B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
The reason I am writing this is for safety. I would like to shine a light on the technique that I have used for years. That technique recently was cited as the reason for a one minute delay. In fact; it was not the reason we were late. The DGS system and a slightly delayed ramp clearance to push were the real cause. We were ready and the brakes were released a minute early. These delays are useless and mean nothing when an agent would have never entered it had no delay been incurred. However; the multiple events that occur after door closure still doesn't preclude the agent for coding the delay incorrectly. I would also like to point out I was contacted by my supervisor who was only interested in my holding the 1L door open versus the actual cause of the delay. I continued to be harassed by various phone calls during my layover trying to get me to see the light. All over one minute. It felt like pilot pushing to me.Company has always claimed Safety to be the number one goal. Schedule will never come before safety. It appears in this instance that schedule may be first which is sparking my desire to revisit this very important subject.Company has shown videos during recurrent training cycles highlighting the technique I use. The aircraft was at a foreign station. It was parked at the gate. The cargo doors were open. The Captain allowed the agent to close the 1L door early while cargo doors were still open. The jet bridge was pulled. Slides are armed. The aircraft begins to fill with smoke. The decision is made to evacuate. The 1L door is no longer available; nor is the slide since the jet bridge prevents it's inflation and proper position. The usable exits are opened and slides inflated. Passengers evacuate via the slides. Injuries occur. The working Captain in hindsight wishes he had not allowed the entry door to be closed so early. It would have allowed for a safe and orderly deplaning via the 1L door. After all; the aircraft isn't moving until cargo is loaded and the doors are closed. These seeds were planted during FAA approved recurrent training cycles. I listened. I agreed. My supervisor now tells me I'm out of line. It's a technique that isn't allowed. It's not in the FOM. It's also not in the FOM preventing me from doing this. Captains Authority allows me to address issues that don't exist in any manual.I've been flying airplanes for XX years. I've never had an accident or incident. I operate with safety as my number one goal. I intend on leaving here with that streak intact.I implore all that read this to come to the conclusion that I have. It makes no sense to close and block the 1L door while in the chocks with cargo being loaded. Did we not already learn this the hard way? I could have left 5 mins early but would have still been late due to routing around Tropical Storm Zeta. This is about safety. It's about the talk and the walk being in lock step.Supervisor putting schedule ahead of safety.Let Captains be Captains.
Air carrier Captain reported disagreement with current policy of the timing of door closure.