH TIME HE MADE A POINT; ABOUT CONSEQUENCES; THE FAA; A COMPANY INVESTIGATION; AND TALKING TO OUR CHIEF PLT; CAPT B WOULD POKE ME IN THE ARM; SHOULDER; OR RIBS. HE CONTINUED TO DO THIS UNTIL I FINALLY TURNED AROUND IN MY SEAT AND FACED HIM. IT WAS CLR THAT THIS ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT WAS ATTEMPTING TO THREATEN; BULLY; OR BADGER MY CAPT INTO DOING SOMETHING HE CLRLY DID NOT WANT TO DO; WHICH WAS SIMPLY HAVE NO JUMPSEATERS AT ALL ON THAT FLT ON THAT DAY. I SAID NOTHING HOPING THE SITUATION WOULD DE-ESCALATE QUICKLY. MY CAPT GOT CAPT B TO DE-ESCALATE BY AGREEING TO TAKE THE JUMPSEAT RIDERS; WHEREUPON CAPT B EXITED THE FLT DECK TELLING MY CAPT BECAUSE HE WAS LETTING HIS PLTS RIDE; HE MAY CONSIDER THE MATTER CLOSED AND THAT THERE WOULD BE NO FURTHER 'CONSEQUENCES.' WE BOTH SAT THERE SOMEWHAT STUNNED OVER THIS ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT'S CONDUCT AND THE THREATS THAT HE HAD MADE. WHAT HAD JUST TRANSPIRED WAS SO SHOCKING AND DISRUPTIVE THAT NEITHER OF US EVER RETURNED TO AND COMPLETED OUR PRE-DEP FLOWS. AS A RESULT; WE TAXIED OUT FOR DEP WITHOUT SETTING OUR INITIAL ALT; HDG; DEP FREQ; AND SQUAWK CODE. THERE IS NO PRE-DEP CHKLIST ITEM TO TRAP THIS KIND OF ERROR. THE BREAK IN OUR PROCS WERE ONLY DISCOVERED WHEN WE WERE TOLD BY THE TWR TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD AND TO 'VERIFY OUR SQUAWK.' WHILE SETTING THE CORRECT CODE; WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF WITH TFC ON SHORT FINAL BEHIND US. THIS VERIFICATION BY THE TWR CAUSED ME TO QUICKLY REVIEW OUR DEP SETTINGS DURING OR INITIAL CLB. IT WAS THEN THAT I DISCOVERED THAT NONE OF THE FCU AND RADIO SETTINGS WERE CORRECT AND HAD BEEN MISSED BECAUSE OF THE INTERRUPTION. I HURRIEDLY SET THEM WHILE MY CAPT ATTEMPTED TO COMPLY WITH THE DEP PROC. IN THIS INSTANCE WE WERE FORTUNATE TO BE DEPARTING UNDER DAY VMC CONDITIONS; BUT EVEN THEN WE COULD HAVE EASILY BLOWN ONE OF THE DEP CONSTRAINTS OR REQUIREMENTS. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO NOT HAVE MISSED SOMETHING MORE CRITICAL SUCH AS A PRE-DEP MEL PROC. THIS KIND OF INTERRUPTION INDUCED ERROR WAS ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE. NO MGMNT PLT SHOULD EVER BE ALLOWED; JUST MINS PRIOR TO DEP; TO BULLY; THREATEN; AND INTIMIDATE PLTS. IN RETROSPECT; IT WOULD PROBABLY BE SAFER TO HAVE WALKED OFF THE FLT DECK UNTIL WE AGAIN READY TO OPERATE THE ACFT WITH 100% OF OUR FOCUS ON THE FLT AND NOT ON SOME ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT'S THREATS. IN DISCUSSING THE EVENTS WITH MY CAPT; HE AGREED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE UNDER THAT KIND OF FLT DECK ENVIRONMENT.