B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Attendant Current
Time Pressure
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Human Factors; Company Policy; Procedure
I was serving in the D Flight Attendant position. From boarding on; I was at my boarding station helping customers in First Class get settled and occasionally helping customers in the main cabin near row 6. I remember boarding taking a little longer than usual and there being some sort of issue in the main cabin near the aft of the aircraft. A CSA boarded the plane to resolve this issue. The issue was resolved and it was getting close to departure time. When it came time to close the door and make sure that the cabin was secure; I took my place at the L1 door to help get the door closed. At this point I felt a lot of pressure to get the L1 door closed for an on time departure. In communicating with the CSA at the door; I had the impression that they had already confirmed and communicated with the A Flight Attendant that we were ready to close the L1 door. I then helped the CSA close the L1 door and in the middle of closing the door; the A Flight Attendant notified me that we were indeed not ready to close the L1 door. I left the door slightly ajar and did not arm it until the A Flight Attendant confirmed with the B and C Flight Attendants in the aft of the aircraft that the aft cabin was secure. I then closed the door and armed it once we had confirmation that the aft cabin was secure.I think one of the primary causes of this event was the pressure I felt to get the plane out on time; which affected the communication I had with the CSA agent and my crew. Because of this; I may have felt rushed and did not give adequate attention to listening for the 'cabin ready for door closure' announcement. I also may have relied too heavily on communicating with the CSA attending at the L1 door when I should have communicated with the A Flight attendant to confirm that the L1 door was ready to be closed. Taking a deep breath and adequately communicating with my crew first would have helped avoid the forward door being closed before the aft cabin was confirmed secure. Listening attentively to the announcements made during the door closure process is also a must. Also being attentive to the passengers as they board can help clear issues early on in the boarding process; helping us to be on time and safe. Safety should also have been the priority before being on time. Being on time never comes before the safety of our passengers and crew members.
B737 Flight Attendant reports helping the CSA close the main cabin door before the rest of the cabin crew has announced their readiness for door closure. The door is left ajar and not armed until the ready announcement is made.