B787-900
Flight Attendant Current
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Human Factors; Procedure
During my outbound trip; noted captain's announcement to cabin regarding his intent to leave the FSB (Fasten Seat Belt) sign on for the entire 9 hours of flight. I mentioned to Purser; 'is this routine for this captain?' Her response; 'yes'. I asked if she's discussed the risks with the captain regarding this practice. She stated; 'no' but was open to me bringing it up with him. I told her that I would consider if the opportunity presented itself. Indeed; the FSB signed remained on for the entire duration of the flight. On the return trip (prior to the captain's rest break); I had a productive conversation regarding this action (with the Purser in attendance). I asked 'why'...; he explained his reasoning was that it created a more 'quiet environment' and made the flight attendant's job easier by not having to perform compliance checks during the flight. I responded that may be true; but what about the safety implications and possible FAR violations? He responded with; 'how so..?' I reviewed the details of FAR 121.311 and stressed that by keeping the sign on for the entire flight he was inadvertently encouraging passengers to disregard and violate a FAR. Additionally; his actions decreased the flight attendant's ability to recognize pending turbulence because the sign being switched on is one of the first signs of pending trouble. In the captain's defense; he was appreciative of my concerns and stated he would consider reevaluating his approach about the use of the FSB sign during flight.
B787 Flight Attendant reported an issue with fasten seat belt sign usage with a particular crew.