Narrative:

The aircraft that was assigned to us was a 'fresh' aircraft. It had just been through a phase III inspection by our company mechanics. In the process of this inspection, they remove the passenger seats. However, when the seats were reinstalled, the interior cleaned and svced, they had not reinstalled the passenger safety briefing cards, and placed the aircraft in service. I had been at the aircraft first, my captain was running a few mins late. I had not quite got settled in when he came. He was in a rush and I got caught up with him in his rush. I nor he did not notice the lack of briefing cards. We flew our first leg of the day unknowingly with on 5 out of 21 (19+2 spare) briefing cards. I noticed this fact when we were in phl straightening out the back. None of our passenger who were seated in the seats without the cards ever asked for one. We advised our company of the situation and they scrambled to come up with a solution. We were advised that it would be legal to photocopy a briefing card and use that in the seats, while we acquired the actual cards. None of our stations carry spares to replenish supplies of an aircraft if it is short, and this I believe is a short coming of our company. While we as the crew accepting the aircraft are responsible for all these items, our company should also have a better checks and balance system so that they could catch it if an aircraft is short of something before putting the aircraft back into service. As an additional note, the aircraft we took was flown 2 legs prior to us taking it the day we started our trip. The crew who had flown the aircraft those 2 legs never even noticed the shortage of this critical to safety of flight item.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE02 ACFT FLOWN 2 LEGS BY CREW BEFORE THEY NOTED THAT THE PAX INFO BRIEFING CARDS WERE MISSING ON 14 SEATS.

Narrative: THE ACFT THAT WAS ASSIGNED TO US WAS A 'FRESH' ACFT. IT HAD JUST BEEN THROUGH A PHASE III INSPECTION BY OUR COMPANY MECHS. IN THE PROCESS OF THIS INSPECTION, THEY REMOVE THE PAX SEATS. HOWEVER, WHEN THE SEATS WERE REINSTALLED, THE INTERIOR CLEANED AND SVCED, THEY HAD NOT REINSTALLED THE PAX SAFETY BRIEFING CARDS, AND PLACED THE ACFT IN SVC. I HAD BEEN AT THE ACFT FIRST, MY CAPT WAS RUNNING A FEW MINS LATE. I HAD NOT QUITE GOT SETTLED IN WHEN HE CAME. HE WAS IN A RUSH AND I GOT CAUGHT UP WITH HIM IN HIS RUSH. I NOR HE DID NOT NOTICE THE LACK OF BRIEFING CARDS. WE FLEW OUR FIRST LEG OF THE DAY UNKNOWINGLY WITH ON 5 OUT OF 21 (19+2 SPARE) BRIEFING CARDS. I NOTICED THIS FACT WHEN WE WERE IN PHL STRAIGHTENING OUT THE BACK. NONE OF OUR PAX WHO WERE SEATED IN THE SEATS WITHOUT THE CARDS EVER ASKED FOR ONE. WE ADVISED OUR COMPANY OF THE SIT AND THEY SCRAMBLED TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. WE WERE ADVISED THAT IT WOULD BE LEGAL TO PHOTOCOPY A BRIEFING CARD AND USE THAT IN THE SEATS, WHILE WE ACQUIRED THE ACTUAL CARDS. NONE OF OUR STATIONS CARRY SPARES TO REPLENISH SUPPLIES OF AN ACFT IF IT IS SHORT, AND THIS I BELIEVE IS A SHORT COMING OF OUR COMPANY. WHILE WE AS THE CREW ACCEPTING THE ACFT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THESE ITEMS, OUR COMPANY SHOULD ALSO HAVE A BETTER CHKS AND BAL SYS SO THAT THEY COULD CATCH IT IF AN ACFT IS SHORT OF SOMETHING BEFORE PUTTING THE ACFT BACK INTO SVC. AS AN ADDITIONAL NOTE, THE ACFT WE TOOK WAS FLOWN 2 LEGS PRIOR TO US TAKING IT THE DAY WE STARTED OUR TRIP. THE CREW WHO HAD FLOWN THE ACFT THOSE 2 LEGS NEVER EVEN NOTICED THE SHORTAGE OF THIS CRITICAL TO SAFETY OF FLT ITEM.

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.