Date: 201810
Aircraft: B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise
Aircraft component: Cabin Address System
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Human Factors; Equipment / Tooling
Primary problem: Equipment / Tooling

Narrative: Panel was placed over speakers; therefore unable to hear any announcements made by either the purser forward cabin or cockpit. We hit severe turbulence; never heard the cockpit make the announcement 'Flight Attendants take your jumpseat immediately'. We were in our jumpseat and no crew member got injured. This plane needs to be checked and panel removed so we can hear every and each announcement. Huge safety issue.Issue two: The 767 [of this seating arrangement] was slated to be use only on domestic routes yet [the Company] placed a few of them on the international market. Lack of cross-aisle can be a huge problem for crew members and passengers in an emergency. There is no way per FAA mandated evacuating a plane in 90 secs will occur. Let me explain. The seat pods are grouped close together. There is no way passengers can cross from left to right vice versa in business class because there is no passage to get to either side. Most passengers are on the heavy side and they will be unable to jump over these pods to exit a usable door. Elderly passengers will encounter the same fate. If doors 1L/R are blocked due to fire or obstruction the only usable exits would be the window exits which are secondary and will not allow passengers to exit as readily as a door exit. Window emergency exits are secondary exits. Why did the FAA approve this plane with the new reconfigured seats? The crew rest seats which are located aft left are not acceptable. Let me explained; they are near two lavs or one depending on the plane number. FA (Flight Attendants) are fatigued due to lack of sleep during our crew break as passengers believe the curtain which surrounds the seats contains a hidden lav. Passengers sit on the armrest awaiting their turn to use the lav. Noise level from working crew members in the galley and passengers standing around talking are creating a unacceptable environment for crews. Emergency equipment is hidden behind the curtain when crew members are on break. In a medical emergency crew members need to retrieve said equipment; minutes count especially during a heart attack. By the time it takes to open the curtain and retrieve equipment who knows what may occur. How did the FAA not see this huge flaw in the design and approval? These 767 planes need to be reassessed.




Synopsis: B767 Flight Attendant reported both being unable to hear announcements and the new seating configurations make evacuation difficult.