Oops!
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Join Date: May 2004
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Oops!
We have all, at some stage in our flying careers, made a mistake - done something wrong - stuffed up, to put it bluntly.
What was the worst/funniest you have done? I shall kick it off with a story re my last longhaul flight at a previous airline:
1 Pax needed IFE screen reset. I had already reset twice with standard reset, to no avail - so I decided to do the full-hog maintenance reset. Informed pax this may take some time, he was happy with this. Trundle along happily to IFE computer and do the maintenance reset - only to have my heart stop when I realised I had failed to select the correct seat number, and selected ALL SEATS...
40 minutes later, most of the aircraft had its IFE back
The one word that came to mind, quoting one of the greatest comedians of all time:
"D'oh"
I felt like Jan out of the Yellow Pages 'Not Happy Jan' advertisements (the aussies here will know what I mean).
Luckily it was accepted as a genuine error and not punished (too badly)...
How about you? Anything you dare discuss here?
Obviously nothing terribly incriminating though!
What was the worst/funniest you have done? I shall kick it off with a story re my last longhaul flight at a previous airline:
1 Pax needed IFE screen reset. I had already reset twice with standard reset, to no avail - so I decided to do the full-hog maintenance reset. Informed pax this may take some time, he was happy with this. Trundle along happily to IFE computer and do the maintenance reset - only to have my heart stop when I realised I had failed to select the correct seat number, and selected ALL SEATS...
40 minutes later, most of the aircraft had its IFE back
The one word that came to mind, quoting one of the greatest comedians of all time:
"D'oh"
I felt like Jan out of the Yellow Pages 'Not Happy Jan' advertisements (the aussies here will know what I mean).
Luckily it was accepted as a genuine error and not punished (too badly)...
How about you? Anything you dare discuss here?
Obviously nothing terribly incriminating though!
Join Date: Apr 2003
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A long time ago I once sent a bloke to the wrong destination at check-in!!!! 
Res system was down, we had to check in manually with the printed manifests; the pax swore black and blue he was going to X; often people confuse X with Y. I asked hi mseveral times if he was SURE he was not going to Y (this was not a run-of-the-mill pax flight) and he said he was 100% sure he was going to X.
Turns out of course pax was MEANT to go to Y.
Cue us frantically trying to get him back to A to re-send him to Y!! People at other end NOT happy.....!!!
He did get there though.....! Not really severely punished as system was down and we DID ask pax where he was meant to be going - not my fault he didn't even know!!!!
Of course this led to a much better back-up plan for said situation in the future!!!
A silly one... rush hour, busy, delays, things happening everywhere.... a/c comes in, cue me running out to escort the pax off the flight (this was at an airline where they used remotes stands...) of course it was so busy someone had forgotten to tell me this a/c was a positioning flight and had no pax on board... here's me standing blankly on the trarmac wondering what the bloody heck flight deck are doing making funny gestures at me and laughing.... until the rampie finally tells me they're radioing to him to send me back as there's nothing for me to escort!!!! Argh!!!
Honorable mention goes to the time I tripped over in front of a planeful of pax!! Oh and of course no one can forget the day it was particularly breezy on the apron and I unwittingly flashed a bunch of rampers!!!!!
Res system was down, we had to check in manually with the printed manifests; the pax swore black and blue he was going to X; often people confuse X with Y. I asked hi mseveral times if he was SURE he was not going to Y (this was not a run-of-the-mill pax flight) and he said he was 100% sure he was going to X.
Turns out of course pax was MEANT to go to Y.
Cue us frantically trying to get him back to A to re-send him to Y!! People at other end NOT happy.....!!!
He did get there though.....! Not really severely punished as system was down and we DID ask pax where he was meant to be going - not my fault he didn't even know!!!!
Of course this led to a much better back-up plan for said situation in the future!!!
A silly one... rush hour, busy, delays, things happening everywhere.... a/c comes in, cue me running out to escort the pax off the flight (this was at an airline where they used remotes stands...) of course it was so busy someone had forgotten to tell me this a/c was a positioning flight and had no pax on board... here's me standing blankly on the trarmac wondering what the bloody heck flight deck are doing making funny gestures at me and laughing.... until the rampie finally tells me they're radioing to him to send me back as there's nothing for me to escort!!!! Argh!!!
Honorable mention goes to the time I tripped over in front of a planeful of pax!! Oh and of course no one can forget the day it was particularly breezy on the apron and I unwittingly flashed a bunch of rampers!!!!!
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In a previous life I was one who had to be prepared for my in-flight service before take-off. I preloaded the cory pots with tea bags and coffee.
Got in the air and loaded them again somehow forgetting that I had already preloaded them and managed to add a coffee mix to the cory pot with tea bags in.
Proceeded to serve the pax with this coffee/tea mix and heard people spitting back their hot drink into their cups. I was so embarassed. Had to apologise to each passenger individually and go through the cabin collecting their COFF-TEA mocktail !
Got in the air and loaded them again somehow forgetting that I had already preloaded them and managed to add a coffee mix to the cory pot with tea bags in.
Proceeded to serve the pax with this coffee/tea mix and heard people spitting back their hot drink into their cups. I was so embarassed. Had to apologise to each passenger individually and go through the cabin collecting their COFF-TEA mocktail !
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oh dear! Reading these is funny!
When I was in line training I did the demo with the fly of my pants undone... and I was wearing hot pink undies. I didnt even know until a passenger whispered to me 'your flys undone dear!' Could have died from embarrassment, but just thanked her and ran to do it up!!!
When I was in line training I did the demo with the fly of my pants undone... and I was wearing hot pink undies. I didnt even know until a passenger whispered to me 'your flys undone dear!' Could have died from embarrassment, but just thanked her and ran to do it up!!!
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My turn 
Some years ago, on a SH flight, I was given information of a group of UM I would have to take care of. This implies taking charge of them, accompanying them to their seats and instructing them, between other things, not to leave with all the other passengers on arrival but to wait for a CC.
During the flight I noticed in Business a child with a funny t-shirt, sort of Ninja-Turtle style, holding the UM envelope. Since I was sure he did not belong to my group of UM, I asked the Cabin Chief about him. She apologised saying that he was added as last minute by the ground, since he was booked later but had shown up early enough for our flight. This should not happen:it was not a very good form of crew communication, because it's important to be aware of all the details of the flight, especially the UM or handicapped pax (I am usually in charge for them having followed the company Handicapped Pax training course). In case of emergency/evacuation I would not even be aware I had an extra UM, seated far from the others.
Anyway, after take off, while the last pax were leaving the A/C, I went to collect my little ones in Y, then down the aisle I told the child with the funny t-shirt in Business to follow me. He replied: "I can't!" "Sure you can, sweetie, you can follow me now!" "No I CAN'T!"
Thinking he was referring to our request made at boarding to wait until all the other pax disembarked before disembarking themselves, I insisted that of course he could now disembark.
"I CAN'T!!!"
A little puzzled I finally asked him: "Why you can't honey?" "BECAUSE I'M HANDICAPPED!!!"
And that's when I noticed that the funny t-shirt was actually a medical corset
The Cabin Crew 5th Murphy's Law state that bad communication often comes in strings
...the debriefing for the flight was veeery long
Some years ago, on a SH flight, I was given information of a group of UM I would have to take care of. This implies taking charge of them, accompanying them to their seats and instructing them, between other things, not to leave with all the other passengers on arrival but to wait for a CC.
During the flight I noticed in Business a child with a funny t-shirt, sort of Ninja-Turtle style, holding the UM envelope. Since I was sure he did not belong to my group of UM, I asked the Cabin Chief about him. She apologised saying that he was added as last minute by the ground, since he was booked later but had shown up early enough for our flight. This should not happen:it was not a very good form of crew communication, because it's important to be aware of all the details of the flight, especially the UM or handicapped pax (I am usually in charge for them having followed the company Handicapped Pax training course). In case of emergency/evacuation I would not even be aware I had an extra UM, seated far from the others.
Anyway, after take off, while the last pax were leaving the A/C, I went to collect my little ones in Y, then down the aisle I told the child with the funny t-shirt in Business to follow me. He replied: "I can't!" "Sure you can, sweetie, you can follow me now!" "No I CAN'T!"
Thinking he was referring to our request made at boarding to wait until all the other pax disembarked before disembarking themselves, I insisted that of course he could now disembark.
"I CAN'T!!!"
A little puzzled I finally asked him: "Why you can't honey?" "BECAUSE I'M HANDICAPPED!!!"
And that's when I noticed that the funny t-shirt was actually a medical corset
The Cabin Crew 5th Murphy's Law state that bad communication often comes in strings
...the debriefing for the flight was veeery long
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Brings back memories of my short time spent as cabin crew some years ago.
My 'little' blunder:-
In charge of back galley on 757, I got distracted, and forgot to switch two of the ovens on. This largly went unnoticed by myself until the moment of loading - to discover about 100 frozen meals.
Tried to 'quickcook' them - stupidly - then sent them out in a panic. As guessed, around 100 pax complained they were cold or frozen in the middle!
The resulting chaos nearly ended in two nervous breakdowns, mine, and the poor supervisor at the front of the aircraft.
SO supervisor, (can't remember your name - years ago), if you're reading this SORRY, and I sincerely hope the psychological damage wasn't too long lasting!!
My 'little' blunder:-
In charge of back galley on 757, I got distracted, and forgot to switch two of the ovens on. This largly went unnoticed by myself until the moment of loading - to discover about 100 frozen meals.
Tried to 'quickcook' them - stupidly - then sent them out in a panic. As guessed, around 100 pax complained they were cold or frozen in the middle!
The resulting chaos nearly ended in two nervous breakdowns, mine, and the poor supervisor at the front of the aircraft.
SO supervisor, (can't remember your name - years ago), if you're reading this SORRY, and I sincerely hope the psychological damage wasn't too long lasting!!
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I once accidently poured a whole glass of redwine over a Club customer while he was eating his meal, he suddently shot up out of his seat knocking his tray over his wife in the seat beside, she then in return whipped her glass of bubbly out of the way into the other aisle with her arm outstretched to which a colleague of mine who was walking down with a tray with 2 hotmeals on it tripped up over spilling the two hotmeals all over a passenger sitting immediately behind!! 4 birds with one stone eh!!!!
After about 30 minutes of grovelling (although the initialy chap was laughing his behind off) I then went and locked myself in the loo for about an hour out of total embarassement, the crew gave me such a hard time in the pub that night!!! But i can look back and laugh about it now!!!
After about 30 minutes of grovelling (although the initialy chap was laughing his behind off) I then went and locked myself in the loo for about an hour out of total embarassement, the crew gave me such a hard time in the pub that night!!! But i can look back and laugh about it now!!!
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Once had my poor L2/R2 FA's forget to properly secure the rear ovens on the 733. Not long after take-off, we heard this crashing from the back of the aircraft, quickly followed by an intercom call to tell me an oven set had just come out and the back galley was coated in butter chicken!!
None the less, after owning up to the pax over the PA, 36 very nice pax volunteered not to eat a hot meal while the R2/L2 FA's spent the next 4 hours scrubbing the back galley!! Days later we were still finding peas and pieces of chicken all over that a/c!
None the less, after owning up to the pax over the PA, 36 very nice pax volunteered not to eat a hot meal while the R2/L2 FA's spent the next 4 hours scrubbing the back galley!! Days later we were still finding peas and pieces of chicken all over that a/c!
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stray sausage!
I daren't think about the number of times a loose sausage has jumped out of the hotbit & landed on the floor - only to be washed under boiling water by me & plonked right back where it came from 
cheers
FF
cheers
FF
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Boarding had finished for my 76' ****tyFlyer in the afternoon and while the front door was still open I walked through the cabin to make sure pax were ready to leave. in a vacant window row there was a small A4 folder leaning against the a/c wall 
. After asking EVERYONE seated around it (about 15 people... over 6-7 rows either side) and checked the lav's were all vacant. I walked (some would say minced 
) up the front and gave it to ground staff with the seat number on it ‘cos I thought the cleaners had left it onboard from the last flight. return to my station... see a guy standing in the other aisle chatting away. knowing that we were about to push back I asked him to return to his seat . predictably his is the one where I found the folder. I rang the front straight away but the door was already closed 
.
Went and apologized to pax and he said he was ok
... he'd just had to wait 25 minutes for the flight after us to bring it down. I was SO embarrassed . The pax who I’d talked to before about owning it were giggling and smiling
Who leaves their stuff behind to go chat to a friend on the other end of the a/c during bairding?
ooops!
in the afternoon and while the front door was still open I walked through the cabin to make sure pax were ready to leave. in a vacant window row there was a small A4 folder leaning against the a/c wall . After asking EVERYONE seated around it (about 15 people... over 6-7 rows either side) and checked the lav's were all vacant. I walked (some would say minced ) up the front and gave it to ground staff with the seat number on it ‘cos I thought the cleaners had left it onboard from the last flight. return to my station... see a guy standing in the other aisle chatting away. knowing that we were about to push back I asked him to return to his seat . predictably his is the one where I found the folder. I rang the front straight away but the door was already closed .Went and apologized to pax and he said he was ok
... he'd just had to wait 25 minutes for the flight after us to bring it down. I was SO embarrassed . The pax who I’d talked to before about owning it were giggling and smilingWho leaves their stuff behind to go chat to a friend on the other end of the a/c during bairding?
ooops!
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TSSOV, you just reminded me of a flight I took with AN, I was about 13... at the time I was going on holidays during the school term, and so had a folder full of homework that I had to do while away.
I was also studying aviation as well as normal Yr 8 stuff... anyway... I accidentally left it in the seat pocket during the rush to deplane, as we were late for a connecting flight.
Lo and behold when we arrived at destination, there was a page for myself and my mum to go to baggage services.... there they had my folder waiting for me... and inside was a note from the flight crew, they had done all the answers I couldn't seem to work out, and wished me luck with my studies!!
Talk about service!!! 
I was also studying aviation as well as normal Yr 8 stuff... anyway... I accidentally left it in the seat pocket during the rush to deplane, as we were late for a connecting flight.
Lo and behold when we arrived at destination, there was a page for myself and my mum to go to baggage services.... there they had my folder waiting for me... and inside was a note from the flight crew, they had done all the answers I couldn't seem to work out, and wished me luck with my studies!!
Talk about service!!!
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I loved the story of a senior crew member that attempted to wake the FAs on crew rest by making a PA to the crew rest area that went something along the lines of:
"Wake up you lazy c**ts, these b******s upstairs want feeding"
Unfortunately her PA was heard throughout all passenger cabins on a 747!
OOPS indeed!!
"Wake up you lazy c**ts, these b******s upstairs want feeding"
Unfortunately her PA was heard throughout all passenger cabins on a 747!
OOPS indeed!!
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I remember once when I worked on check-in, the computers had gone down so we were using a manual system (pen and paper). That afternoon the system came on-line and I was asked to input all of the manifests into the computer. The quickest way to do this was to check-in ALL of the passengers, and remove the ones that didn't show.
Anyway, after completing this laborious task, I went back to my desk. I Went to check-in the first passenger, loaded up the flight, and typed CALL.
"Are you sure you want to check-in all pax" Y/N"
You guessed it...
I pressed Y
The Boarding Pass Printer spat out 143 boarding cards, and we now had no idea who was checked-in
Only one thing for it. A full baggage ID, which delayed the flight nearly 2 hours
Anyway, after completing this laborious task, I went back to my desk. I Went to check-in the first passenger, loaded up the flight, and typed CALL.
"Are you sure you want to check-in all pax" Y/N"
You guessed it...
I pressed Y
The Boarding Pass Printer spat out 143 boarding cards, and we now had no idea who was checked-in
Only one thing for it. A full baggage ID, which delayed the flight nearly 2 hours
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rise and shine!
KT you reminded me of a PER NRT where i had to wake up a crewmember from crew rest. I parted the curtains of our luxurious A333 crew rest and in only the light from the non-smoking sign I rubbed her shoulder. Turns out that her curvey shoulder wasnt a shoulder but another curvey piece of female anatomy (whose heavy supplness was totally wasted on me)
I didnt know if I should run off to the galley before she took her eyemask off or wait to tell her it was me so she didnt started freaking out that the pax had helped themselves . Thankfully she and I have been great friends for ages so I stayed and we giggled about it for a while "I cant think of a better way to be woken up in the morning!"
A333 crew rest and in only the light from the non-smoking sign I rubbed her shoulder. Turns out that her curvey shoulder wasnt a shoulder but another curvey piece of female anatomy (whose heavy supplness was totally wasted on me)I didnt know if I should run off to the galley
before she took her eyemask off or wait to tell her it was me so she didnt started freaking out that the pax had helped themselves . Thankfully she and I have been great friends for ages so I stayed and we giggled about it for a while "I cant think of a better way to be woken up in the morning!"
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The biggest "oops" that I have seen was a purser that had some problems calculating the time difference between johannesburg and switzerland (in winter it is 1 hour, in summer there is none) and managed to wake up all the passengers 2 hours too early for breakfast!
I was a passenger on that flight, and I wondered about the early wake-up because i was quite sure you are not allowed to land in zurich before 6 o clock in the morning, and if you are woken up at 3 you will definitely land before 6. well, shortly after breakfast she had to make an announcement "i am very sorry and I understand that you are maybe a little bit upset, but i have to tell you I woke you up too early". OOOPS!
I was a passenger on that flight, and I wondered about the early wake-up because i was quite sure you are not allowed to land in zurich before 6 o clock in the morning, and if you are woken up at 3 you will definitely land before 6. well, shortly after breakfast she had to make an announcement "i am very sorry and I understand that you are maybe a little bit upset, but i have to tell you I woke you up too early". OOOPS!
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When I had just joined the airline, a popular soap actor boarded the plane with her partner and sat right at the back of one of our B757's. I was working in the rear galley that day. A delightful colleague had placed her crew order (a small bottle of red wine) in the hatbin directly above the soap actor's boyfriend. We also keep our high visability jackets in that hatbin.
When we landed I had to go outside the a/c. Opening the hatbin for the hi-vis jacket, the bottle of wine rolled out and hit the actor's boyfriend on the HEAD!!!!! It must have hurt. I can't mention any names, but you'd know them from a popular soap filmed in East London (you know the one!)
The embarrassment. The apologies. Of all people it could have happened to. It's never happened since!! Sod's law.
When we landed I had to go outside the a/c. Opening the hatbin for the hi-vis jacket, the bottle of wine rolled out and hit the actor's boyfriend on the HEAD!!!!! It must have hurt. I can't mention any names, but you'd know them from a popular soap filmed in East London (you know the one!)
The embarrassment. The apologies. Of all people it could have happened to. It's never happened since!! Sod's law.
