Narrative:

Unknown location of flight attendant after flight. On the morning of may/wed/02, chief pilot called me at home. I was caught off guard when he asked me what I knew about the 'missing flight attendant.' my first thought was that a flight attendant had been abducted while walking to a crash pad or walking to their car in the parking lot. After realizing my misunderstanding, chief informed me that one of our flight attendants (I was first officer on flight) had left the airplane in kansas city to begin a commute back home (with non-revenue forms to prove it), therefore leaving 2 flight attendants to work the flight to chicago. I never knew that one of the flight attendants had secretly left the aircraft, leaving only 2 flight attendants to work the flight. They obviously were trying to keep this charade to themselves thinking that with only 29 passenger, nobody would ever know. Had I known (and knowing that captain would feel the same way), I would never have allowed the aircraft to leave the gate. After our arrival in chicago, the operations agent asked us where the third flight attendant was, because a representative was in the jetway to give him a random drug test. Captain answered that he's probably in the back of the airplane. The operations agent basically responded with okay, because 2 of the flight attendants have already left, but I haven't seen the third. My natural reaction at this point was to look towards the back of the airplane. I remember seeing a mechanic or provisioner in the back of the airplane. I figured that the flight attendant was either in the lavatory or behind the bulkhead finishing up some last min work. Not thinking anything more of it, captain and I finished our duties and left the airplane. Until the chief pilot called me, I never had any idea that the flight attendant had left the flight. After the flight, I didn't even question whether or not the flight attendant was in the back. I assumed he was in the back of the airplane and momentarily out of sight, or maybe had even left the aircraft with the other flight attendants, but was somehow overlooked by the representative. I don't know all of the facts at the moment, but if this is the stunt that was actually attempted by these 3 flight attendants, then I'm in total disgust of their lack of concern for safety and rules for their other crew members and passenger, not to mention the reputation of our company. Hopefully, the future of our 'before start checklist' won't end with 'flight attendants - 3 aboard'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FO OF A B737-300 IS QUERIED POSTFLT BY THE DOMICILE CHIEF PLT AS TO FURTHER INFO RELATED TO A 'MISSING' ORD BASED CABIN ATTENDANT THAT HAD LEFT THE FLT FOR COMMUTING PURPOSES IN MKC. ALSO, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS TRYING TO AVOID MANDATORY DRUG TESTING.

Narrative: UNKNOWN LOCATION OF FLT ATTENDANT AFTER FLT. ON THE MORNING OF MAY/WED/02, CHIEF PLT CALLED ME AT HOME. I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD WHEN HE ASKED ME WHAT I KNEW ABOUT THE 'MISSING FLT ATTENDANT.' MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT A FLT ATTENDANT HAD BEEN ABDUCTED WHILE WALKING TO A CRASH PAD OR WALKING TO THEIR CAR IN THE PARKING LOT. AFTER REALIZING MY MISUNDERSTANDING, CHIEF INFORMED ME THAT ONE OF OUR FLT ATTENDANTS (I WAS FO ON FLT) HAD LEFT THE AIRPLANE IN KANSAS CITY TO BEGIN A COMMUTE BACK HOME (WITH NON-REVENUE FORMS TO PROVE IT), THEREFORE LEAVING 2 FLT ATTENDANTS TO WORK THE FLT TO CHICAGO. I NEVER KNEW THAT ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD SECRETLY LEFT THE ACFT, LEAVING ONLY 2 FLT ATTENDANTS TO WORK THE FLT. THEY OBVIOUSLY WERE TRYING TO KEEP THIS CHARADE TO THEMSELVES THINKING THAT WITH ONLY 29 PAX, NOBODY WOULD EVER KNOW. HAD I KNOWN (AND KNOWING THAT CAPT WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY), I WOULD NEVER HAVE ALLOWED THE ACFT TO LEAVE THE GATE. AFTER OUR ARR IN CHICAGO, THE OPS AGENT ASKED US WHERE THE THIRD FLT ATTENDANT WAS, BECAUSE A REPRESENTATIVE WAS IN THE JETWAY TO GIVE HIM A RANDOM DRUG TEST. CAPT ANSWERED THAT HE'S PROBABLY IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. THE OPS AGENT BASICALLY RESPONDED WITH OKAY, BECAUSE 2 OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE ALREADY LEFT, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THE THIRD. MY NATURAL REACTION AT THIS POINT WAS TO LOOK TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. I REMEMBER SEEING A MECH OR PROVISIONER IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. I FIGURED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS EITHER IN THE LAVATORY OR BEHIND THE BULKHEAD FINISHING UP SOME LAST MIN WORK. NOT THINKING ANYTHING MORE OF IT, CAPT AND I FINISHED OUR DUTIES AND LEFT THE AIRPLANE. UNTIL THE CHIEF PLT CALLED ME, I NEVER HAD ANY IDEA THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT HAD LEFT THE FLT. AFTER THE FLT, I DIDN'T EVEN QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS IN THE BACK. I ASSUMED HE WAS IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE AND MOMENTARILY OUT OF SIGHT, OR MAYBE HAD EVEN LEFT THE ACFT WITH THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS, BUT WAS SOMEHOW OVERLOOKED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE. I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE FACTS AT THE MOMENT, BUT IF THIS IS THE STUNT THAT WAS ACTUALLY ATTEMPTED BY THESE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS, THEN I'M IN TOTAL DISGUST OF THEIR LACK OF CONCERN FOR SAFETY AND RULES FOR THEIR OTHER CREW MEMBERS AND PAX, NOT TO MENTION THE REPUTATION OF OUR COMPANY. HOPEFULLY, THE FUTURE OF OUR 'BEFORE START CHECKLIST' WON'T END WITH 'FLT ATTENDANTS - 3 ABOARD'.

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.