Narrative:

Immediately after push out and engine start from our gate at dfw, the #1 flight attendant notified me by interphone that her bag, stowed in a galley cart, was accidentally removed by catering mins before departure. Her bag apparently contained her required manual and identify in addition to her purse and other personal effects. Neither I nor the #1 flight attendant knew the legality of continuing with only 1 set of flight attendant manuals onboard (the #2 flight attendant had his in his possession). Rather than inconvenience our full load of passenger, I continued to taxi while instructing the first officer to contact dfw operations on 129.05 and ask them for guidance. After a short period of time, operations informed us that we could continue the flight, and they would arrange to find the missing bag and manuals and return them to the flight attendant on our return to dfw. Shortly before arrival at gso, we received an ACARS message notifying us that a flight attendant supervisor would drive a replacement manual by car from rdu and deliver it to us at gso (approximately 2 hour drive). After arrival at gso, dispatch contacted me and instructed me not to depart gso until after we received the manual. The dispatcher was also unsure whether or not 2 sets of manuals (1 each flight attendant) are required for flight, but he was under the impression that it would be better to have them onboard before flight. He said he would get more information through his supervisors and asked me to do the same through my dfw flight office. Approximately 25 mins after our scheduled departure time from gso back to dfw, the replacement flight attendant manual was delivered to our aircraft and we departed. During the time we were waiting, I made a PA to the waiting passenger to explain the reason for our delay. Without being too specific, I informed them that we were waiting for 'required equipment.' that piqued the interest of an FAA maintenance inspector onboard the aircraft. He idented himself to me and asked me what the 'required equipment' was and if there was anything he could do. He informed me that he knew of no reason why 1 manual onboard was not sufficient for flight if the flight attendants were properly 'trained and proficient.' the legality of required flight attendant manuals might be an item worth looking into for information for pilots. Perhaps an additional document entry might be a good place to contain that information to avoid future legal problems or possible passenger inconvenience. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he has learned through company investigation that the manual is required for each assigned cabin attendant. He was advised that section 121.137(B) of the far stipulates that the appropriate parts of the far approved company manual is required to be accessible when performing assigned duties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT DID NOT HAVE COMPANY MANUAL ACCESSIBLE DURING FIRST LEG OF FLT DUE TO HER OTHER PERSONAL BELONGINGS INADVERTENTLY TAKEN OFF THE ACFT VIA GALLEY CART PRIOR TO GATE DEP.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER PUSH OUT AND ENG START FROM OUR GATE AT DFW, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME BY INTERPHONE THAT HER BAG, STOWED IN A GALLEY CART, WAS ACCIDENTALLY REMOVED BY CATERING MINS BEFORE DEP. HER BAG APPARENTLY CONTAINED HER REQUIRED MANUAL AND IDENT IN ADDITION TO HER PURSE AND OTHER PERSONAL EFFECTS. NEITHER I NOR THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT KNEW THE LEGALITY OF CONTINUING WITH ONLY 1 SET OF FLT ATTENDANT MANUALS ONBOARD (THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT HAD HIS IN HIS POSSESSION). RATHER THAN INCONVENIENCE OUR FULL LOAD OF PAX, I CONTINUED TO TAXI WHILE INSTRUCTING THE FO TO CONTACT DFW OPS ON 129.05 AND ASK THEM FOR GUIDANCE. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, OPS INFORMED US THAT WE COULD CONTINUE THE FLT, AND THEY WOULD ARRANGE TO FIND THE MISSING BAG AND MANUALS AND RETURN THEM TO THE FLT ATTENDANT ON OUR RETURN TO DFW. SHORTLY BEFORE ARR AT GSO, WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE NOTIFYING US THAT A FLT ATTENDANT SUPVR WOULD DRIVE A REPLACEMENT MANUAL BY CAR FROM RDU AND DELIVER IT TO US AT GSO (APPROX 2 HR DRIVE). AFTER ARR AT GSO, DISPATCH CONTACTED ME AND INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO DEPART GSO UNTIL AFTER WE RECEIVED THE MANUAL. THE DISPATCHER WAS ALSO UNSURE WHETHER OR NOT 2 SETS OF MANUALS (1 EACH FLT ATTENDANT) ARE REQUIRED FOR FLT, BUT HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE THEM ONBOARD BEFORE FLT. HE SAID HE WOULD GET MORE INFO THROUGH HIS SUPVRS AND ASKED ME TO DO THE SAME THROUGH MY DFW FLT OFFICE. APPROX 25 MINS AFTER OUR SCHEDULED DEP TIME FROM GSO BACK TO DFW, THE REPLACEMENT FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL WAS DELIVERED TO OUR ACFT AND WE DEPARTED. DURING THE TIME WE WERE WAITING, I MADE A PA TO THE WAITING PAX TO EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR OUR DELAY. WITHOUT BEING TOO SPECIFIC, I INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE WAITING FOR 'REQUIRED EQUIP.' THAT PIQUED THE INTEREST OF AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR ONBOARD THE ACFT. HE IDENTED HIMSELF TO ME AND ASKED ME WHAT THE 'REQUIRED EQUIP' WAS AND IF THERE WAS ANYTHING HE COULD DO. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE KNEW OF NO REASON WHY 1 MANUAL ONBOARD WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR FLT IF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE PROPERLY 'TRAINED AND PROFICIENT.' THE LEGALITY OF REQUIRED FLT ATTENDANT MANUALS MIGHT BE AN ITEM WORTH LOOKING INTO FOR INFO FOR PLTS. PERHAPS AN ADDITIONAL DOCUMENT ENTRY MIGHT BE A GOOD PLACE TO CONTAIN THAT INFO TO AVOID FUTURE LEGAL PROBS OR POSSIBLE PAX INCONVENIENCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS LEARNED THROUGH COMPANY INVESTIGATION THAT THE MANUAL IS REQUIRED FOR EACH ASSIGNED CABIN ATTENDANT. HE WAS ADVISED THAT SECTION 121.137(B) OF THE FAR STIPULATES THAT THE APPROPRIATE PARTS OF THE FAR APPROVED COMPANY MANUAL IS REQUIRED TO BE ACCESSIBLE WHEN PERFORMING ASSIGNED DUTIES.

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.