Narrative:

Taxiing out for takeoff from psp, the captain and I had completed the taxi checklist, but had not yet started the before takeoff list. We were running late and were hurrying to get airborne. The tower cleared us for takeoff before we expected it, so I rushed through the checklist and off we went. Approximately 5 mins after takeoff, the flight attendant called on the interphone and said she had been at the rear of the cabin when we started rolling and barely made it to her jump seat as we rotated. No harm done, but she and I both made errors that could have prevented this from happening. Our company policy requires that I make a brief passenger announcement telling the flight attendant to prepare for departure. When he or she is ready and the cabin is secure, he or she will close the cockpit door and be seated. In this instance, the cockpit door was closed, so the captain and I assumed she was ready to go. I messed up, though, as I rushed through the checklist and called 'flight attendant, notified' even though I hadn't done it. The flight attendant made the following mistake: after she closed the cockpit door and took her seat, she noticed a passenger with a briefcase stowed in the aisle beside his seat. She got up and went to the back of the cabin to stow the briefcase. She didn't use the interphone or open the cockpit door to tell us she was up. As far as the captain and I knew she was seated and ready to go. The first and most obvious lesson here is not to get rushed and skip important checklist items. No matter how late or hurried we are, the checklist must be followed to the letter. The second lesson is that crew communication and coordination is very important. If the flight attendant has a problem that will take time to correct, she should let the flight crew know that there's a problem and she's not ready to go. I know that the flcs will always keep the flight attendant informed if a problem arises.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC OF AN E120 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF BEFORE THEY HAD COMPLETED THEIR CHKLISTS. IN THE RUSH TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, THE FO VERIFIED 'FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFICATION' WITHOUT HAVING NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT THE ACFT WAS TAKING THE RWY. THE ACFT DEPARTED WHILE THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS STILL STANDING IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF FROM PSP, THE CAPT AND I HAD COMPLETED THE TAXI CHKLIST, BUT HAD NOT YET STARTED THE BEFORE TKOF LIST. WE WERE RUNNING LATE AND WERE HURRYING TO GET AIRBORNE. THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF BEFORE WE EXPECTED IT, SO I RUSHED THROUGH THE CHKLIST AND OFF WE WENT. APPROX 5 MINS AFTER TKOF, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE AND SAID SHE HAD BEEN AT THE REAR OF THE CABIN WHEN WE STARTED ROLLING AND BARELY MADE IT TO HER JUMP SEAT AS WE ROTATED. NO HARM DONE, BUT SHE AND I BOTH MADE ERRORS THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING. OUR COMPANY POLICY REQUIRES THAT I MAKE A BRIEF PAX ANNOUNCEMENT TELLING THE FLT ATTENDANT TO PREPARE FOR DEP. WHEN HE OR SHE IS READY AND THE CABIN IS SECURE, HE OR SHE WILL CLOSE THE COCKPIT DOOR AND BE SEATED. IN THIS INSTANCE, THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS CLOSED, SO THE CAPT AND I ASSUMED SHE WAS READY TO GO. I MESSED UP, THOUGH, AS I RUSHED THROUGH THE CHKLIST AND CALLED 'FLT ATTENDANT, NOTIFIED' EVEN THOUGH I HADN'T DONE IT. THE FLT ATTENDANT MADE THE FOLLOWING MISTAKE: AFTER SHE CLOSED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND TOOK HER SEAT, SHE NOTICED A PAX WITH A BRIEFCASE STOWED IN THE AISLE BESIDE HIS SEAT. SHE GOT UP AND WENT TO THE BACK OF THE CABIN TO STOW THE BRIEFCASE. SHE DIDN'T USE THE INTERPHONE OR OPEN THE COCKPIT DOOR TO TELL US SHE WAS UP. AS FAR AS THE CAPT AND I KNEW SHE WAS SEATED AND READY TO GO. THE FIRST AND MOST OBVIOUS LESSON HERE IS NOT TO GET RUSHED AND SKIP IMPORTANT CHKLIST ITEMS. NO MATTER HOW LATE OR HURRIED WE ARE, THE CHKLIST MUST BE FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER. THE SECOND LESSON IS THAT CREW COM AND COORD IS VERY IMPORTANT. IF THE FLT ATTENDANT HAS A PROB THAT WILL TAKE TIME TO CORRECT, SHE SHOULD LET THE FLC KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROB AND SHE'S NOT READY TO GO. I KNOW THAT THE FLCS WILL ALWAYS KEEP THE FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED IF A PROB ARISES.

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.