Confidential Human Factors
Incident Reporting Programme
The Charity
Aviation
Maritime
CC7043
Initial Report
On a recent flight home from {airport} once boarding was completed and the aircraft door was closed, the SCCM made an announcement for the crew to prepare for the safety demo.
The usual procedure is to do this after we have placed the doors into automatic, we had not done this or pushed back so we were all very puzzled by this. The safety demo video was completed and we secured the cabin.
After this, the flight crew made their welcome PA which included that the crew will be completing a safety demonstration (which at this point had been done) so passengers were confused by this.
The SCCM then explained that she had chosen to do the demo first as it was a short taxi, this was not communicated beforehand.
Around 5 mins later we pushed back and the door call was made. We then were advised that there was a queue to take off by the captain, so we weren’t sat down at this point. Around 20 mins later, we sat down in the cabin, several passengers were now not properly secure, so we took our own initiative to do this whilst going to our seats.
There was another long wait and then we suddenly took off. No double chimes were given by the flight crew this time.
I have never had a flight where we were not informed that take off was imminent by the double chimes, nor have I ever had to complete the safety demo before placing our doors to automatic.
Company Comment
This report shines a light on how vital communication, reporting, and CRM (Crew Resource Management) are in our day-to-day work as cabin crew. The routines we follow are built from risk assessments, past incidents, regulations, and airline-specific risks. They’re there to help keep everyone safe and reduce the chance of mistakes or injuries.
Sometimes, the Commander and SCCM might decide to change the usual routine, for example, doing the safety demo before arming the doors. If that happens, it’s important that the whole team is told clearly. If not, it can cause confusion for both crew and passengers, like when a flight crew PA doesn’t match what’s already happened.
CRM is all about working together with shared awareness, clear communication, and coordinated actions. When those things break down, it’s easier to miss step, like forgetting to arm doors, do the demo, or secure the cabin. In this case, the plan to change the order wasn’t properly discussed or confirmed with the crew, which led to uncertainty. If something changes or doesn’t feel right, crew should speak up and check with the SCCM. Our just culture encourages asking questions, so if something doesn’t feel right, talking about it on the day can help everyone understand what is going on.
Any changes to routines or SOPs should be reported using a safety report. Make sure to include why the change was made and how it might affect the safety or security of the flight.
CAA Comment
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are intended to ensure all crew members have a common understanding of safety related duties that ensures a consistent application and reduces the risk of error. Repetitive deliberate deviation from published procedures in order to achieve a perceived “work around” creates a normalisation that introduces inconsistency, the potential for misunderstanding and an increased risk in an error occurring, an inadvertent slide deployment being one example. If it is felt SOPs could be improved this should be reported back to the company but current procedures should be followed until such time as they are amended.
CHIRP Comment
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are put in place to ensure consistency and safety during tasks such as arming aircraft doors. Having an SOP means every crew member understands the correct process and what to expect at each step.
If, for safety reasons, it is necessary to deviate from an SOP it is important to clearly communicate this to all crew onboard, including the flight crew. Effective communication ensures shared awareness and reduces the risk of error. Any deviations must be reported through your operator’s official reporting system, if SOPs are consistently being bypassed or ignored, that signals the need for review or intervention by an operator. Allowing such deviations to become the “new normal” can gradually undermine safety standards.
Sometimes there are valid reasons why commands or procedures may not be followed exactly on a particular day, or it may be that a crew member doesn’t understand an SOP and requires additional support or training. The operator is best placed to provide that support, which is why it is vital to report any safety concerns internally as well as to CHIRP. For example, if the safety demonstration is carried out before doors are armed, the messaging around emergency evacuation is no longer accurate and could confuse passengers. While there is scope to be flexible any non-standard procedure must still be handled carefully.
A similar report to this was published in CHIRP Cabin Crew FEEDBACK Edition 81.