Narrative:

On the second day of a 3 day trip, we were passing through our hub and did a quick aircraft change to an aircraft that was on the opposite side of the airport. We rushed across the airport, got the airplane ready and narrowly departed on time. The problem arose 20 mins after departure when a crew coordinator sent us an ACARS message and asked who our 'add,' or third, flight attendant was. At that moment, the captain summoned the lead flight attendant up to the cockpit and said we did get an add flight attendant didn't we? She had a blank look, and said 'oh my gosh, I forgot.' we had been flying a DC9-30 on the trip, but swapped into a DC9-40. 12 more seats that required 1 more flight attendant. It's very difficult to keep up with because we may have 4 different types of DC9's in one day, and two of them require 2 flight attendants, and 2 require 3 flight attendants. And, many of the trips on the airplanes that require only 2 flight attendants, will have 3. I don't really have an answer to prevent this from happening again. Fortunately, we had a flight attendant on a jump seat that we could use for the duration of the flight. But it was just a string of human errors that led to this situation. The crew coordinator is responsible for having an 'add flight attendant' show up for the flight, the gate agent is responsible to make sure that the required crew is present before boarding the plane, and primarily the lead flight attendant is responsible for the other flight attendants. And then there's always the captain who barely has time to accomplish his primary duties, who usually takes the rap.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLT TOOK OFF WITH THE 3RD REQUIRED FLT ATTENDANT DEAD HDG IN THE JUMP SEAT NOT REALIZING SHE WAS GOING TO SUBSEQUENTLY BE ONE OF THE REQUIRED FLT ATTENDANTS FOR THE FLT. THE ACFT CHANGE AND ASSOCIATED COMPLICATIONS LED TO THE ADDED FLT ATTENDANT ASSIGNMENT NOT HAPPENING PRIOR TO TKOF.

Narrative: ON THE SECOND DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP, WE WERE PASSING THROUGH OUR HUB AND DID A QUICK ACFT CHANGE TO AN ACFT THAT WAS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ARPT. WE RUSHED ACROSS THE ARPT, GOT THE AIRPLANE READY AND NARROWLY DEPARTED ON TIME. THE PROB AROSE 20 MINS AFTER DEP WHEN A CREW COORDINATOR SENT US AN ACARS MESSAGE AND ASKED WHO OUR 'ADD,' OR THIRD, FLT ATTENDANT WAS. AT THAT MOMENT, THE CAPT SUMMONED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT UP TO THE COCKPIT AND SAID WE DID GET AN ADD FLT ATTENDANT DIDN'T WE? SHE HAD A BLANK LOOK, AND SAID 'OH MY GOSH, I FORGOT.' WE HAD BEEN FLYING A DC9-30 ON THE TRIP, BUT SWAPPED INTO A DC9-40. 12 MORE SEATS THAT REQUIRED 1 MORE FLT ATTENDANT. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE 4 DIFFERENT TYPES OF DC9'S IN ONE DAY, AND TWO OF THEM REQUIRE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS, AND 2 REQUIRE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS. AND, MANY OF THE TRIPS ON THE AIRPLANES THAT REQUIRE ONLY 2 FLT ATTENDANTS, WILL HAVE 3. I DON'T REALLY HAVE AN ANSWER TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. FORTUNATELY, WE HAD A FLT ATTENDANT ON A JUMP SEAT THAT WE COULD USE FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. BUT IT WAS JUST A STRING OF HUMAN ERRORS THAT LED TO THIS SIT. THE CREW COORDINATOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING AN 'ADD FLT ATTENDANT' SHOW UP FOR THE FLT, THE GATE AGENT IS RESPONSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REQUIRED CREW IS PRESENT BEFORE BOARDING THE PLANE, AND PRIMARILY THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS. AND THEN THERE'S ALWAYS THE CAPT WHO BARELY HAS TIME TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PRIMARY DUTIES, WHO USUALLY TAKES THE RAP.

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.