A flight attendant reports the air carrier forced the flight attendant crew to depart one flight att...

Attributes
ACN	763303
Time
Date	200711
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : maintenance
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
ASRS Report	763303
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Augmented staffing for entire trip required 6 flight attendants due to long duty time. Purser on the flight advised crew scheduler that only 5 flight attendants were on board for the trip and that we were not legally staffed according to the flight manual. After a lengthy discussion with the purser other flight attendants and scheduler; we were advised by the scheduler that we would have to work the flight with 5 flight attendants. The scheduler was asked if she was giving us a direct order. She said yes and so we advised her that we would work under protest and that we were understaffed according to the flight manual. We did not have access to a computer at the time but upon return from the trip I pulled up requirements and the print up under comments stated 'augmented staffing required: flight xx needs: 6 flight attendants.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT REPORTS THE ACR FORCED THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW TO DEPART ONE FLT ATTENDANT SHORT OF THE REQUIRED NUMBER ON A LONG DUTY TIME FLT.

Narrative: AUGMENTED STAFFING FOR ENTIRE TRIP REQUIRED 6 FLT ATTENDANTS DUE TO LONG DUTY TIME. PURSER ON THE FLT ADVISED CREW SCHEDULER THAT ONLY 5 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ON BOARD FOR THE TRIP AND THAT WE WERE NOT LEGALLY STAFFED ACCORDING TO THE FLT MANUAL. AFTER A LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH THE PURSER OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS AND SCHEDULER; WE WERE ADVISED BY THE SCHEDULER THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK THE FLT WITH 5 FLT ATTENDANTS. THE SCHEDULER WAS ASKED IF SHE WAS GIVING US A DIRECT ORDER. SHE SAID YES AND SO WE ADVISED HER THAT WE WOULD WORK UNDER PROTEST AND THAT WE WERE UNDERSTAFFED ACCORDING TO THE FLT MANUAL. WE DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER AT THE TIME BUT UPON RETURN FROM THE TRIP I PULLED UP REQUIREMENTS AND THE PRINT UP UNDER COMMENTS STATED 'AUGMENTED STAFFING REQUIRED: FLT XX NEEDS: 6 FLT ATTENDANTS.'

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.

A flight attendant reports the air carrier forced the flight attendant crew to depart one flight attendant short of the required number on a long duty time flight.