Narrative:

After unsuccessfully attempting to convince 2 capts to fly to ZZZ with an inoperative antiskid; brake de-activated; and no potable water; sfo operations advised they had an aircraft available at the gate and would like to depart at XB00L. As it was already XA30 and the inbound flight had blocked in precisely 2 mins earlier; I felt this to be optimistic in the extreme -- another unique company tendency. Nonetheless; I proceeded to the gate; checked in with csr; and proceeded to the flight deck while the inbound passenger were still deplaning. I specifically remarked to the csr at the podium that XB00 did not seem realistic; especially since I had not seen any flight attendants yet. The first officer arrived a few mins later; and after some cockpit setup; left to do the walkaround. In the meantime; I was on the cell phone to dispatch to amend the release to remove dispatcher comments that applied to the MEL item on the old airplane. The first officer returned shortly and attempted to get my attention as I spoke to dispatch. When I hung up the phone a minute later; I learned the cause of his concern -- customer service had initiated boarding of flight with zero flight attendants on board! In fact; the entire first class cabin was seated; as well as a couple of rows of economy. I walked through the cabin and announced to the passenger that they would likely need to deplane as we did not have flight attendants aboard yet. By the time I reached the jetway phone; the flight attendants had arrived from the previous gate and customer service had stopped further boarding. They were understandably upset and some discussion ensued on how to proceed. While there was clearly a breach of far's pertaining to passenger aboard with no flight attendants; I felt the violation had already occurred and nothing was to be gained by deplaning; re-boarding; delaying; or any other course of action. I asked the purser if he could complete all their required safety checks with passenger aboard; and he assured me he could. Some flight attendants were still expressing concern about security ramifications; which personally I didn't think relevant. Regardless; I called the duty manager and obtained his concurrence that there was no point in delaying the departure any further; and that the event should just be disclosed via report. Once again; we have operrors that result when line employees are pressured to get the job done during irregular operations. In this case; no harm resulted - but what if we had needed to evacuate/evacuation the airplane at the gate with no flight attendants aboard? Not a pretty picture. The remainder of the flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW; INVOLVED WITH ACFT PREFLIGHT ACTIVITIES; DISCOVERED THAT BOARDING OF PAX HAD COMMENCED WITHOUT FA'S ONBOARD.

Narrative: AFTER UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTING TO CONVINCE 2 CAPTS TO FLY TO ZZZ WITH AN INOP ANTISKID; BRAKE DE-ACTIVATED; AND NO POTABLE WATER; SFO OPS ADVISED THEY HAD AN ACFT AVAILABLE AT THE GATE AND WOULD LIKE TO DEPART AT XB00L. AS IT WAS ALREADY XA30 AND THE INBOUND FLT HAD BLOCKED IN PRECISELY 2 MINS EARLIER; I FELT THIS TO BE OPTIMISTIC IN THE EXTREME -- ANOTHER UNIQUE COMPANY TENDENCY. NONETHELESS; I PROCEEDED TO THE GATE; CHKED IN WITH CSR; AND PROCEEDED TO THE FLT DECK WHILE THE INBOUND PAX WERE STILL DEPLANING. I SPECIFICALLY REMARKED TO THE CSR AT THE PODIUM THAT XB00 DID NOT SEEM REALISTIC; ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD NOT SEEN ANY FLT ATTENDANTS YET. THE FO ARRIVED A FEW MINS LATER; AND AFTER SOME COCKPIT SETUP; LEFT TO DO THE WALKAROUND. IN THE MEANTIME; I WAS ON THE CELL PHONE TO DISPATCH TO AMEND THE RELEASE TO REMOVE DISPATCHER COMMENTS THAT APPLIED TO THE MEL ITEM ON THE OLD AIRPLANE. THE FO RETURNED SHORTLY AND ATTEMPTED TO GET MY ATTN AS I SPOKE TO DISPATCH. WHEN I HUNG UP THE PHONE A MINUTE LATER; I LEARNED THE CAUSE OF HIS CONCERN -- CUSTOMER SVC HAD INITIATED BOARDING OF FLT WITH ZERO FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD! IN FACT; THE ENTIRE FIRST CLASS CABIN WAS SEATED; AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF ROWS OF ECONOMY. I WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN AND ANNOUNCED TO THE PAX THAT THEY WOULD LIKELY NEED TO DEPLANE AS WE DID NOT HAVE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOARD YET. BY THE TIME I REACHED THE JETWAY PHONE; THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD ARRIVED FROM THE PREVIOUS GATE AND CUSTOMER SVC HAD STOPPED FURTHER BOARDING. THEY WERE UNDERSTANDABLY UPSET AND SOME DISCUSSION ENSUED ON HOW TO PROCEED. WHILE THERE WAS CLEARLY A BREACH OF FAR'S PERTAINING TO PAX ABOARD WITH NO FLT ATTENDANTS; I FELT THE VIOLATION HAD ALREADY OCCURRED AND NOTHING WAS TO BE GAINED BY DEPLANING; RE-BOARDING; DELAYING; OR ANY OTHER COURSE OF ACTION. I ASKED THE PURSER IF HE COULD COMPLETE ALL THEIR REQUIRED SAFETY CHKS WITH PAX ABOARD; AND HE ASSURED ME HE COULD. SOME FLT ATTENDANTS WERE STILL EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT SECURITY RAMIFICATIONS; WHICH PERSONALLY I DIDN'T THINK RELEVANT. REGARDLESS; I CALLED THE DUTY MGR AND OBTAINED HIS CONCURRENCE THAT THERE WAS NO POINT IN DELAYING THE DEP ANY FURTHER; AND THAT THE EVENT SHOULD JUST BE DISCLOSED VIA RPT. ONCE AGAIN; WE HAVE OPERRORS THAT RESULT WHEN LINE EMPLOYEES ARE PRESSURED TO GET THE JOB DONE DURING IRREGULAR OPS. IN THIS CASE; NO HARM RESULTED - BUT WHAT IF WE HAD NEEDED TO EVAC THE AIRPLANE AT THE GATE WITH NO FLT ATTENDANTS ABOARD? NOT A PRETTY PICTURE. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.