Air carrier large transport aircraft operated without required number of cabin attendants.

Attributes
ACN	220923
Time
Date	199209
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2030
ASRS Report	220923
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We had started the aircraft engines at the gate. After pushback flight attendant in charge reported to the cockpit that the flight attendant that had been out in the terminal for boarding was not on the airplane. We had already been pushed back onto the ramp/taxiway from the gate and had disconnected from the tug. We were ready to taxi. The flight attendant in charge consulted her manual and told us we were legal to depart/dispatch with the flight attendant compliment on board. We chose to depart without the flight attendant that was left at the gate. After airborne the flight attendant in charge consulted her manual and realized she had made a mistake. We were actually one short of the flight attendant crew compliment we needed. The lesson: the cockpit/pilot crew should have consulted our manuals directly to xchk the flight attendants we needed for dispatch.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ACFT OPERATED WITHOUT REQUIRED NUMBER OF CABIN ATTENDANTS.

Narrative: WE HAD STARTED THE ACFT ENGS AT THE GATE. AFTER PUSHBACK FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE RPTED TO THE COCKPIT THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT HAD BEEN OUT IN THE TERMINAL FOR BOARDING WAS NOT ON THE AIRPLANE. WE HAD ALREADY BEEN PUSHED BACK ONTO THE RAMP/TAXIWAY FROM THE GATE AND HAD DISCONNECTED FROM THE TUG. WE WERE READY TO TAXI. THE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE CONSULTED HER MANUAL AND TOLD US WE WERE LEGAL TO DEPART/DISPATCH WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT COMPLIMENT ON BOARD. WE CHOSE TO DEPART WITHOUT THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT WAS LEFT AT THE GATE. AFTER AIRBORNE THE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE CONSULTED HER MANUAL AND REALIZED SHE HAD MADE A MISTAKE. WE WERE ACTUALLY ONE SHORT OF THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW COMPLIMENT WE NEEDED. THE LESSON: THE COCKPIT/PLT CREW SHOULD HAVE CONSULTED OUR MANUALS DIRECTLY TO XCHK THE FLT ATTENDANTS WE NEEDED FOR DISPATCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.