Narrative:

Departed on mem to dfw on a DC9-40 which requires 3 working flight attendants. We received an ACARS message from scheduling requesting a flight attendant count at which point we realized we only had 2 flight attendants on board. Our inbound plane was late and the preflight preparations were hectic. At the time I boarded the flight, there was apparently still flight attendants from the inbound flight on board along with our 2 common crew flight attendants, a cleaner and a gate agent. The cabin was busy. The first officer and I went about our duties preparing the aircraft for the flight and I never thought about the required cabin crew again until the ACARS message. When I read this message, I told the first officer we had at least 3, but asked him to check with the lead flight attendant before replying. It was at this point we realized we were short and replied as such. The flight proceeded without incident to dfw. Supplemental information from acn 495137: when the flight attendants boarded, the second flight attendant commented to the lead flight attendant 'oh this is a -30 we won't need a third.' the lead never pursued the matter as she should have. We were interrupted numerous times by various requests from the tug driver to help with clearing the area to ensure a clear push. We never considered the flight attendant crew as we let the system take care of it. We were never notified by company that our third flight attendant was late and we should wait. We were distraction, rushed, and CRM broke down, thus the mistake. (CRM between both flight attendants, company and cabin to cockpit.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-40 FLC IS ALERTED WHEN AIRBORNE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE SHORT 1 FLT ATTENDANT, WITH FLT REQUIRING 3, NOT 2 FLT ATTENDANTS. OCCURRED AT MEM, TN.

Narrative: DEPARTED ON MEM TO DFW ON A DC9-40 WHICH REQUIRES 3 WORKING FLT ATTENDANTS. WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE FROM SCHEDULING REQUESTING A FLT ATTENDANT COUNT AT WHICH POINT WE REALIZED WE ONLY HAD 2 FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD. OUR INBOUND PLANE WAS LATE AND THE PREFLT PREPARATIONS WERE HECTIC. AT THE TIME I BOARDED THE FLT, THERE WAS APPARENTLY STILL FLT ATTENDANTS FROM THE INBOUND FLT ON BOARD ALONG WITH OUR 2 COMMON CREW FLT ATTENDANTS, A CLEANER AND A GATE AGENT. THE CABIN WAS BUSY. THE FO AND I WENT ABOUT OUR DUTIES PREPARING THE ACFT FOR THE FLT AND I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE REQUIRED CABIN CREW AGAIN UNTIL THE ACARS MESSAGE. WHEN I READ THIS MESSAGE, I TOLD THE FO WE HAD AT LEAST 3, BUT ASKED HIM TO CHK WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT BEFORE REPLYING. IT WAS AT THIS POINT WE REALIZED WE WERE SHORT AND REPLIED AS SUCH. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT TO DFW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 495137: WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS BOARDED, THE SECOND FLT ATTENDANT COMMENTED TO THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT 'OH THIS IS A -30 WE WON'T NEED A THIRD.' THE LEAD NEVER PURSUED THE MATTER AS SHE SHOULD HAVE. WE WERE INTERRUPTED NUMEROUS TIMES BY VARIOUS REQUESTS FROM THE TUG DRIVER TO HELP WITH CLRING THE AREA TO ENSURE A CLR PUSH. WE NEVER CONSIDERED THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW AS WE LET THE SYS TAKE CARE OF IT. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED BY COMPANY THAT OUR THIRD FLT ATTENDANT WAS LATE AND WE SHOULD WAIT. WE WERE DISTR, RUSHED, AND CRM BROKE DOWN, THUS THE MISTAKE. (CRM BTWN BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS, COMPANY AND CABIN TO COCKPIT.)

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.