Narrative:

CRM communication breakdown. I was unaware of any problems on the night of the occurrence. Upon returning home, I received a call from the chief pilot informing me that I possibly could have flown the last leg with only 2 flight attendants. Situation background: (I recalled) #2 flight attendant had been wondering all day if there might be a commuting flight attendant to mdw, so he could commute home. Fast forward to mdw terminating the aircraft. A drug test representative came to the cockpit asking where 3RD flight attendant was. The first officer and myself affirmed he was probably still in the back. Within mins, all passenger were off and I deplaned the aircraft and left. After chief's call, I called mdw in-flight and requested 1 or both of the other flight attendants call me at home. I received a call around XA00 from #3 flight attendant who informed me that #2 had performed a jetway trade and had gone home. Perspective: whether completed appropriately or whether legal, a jetway trade was performed. Neither the on-coming, off going, #1 or #3 flight attendants notified me of the change. Consequently, no verification procedures were followed. Additionally, if I would have known, the drug test representative could have been handled differently. End result: the flight was flown with 3 flight attendants, but I was unaware of the change. Jetway trades need to have an additional step of notifying the captain (through scheduling) if the crewmembers themselves cannot perform this function.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW DEP ON THEIR FINAL LEG OF THE DAY 1 SHORT OF FLT ATTENDANTS.

Narrative: CRM COM BREAKDOWN. I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY PROBS ON THE NIGHT OF THE OCCURRENCE. UPON RETURNING HOME, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE CHIEF PLT INFORMING ME THAT I POSSIBLY COULD HAVE FLOWN THE LAST LEG WITH ONLY 2 FLT ATTENDANTS. SIT BACKGROUND: (I RECALLED) #2 FLT ATTENDANT HAD BEEN WONDERING ALL DAY IF THERE MIGHT BE A COMMUTING FLT ATTENDANT TO MDW, SO HE COULD COMMUTE HOME. FAST FORWARD TO MDW TERMINATING THE ACFT. A DRUG TEST REPRESENTATIVE CAME TO THE COCKPIT ASKING WHERE 3RD FLT ATTENDANT WAS. THE FO AND MYSELF AFFIRMED HE WAS PROBABLY STILL IN THE BACK. WITHIN MINS, ALL PAX WERE OFF AND I DEPLANED THE ACFT AND LEFT. AFTER CHIEF'S CALL, I CALLED MDW INFLT AND REQUESTED 1 OR BOTH OF THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS CALL ME AT HOME. I RECEIVED A CALL AROUND XA00 FROM #3 FLT ATTENDANT WHO INFORMED ME THAT #2 HAD PERFORMED A JETWAY TRADE AND HAD GONE HOME. PERSPECTIVE: WHETHER COMPLETED APPROPRIATELY OR WHETHER LEGAL, A JETWAY TRADE WAS PERFORMED. NEITHER THE ON-COMING, OFF GOING, #1 OR #3 FLT ATTENDANTS NOTIFIED ME OF THE CHANGE. CONSEQUENTLY, NO VERIFICATION PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. ADDITIONALLY, IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN, THE DRUG TEST REPRESENTATIVE COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED DIFFERENTLY. END RESULT: THE FLT WAS FLOWN WITH 3 FLT ATTENDANTS, BUT I WAS UNAWARE OF THE CHANGE. JETWAY TRADES NEED TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL STEP OF NOTIFYING THE CAPT (THROUGH SCHEDULING) IF THE CREWMEMBERS THEMSELVES CANNOT PERFORM THIS FUNCTION.

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.