Narrative:

We pushed back from gate at smf at XA55 local and taxied to runway 34R. We were cleared for takeoff about 300 ft from the hold short line and did a rolling takeoff at XB05 local. Approaching the hold short line, I 'dinged' the flight attendants as normal, and heard them say 'we have been cleared for departure.' at XB40 local, the a flight attendant requested to come into the cockpit. After entering, she told us that she was in the back of the airplane adjusting passenger luggage, when we started the takeoff roll. She had to run up the center aisle to take her seat. We had 110 passenger, so there probably were not any aisle seats to jump into. I guess this happened so fast that the flight attendants did not think to ding me and ask that I delay the takeoff. Maybe the flight attendants could use more training in this area. A high speed abort with a flight attendant standing could have tragic results. The flight attendant told me that one of the passenger told her that he sees this happen all the time. I appreciate that the flight attendant told us that this passenger was upset. I do not think this happens all the time, and the upset passenger was trying to impress a flight attendant. I do think that one of the primary reasons the flight attendant told us this is so we could cya with the FAA in case the upset passenger makes an official report. I'm wondering if this happens more often, and we pilots never hear about it, because none of the passenger seem upset. Supplemental information from acn 573163: the 'a' flight attendant was attempting to stow a passenger's bag during takeoff. The bag was discovered during the final walk through. The flight attendants did not notify the cockpit crew that they needed extra time. All cockpit procedures were completed with an 'attendant call' button pushed prior to departure. Cockpit crew was unaware of the situation in back until notified during cruise flight. This could have been prevented if the flight attendants had notified cockpit crew on the service interphone. All equipment was working, and luckily there were no injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 PURSER FLT ATTENDANT WAS NOT IN HER SEAT FOR TKOF. PAX BAGGAGE WAS NOT PROPERLY STOWED PRIOR TO CLOSING THE ACFT DOOR.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AT SMF AT XA55 LCL AND TAXIED TO RWY 34R. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ABOUT 300 FT FROM THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND DID A ROLLING TKOF AT XB05 LCL. APCHING THE HOLD SHORT LINE, I 'DINGED' THE FLT ATTENDANTS AS NORMAL, AND HEARD THEM SAY 'WE HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR DEP.' AT XB40 LCL, THE A FLT ATTENDANT REQUESTED TO COME INTO THE COCKPIT. AFTER ENTERING, SHE TOLD US THAT SHE WAS IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE ADJUSTING PAX LUGGAGE, WHEN WE STARTED THE TKOF ROLL. SHE HAD TO RUN UP THE CTR AISLE TO TAKE HER SEAT. WE HAD 110 PAX, SO THERE PROBABLY WERE NOT ANY AISLE SEATS TO JUMP INTO. I GUESS THIS HAPPENED SO FAST THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT THINK TO DING ME AND ASK THAT I DELAY THE TKOF. MAYBE THE FLT ATTENDANTS COULD USE MORE TRAINING IN THIS AREA. A HIGH SPD ABORT WITH A FLT ATTENDANT STANDING COULD HAVE TRAGIC RESULTS. THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT ONE OF THE PAX TOLD HER THAT HE SEES THIS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. I APPRECIATE THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD US THAT THIS PAX WAS UPSET. I DO NOT THINK THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, AND THE UPSET PAX WAS TRYING TO IMPRESS A FLT ATTENDANT. I DO THINK THAT ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD US THIS IS SO WE COULD CYA WITH THE FAA IN CASE THE UPSET PAX MAKES AN OFFICIAL RPT. I'M WONDERING IF THIS HAPPENS MORE OFTEN, AND WE PLTS NEVER HEAR ABOUT IT, BECAUSE NONE OF THE PAX SEEM UPSET. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 573163: THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOW A PAX'S BAG DURING TKOF. THE BAG WAS DISCOVERED DURING THE FINAL WALK THROUGH. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT NOTIFY THE COCKPIT CREW THAT THEY NEEDED EXTRA TIME. ALL COCKPIT PROCS WERE COMPLETED WITH AN 'ATTENDANT CALL' BUTTON PUSHED PRIOR TO DEP. COCKPIT CREW WAS UNAWARE OF THE SIT IN BACK UNTIL NOTIFIED DURING CRUISE FLT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOTIFIED COCKPIT CREW ON THE SVC INTERPHONE. ALL EQUIP WAS WORKING, AND LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

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.