Narrative:

We arrived at myr approximately 20 mins late. The myr ground crew did a great turnaround, and we were ready to depart on time. Total turnaround time was 18 mins. We had 4 deadheading flight attendants that boarded in ewr and 97 passenger. When the ground agents wanted to close the door for departure from myr, the lead flight attendant advised me she was ready, except one of the other flight attendants had gotten off the airplane and she had not seen her return. I assumed it was one of the deadheading flight attendants she was talking about, since it never occurred to me that one of my crew would deplane during a normally short turnaround. I replied that I was sorry, but we could not wait past departure time. The lead flight attendant merely said 'okay,' so the door was closed and we departed. It was not until we were airborne that I found out it was one of the 'operating' crew members that had been left behind. Apparently, the lead flight attendant recruited one of the deadheading flight attendants to fill in for the missing flight attendant crew member. We were never short a fully qualified crew, but what a monumental misunderstanding. We returned to myr at the direction of the company. We picked up the missing flight attendant and continued the trip with no further incidence. I jumped to conclusions however, I was never given any additional information that would have allowed me to reevaluate my decision. I do not know any captain who would intentionally leave one of his/her crew members.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B727-400 TOOK OFF WITHOUT ONE OF THE ASSIGNED CABIN ATTENDANTS DURING AN INTERMEDIATE STOP. AFTER LEARNING THAT IT WAS NOT A DEADHEADING CABIN ATTENDANT AND WITH COMPANY DIRECTION, A RETURN WAS MADE TO PICK UP THE MISSING ATTENDANT.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED AT MYR APPROX 20 MINS LATE. THE MYR GND CREW DID A GREAT TURNAROUND, AND WE WERE READY TO DEPART ON TIME. TOTAL TURNAROUND TIME WAS 18 MINS. WE HAD 4 DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANTS THAT BOARDED IN EWR AND 97 PAX. WHEN THE GND AGENTS WANTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR FOR DEP FROM MYR, THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED ME SHE WAS READY, EXCEPT ONE OF THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS HAD GOTTEN OFF THE AIRPLANE AND SHE HAD NOT SEEN HER RETURN. I ASSUMED IT WAS ONE OF THE DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANTS SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT, SINCE IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT ONE OF MY CREW WOULD DEPLANE DURING A NORMALLY SHORT TURNAROUND. I REPLIED THAT I WAS SORRY, BUT WE COULD NOT WAIT PAST DEP TIME. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT MERELY SAID 'OKAY,' SO THE DOOR WAS CLOSED AND WE DEPARTED. IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE WERE AIRBORNE THAT I FOUND OUT IT WAS ONE OF THE 'OPERATING' CREW MEMBERS THAT HAD BEEN LEFT BEHIND. APPARENTLY, THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT RECRUITED ONE OF THE DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANTS TO FILL IN FOR THE MISSING FLT ATTENDANT CREW MEMBER. WE WERE NEVER SHORT A FULLY QUALIFIED CREW, BUT WHAT A MONUMENTAL MISUNDERSTANDING. WE RETURNED TO MYR AT THE DIRECTION OF THE COMPANY. WE PICKED UP THE MISSING FLT ATTENDANT AND CONTINUED THE TRIP WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENCE. I JUMPED TO CONCLUSIONS HOWEVER, I WAS NEVER GIVEN ANY ADDITIONAL INFO THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO REEVALUATE MY DECISION. I DO NOT KNOW ANY CAPT WHO WOULD INTENTIONALLY LEAVE ONE OF HIS/HER CREW MEMBERS.

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.