Passenger medium large transport flown with less than the required number of flight attendants.

Attributes
ACN	237072
Time
Date	199303
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	237072
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	236878
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

Operated flight with less than minimum number of flight attendants required. Believed acceptable to operate with 98 seat aircraft with 2 flight attendants. Certificate calls for 3. Supplemental information from acn 236878: the normal seating capacity on medium large transport is 108 and normal flight attendant staffing is 3. This aircraft was unusual in that it only had 97 seats installed. I checked far 121.391 and the pilot's operations manual. 121.39(a) states that for airplanes with seating capacity of more than 50 but less than 101, 2 flight attendants are required. Operations manual section 8, paragraph 18-a says that with 100 seats or less requires 2 flight attendants. With this, plus subsequent company approval relayed through the ticket agent, we operated the flight. On mar/xx/93 I was issued revision 93-01 to the operations manual dated mar 1. This change deleted reference to aircraft with 100 seats or less.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX MLG FLOWN WITH LESS THAN THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF FLT ATTENDANTS.

Narrative: OPERATED FLT WITH LESS THAN MINIMUM NUMBER OF FLT ATTENDANTS REQUIRED. BELIEVED ACCEPTABLE TO OPERATE WITH 98 SEAT ACFT WITH 2 FLT ATTENDANTS. CERTIFICATE CALLS FOR 3. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 236878: THE NORMAL SEATING CAPACITY ON MLG IS 108 AND NORMAL FLT ATTENDANT STAFFING IS 3. THIS ACFT WAS UNUSUAL IN THAT IT ONLY HAD 97 SEATS INSTALLED. I CHKED FAR 121.391 AND THE PLT'S OPS MANUAL. 121.39(A) STATES THAT FOR AIRPLANES WITH SEATING CAPACITY OF MORE THAN 50 BUT LESS THAN 101, 2 FLT ATTENDANTS ARE REQUIRED. OPS MANUAL SECTION 8, PARAGRAPH 18-A SAYS THAT WITH 100 SEATS OR LESS REQUIRES 2 FLT ATTENDANTS. WITH THIS, PLUS SUBSEQUENT COMPANY APPROVAL RELAYED THROUGH THE TICKET AGENT, WE OPERATED THE FLT. ON MAR/XX/93 I WAS ISSUED REVISION 93-01 TO THE OPS MANUAL DATED MAR 1. THIS CHANGE DELETED REF TO ACFT WITH 100 SEATS OR LESS.

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.