Narrative:

I'm an operating experience student on a new job with a major airline. My first flight on a DC9-50 requires 3 flight attendants. We departed with only 2 on board. The captain briefed the lead flight attendant and told him to advise when the third crew member arrived. This never happened. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that they were scheduled to fly from minneapolis to rochester and return to minneapolis. They had 17 passenger on board. He believes the communication broke down in 4 stages: it started with the late flight attendant, the in-flight office not telling the gate agent about her tardiness, the cabin attendants not telling the gate agent not to close the front door and the captain pushing back before he ascertained whether the missing flight attendant had made it. He also believes that because he, himself, was new, that he and the captain became totally distraction in orienting him to the airplane. He was told later by the captain that this was not an isolated incident at their airline, that it happened hundreds of times. The remaining 2 flight attendants were really upset about the situation. On the return to minneapolis, they picked up a flight attendant who was scheduled to deadhead and converted her to work. Supplemental information from acn 461535: note: third flight attendant was late inbound from another flight, from what dispatch told me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE PLT RPT, DC9-50, MSP-ROC. CAPT TOOK OFF WITHOUT FAA MINIMUM OF 3 CABIN ATTENDANTS DUE TO LACK OF COM BTWN DISPATCH, GATE, CABIN ATTENDANT AND CAPT.

Narrative: I'M AN OPERATING EXPERIENCE STUDENT ON A NEW JOB WITH A MAJOR AIRLINE. MY FIRST FLT ON A DC9-50 REQUIRES 3 FLT ATTENDANTS. WE DEPARTED WITH ONLY 2 ON BOARD. THE CAPT BRIEFED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND TOLD HIM TO ADVISE WHEN THE THIRD CREW MEMBER ARRIVED. THIS NEVER HAPPENED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO ROCHESTER AND RETURN TO MINNEAPOLIS. THEY HAD 17 PAX ON BOARD. HE BELIEVES THE COM BROKE DOWN IN 4 STAGES: IT STARTED WITH THE LATE FLT ATTENDANT, THE INFLT OFFICE NOT TELLING THE GATE AGENT ABOUT HER TARDINESS, THE CABIN ATTENDANTS NOT TELLING THE GATE AGENT NOT TO CLOSE THE FRONT DOOR AND THE CAPT PUSHING BACK BEFORE HE ASCERTAINED WHETHER THE MISSING FLT ATTENDANT HAD MADE IT. HE ALSO BELIEVES THAT BECAUSE HE, HIMSELF, WAS NEW, THAT HE AND THE CAPT BECAME TOTALLY DISTR IN ORIENTING HIM TO THE AIRPLANE. HE WAS TOLD LATER BY THE CAPT THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AT THEIR AIRLINE, THAT IT HAPPENED HUNDREDS OF TIMES. THE REMAINING 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE REALLY UPSET ABOUT THE SIT. ON THE RETURN TO MINNEAPOLIS, THEY PICKED UP A FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS SCHEDULED TO DEADHEAD AND CONVERTED HER TO WORK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 461535: NOTE: THIRD FLT ATTENDANT WAS LATE INBOUND FROM ANOTHER FLT, FROM WHAT DISPATCH TOLD ME.

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.