CONFRONTATIONAL CABIN ATTENDANTS DURING DEBRIEF OF A LANDING DURING WHICH AN UNSEATED ATTENDANT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES CAUSES B747 CAPTAIN TO QUESTION WHETHER THE CHAIN OF ONBOARD COMMAND HAS BEEN INSTITUTIONALLY DEGRADED.

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ROUTINE FLIGHT UNTIL APPROACH AND LANDING. PRIOR TO INITIAL DESCENT; THE PURSER WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE FLIGHT WOULD ARRIVE 10 MINUTES EARLY; AT XA20. FLIGHT DESCENDED TO CROSS XXXXX AT FL190 EXPECTING VECTORS FOR A SHORT ARRIVAL. CROSSING XXXXX; THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS TURNED ON AND A PASSENGER ANNOUNCEMENT MADE. SHORTLY AFTER; THE NO SMOKING SIGN WAS CYCLED WHILE DESCENDING THROUGH 17;000 FT. WHILE ON BASE; THE 'PREPARE FOR LANDING' ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE. THE FLIGHT TOUCHED DOWN AT XA14; 5 MINUTES EARLY. THE PILOTS WERE NOTIFIED WHILE DEPLANING THAT THERE WERE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS STILL STANDING ON TOUCHDOWN; THE EXACT NUMBER UNKNOWN. FLIGHT ATTENDANT MS. X COMPLAINED OF A TWISTED ANKLE; NOT REQUIRING MEDICAL ATTENTION UPON ARRIVAL AT HOTEL. THIS IS NOT AN INSTANCE WHERE THE PILOTS FORGOT TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT UNTIL READING THE LANDING CHECKLIST. THE CAPTAIN CONDUCTED A DEBRIEF ON THE BUS RIDE TO ASCERTAIN WHAT COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT ANOTHER SIMILAR INCIDENT. THIS DEBRIEF QUICKLY BECAME CONFRONTATIONAL. NOT ALL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS PARTICIPATED; OR AGREED WITH THE MORE VOCAL MAJORITY. THE PURSER POSITION WAS BYPASSED BY 6 MORE SENIOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SEEMED INFORMED OF OUR NEW ARRIVAL; XA20. NONE OF THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ACKNOWLEDGED LISTENING TO THE PASSENGER SEATBELT ANNOUNCEMENT; BUT FOCUSED ON ARRIVAL TIME. IT WASN'T ASKED IF THEY PAID ATTENTION TO THE CYCLING NO SMOKING SIGN AT 17000 FT. MANY FLIGHT ATTENDANTS STATED THEY HAD LESS THAN 1 MINUTE FROM THE 'PREPARE FOR LANDING' ANNOUNCEMENT. IT WAS ASKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE FLIGHT DECK FAILED TO MAKE THE 'PREPARE FOR LANDING' ANNOUNCEMENT. UNIVERSALLY; ALL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS STATED THEY WOULD BE STANDING IN THE AISLE DURING LANDING. IT WAS ASKED; HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE AIRPLANE IS GOING TO LAND? DO YOU LISTEN TO THE FLAPS; THE LANDING GEAR? THE RESPONSE WAS LITERALLY SCREAMING AT THE CAPTAIN; POUNDING THEIR FINGERS INTO THEIR PALM AS IF IT WERE THEIR MANUAL; THAT IT IS NOT IN THEIR MANUALS THAT THEY NEED TO LISTEN TO THE GEAR; THE FLAPS; OR ANYTHING ELSE -- THAT THEY ONLY HAVE TO; AND RELY TOTALLY ON; THE 'LANDING' ANNOUNCEMENT. AN UPPER DECK FLIGHT ATTENDANT INSISTED THAT THE GEAR AND FLAPS COULD NOT BE HEARD FROM THERE; YET FROM THE FLIGHT DECK WE HEAR THEM ALL THE TIME. IT WAS ASKED WHAT ABOUT 'SITUATIONAL AWARENESS' IN THEIR MANUALS. FLIGHT ATTENDANTS MAINTAINED PASSENGERS WON'T RAISE THE WINDOW SHADES; AND THEY COULDN'T SEE OUTSIDE ANYWAY BECAUSE IT WAS DARK. BUT WHAT REALLY CONCERNED THIS CAPTAIN FOLLOWED AFTER ASKING; WHY WASN'T THE COCKPIT NOTIFIED THAT THE CABIN WASN'T READY? THE PURSER; AND SEVERAL OTHER FLIGHT ATTENDANTS MAINTAINED THAT THEY 'COULD NOT' CALL THE FLIGHT DECK BECAUSE IT WAS ENGAGED IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLIGHT. THE CAPTAIN WAS COMPLETELY ASTOUNDED UPON HEARING THIS; FROM OUR MOST EXPERIENCED; SENIOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS. A TOTAL FEELING OF HELPLESSNESS; A REALIZATION THAT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE ALONG JUST FOR THE RIDE; A CONCERN FOR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN DURING A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT; OVERCAME THE CAPTAIN. SINCE COMMONSENSE IS NOT ADDRESSED IN THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT'S MANUAL; IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE USED. NOTWITHSTANDING; A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY LAPSE OCCURRED. THERE IS NO PROCEDURE ESTABLISHED AT AIR CARRIER TO CONFIRM THE CABIN IS READY FOR LANDING. WE HAVE A 'CABIN READY' PROCEDURE IN PLACE FOR PUSHBACK; A FAR LESS CRITICAL PHASE. PERHAPS WE NEED TO INCORPORATE A 'CABIN READY' FOR LANDING. PERHAPS A PA ANNOUNCEMENT AT 1000 FT SHOULD BE INCORPORATED -- 'FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SHOULD BE SEATED' TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THEM TO ALERT THE FLIGHT DECK THAT THE CABIN IS 'NOT' READY FOR LANDING. OF EQUAL CONCERN IS THE CULTURE AT AIR CARRIER THAT HAS ENHANCED THE EROSION OF PILOT-IN-COMMAND AUTHORITY AS REQUIRED UNDER THE FARS. PRESENTLY THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN CABIN CREW AND COCKPIT IS SO PERVASIVE THAT IT HAS TRANSCENDED INTO FLIGHT ATTENDANTS MAKING DECISIONS AS TO WHAT FARS AND SOP NEED TO BE FOLLOWED; AS EXPRESSED DURING MY DEBRIEF. THE DISRESPECT AND DISDAIN OF AUTHORITY WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT; SHOUTING; SHAKING FISTS; WAVING THE HAND AS IF I DON'T NEED TO LISTEN TO YOU. WE HAVE EMPOWERED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO CONTROL OUR BASIC NEEDS AS TO WHEN WE CAN EAT; WHEN WE CAN GO TO THE BATHROOM. THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD BY AIR CARRIER MANAGEMENT THAT PILOTS HAVE TO SAY IN CABIN ACTIVITIES; DIRECTLY CONTRARY TO FARS. I'VE WITNESSED IT. IT IS NO WONDER THAT FLIGHT ATTENDANTS FEEL THEY CAN CHOOSE WHEN A PILOT IS IN COMMAND; IF EVER. IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE I'VE HEARD A FLIGHT ATTENDANT SAY 'YES' WHEN PICKING UP AN INTERPHONE. MY DEBRIEF ENDED WITH A FLIGHT ATTENDANT RAISING HER ARMS AND DOING THE QUOTATION GESTURE STATING 'I'M FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE. THIS IS TURNING TO ACCUSATION. I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS ANYMORE.' SO NOW WHO HAS ASSERTED THEMSELVES AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND? WE HAVE ALLOWED CRM; THE 'BUZZ' WORDS; TO MEAN 'I DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS' TO MEAN 'NO.' HOW MANY FLIGHT ATTENDANTS FEEL THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW PILOT-IN-COMMAND DIRECTION IF IT VIOLATES THEIR CONTRACT; OR VIOLATES THEIR SOP; OR INTERFERES WITH THE SERVICE PLAN OF MARKETING? THEY NOW FEEL THE RIGHT TO SAY 'NO.' SO WHERE ARE WE SAFETY-WISE VIS-A-VIS CRM AND ALL THE BUZZ WORDS? WHAT DID WE HAVE; A HANDFUL OF CAPTAINS THAT WOULDN'T LISTEN TO HIS CREW; COMPARED TO THOUSANDS; PERHAPS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WHO OPENLY DISDAIN; QUESTION; AND DEFY THE COCKPIT? I'M NOT SO SURE THAT IF DURING AN EMERGENCY I ASK A FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO JUMP OUT OF THE UPPER DECK SLIDE I WILL GET A FLAT 'NO;' OR 'I DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT; IT ISN'T IN THE DUTIES LISTED IN MY MANUAL!' I THINK THERE IS A PREVAILING FEELING AMONGST CABIN CREW THAT THE CAPTAIN IS ONLY IN CHARGE WHEN THERE IS AN EMERGENCY. AND WHO DECIDES WHEN IT IS AN EMERGENCY? THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT? I ENVISION A CREW CONCEPT OF PROTECTING EACH OTHER. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE; THAT IF ON A CLEAR DAY EVERYTHING IS GOING SO WELL THAT THE COCKPIT BECAME COMPLACENT AND FORGOT TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR. AND THIS DAY; THE WARNING HORN FAILED. WE ARE GOING TO CRASH. BUT THE COCKPIT GOT A CALL FROM AN ALERT FLIGHT ATTENDANT STATING; 'CAPTAIN; I DIDN'T HEAR THE GEAR COME DOWN; ARE WE SAFE TO LAND?' AND SHE SAVED THE DAY OF CARNAGE. I DON'T THINK AIR CARRIER IS ANYWHERE NEAR THIS VISION. I DESIRE A RESPONSE AS TO THE CONCERNS AND ACTIONS TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO THIS REPORT.