A B737-200 flight attendant became ill on an overnight. The trip was continued with less than the mi...

Attributes
ACN	322387
Time
Date	199511
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : chs
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	322387
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	322257
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On an overnight at an out station away from our hub, one of our 3 flight attendants became ill and could not report for duty the next morning to continue our flight pairing. No reserve flight attendants were available at this station. The aircraft was a B737-200 with 10 first-class seats and 90 coach seats, for a total of 100 seats. The captain, myself, dispatcher, crew scheduler, and load planner were all consulted and everyone agreed that we needed 1 flight attendant for every 50 seats. Since we only had 100 seats, we could depart with the 2 remaining flight attendants to our next destination, where we could pick up another flight attendant, with passenger on board. Our company also operates B737-100 with 95 seats and this had been done before on the B737-100's. We departed on schedule with the 2 remaining flight attendants. The trip was operated normally and a third flight attendant was added to the crew at the next stop. About 9 days later I got a call from the chief pilot who informed me that in reality we should not have departed chs with only 2 flight attendants. We were required to have 3 flight attendants to depart. Apparently there is some company documentation somewhere that states that our B737-200 aircraft will be operated with a minimum of 3 flight attendants. If the aircraft had been a B737-100 everything would have been legal, but the B737-200 requires 3 flight attendants. The company voluntarily reported the violation to the FAA. From our standpoint as the flight crew, we were under the impression that we were only required to have 1 flight attendant per 50 seats or part thereof, and we could not find anything in the company manuals we had in our possession that stated otherwise. Apparently the crew scheduler, dispatcher, and load planner were also under the wrong impression. Supplemental information from acn 322257: one of the flight attendants got ill. The cockpit crew told us we could fly with 2 flight attendants because there was only 100 seats on this aircraft. So we flew with 71 passenger on board with only 2 flight attendants.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 FLT ATTENDANT BECAME ILL ON AN OVERNIGHT. THE TRIP WAS CONTINUED WITH LESS THAN THE MINIMUM FLT ATTENDANTS TO THE NEXT STOP WHERE A REPLACEMENT COULD BE ADDED. ACR PERSONNEL INVOLVED THOUGHT THAT THE ONLY LEGAL REQUIREMENT WAS 1 FLT ATTENDANT FOR EACH 50 PAX SEATS.

Narrative: ON AN OVERNIGHT AT AN OUT STATION AWAY FROM OUR HUB, ONE OF OUR 3 FLT ATTENDANTS BECAME ILL AND COULD NOT RPT FOR DUTY THE NEXT MORNING TO CONTINUE OUR FLT PAIRING. NO RESERVE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE AVAILABLE AT THIS STATION. THE ACFT WAS A B737-200 WITH 10 FIRST-CLASS SEATS AND 90 COACH SEATS, FOR A TOTAL OF 100 SEATS. THE CAPT, MYSELF, DISPATCHER, CREW SCHEDULER, AND LOAD PLANNER WERE ALL CONSULTED AND EVERYONE AGREED THAT WE NEEDED 1 FLT ATTENDANT FOR EVERY 50 SEATS. SINCE WE ONLY HAD 100 SEATS, WE COULD DEPART WITH THE 2 REMAINING FLT ATTENDANTS TO OUR NEXT DEST, WHERE WE COULD PICK UP ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT, WITH PAX ON BOARD. OUR COMPANY ALSO OPERATES B737-100 WITH 95 SEATS AND THIS HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE ON THE B737-100'S. WE DEPARTED ON SCHEDULE WITH THE 2 REMAINING FLT ATTENDANTS. THE TRIP WAS OPERATED NORMALLY AND A THIRD FLT ATTENDANT WAS ADDED TO THE CREW AT THE NEXT STOP. ABOUT 9 DAYS LATER I GOT A CALL FROM THE CHIEF PLT WHO INFORMED ME THAT IN REALITY WE SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPARTED CHS WITH ONLY 2 FLT ATTENDANTS. WE WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS TO DEPART. APPARENTLY THERE IS SOME COMPANY DOCUMENTATION SOMEWHERE THAT STATES THAT OUR B737-200 ACFT WILL BE OPERATED WITH A MINIMUM OF 3 FLT ATTENDANTS. IF THE ACFT HAD BEEN A B737-100 EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN LEGAL, BUT THE B737-200 REQUIRES 3 FLT ATTENDANTS. THE COMPANY VOLUNTARILY RPTED THE VIOLATION TO THE FAA. FROM OUR STANDPOINT AS THE FLC, WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE ONLY REQUIRED TO HAVE 1 FLT ATTENDANT PER 50 SEATS OR PART THEREOF, AND WE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING IN THE COMPANY MANUALS WE HAD IN OUR POSSESSION THAT STATED OTHERWISE. APPARENTLY THE CREW SCHEDULER, DISPATCHER, AND LOAD PLANNER WERE ALSO UNDER THE WRONG IMPRESSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 322257: ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS GOT ILL. THE COCKPIT CREW TOLD US WE COULD FLY WITH 2 FLT ATTENDANTS BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY 100 SEATS ON THIS ACFT. SO WE FLEW WITH 71 PAX ON BOARD WITH ONLY 2 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.

A B737-200 flight attendant became ill on an overnight. The trip was continued with less than the minimum flight attendants to the next stop where a replacement could be added. Air carrier personnel involved thought that the only legal requirement was 1 flight attendant for each 50 passenger seats.