Flight departs without proper number of flight attendants aboard.

Attributes
ACN	223118
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	Widebody, 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 : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	223118
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

One of 6 required flight attendants was assigned to collect passenger tickets in the concourse. This assignment was to supplement the shortage of gate agents. After push back the faic notified the flight deck crew that we had left the flight attendant in the gate house. The flight deck crew was in the process of using a xbleed start on #2 (right) engine since the APU was inoperative. I was also taking comments and special notations from a line check airman occupying the jump seat. I ask the faic to check her manual for min flight attendant requirements. She misread the data and advised me that we could depart with 5 flight attendants. In an effort to save fuel, I took her word for that information and departed without the sixth flight attendant. I did not check my fopm. The actual requirement is 6 flight attendants.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT DEPARTS WITHOUT PROPER NUMBER OF FLT ATTENDANTS ABOARD.

Narrative: ONE OF 6 REQUIRED FLT ATTENDANTS WAS ASSIGNED TO COLLECT PAX TICKETS IN THE CONCOURSE. THIS ASSIGNMENT WAS TO SUPPLEMENT THE SHORTAGE OF GATE AGENTS. AFTER PUSH BACK THE FAIC NOTIFIED THE FLT DECK CREW THAT WE HAD LEFT THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE GATE HOUSE. THE FLT DECK CREW WAS IN THE PROCESS OF USING A XBLEED START ON #2 (R) ENG SINCE THE APU WAS INOPERATIVE. I WAS ALSO TAKING COMMENTS AND SPECIAL NOTATIONS FROM A LINE CHK AIRMAN OCCUPYING THE JUMP SEAT. I ASK THE FAIC TO CHK HER MANUAL FOR MIN FLT ATTENDANT REQUIREMENTS. SHE MISREAD THE DATA AND ADVISED ME THAT WE COULD DEPART WITH 5 FLT ATTENDANTS. IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE FUEL, I TOOK HER WORD FOR THAT INFO AND DEPARTED WITHOUT THE SIXTH FLT ATTENDANT. I DID NOT CHK MY FOPM. THE ACTUAL REQUIREMENT IS 6 FLT ATTENDANTS.

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.