Narrative:

Upon arrival at the gate, check in with the csr was routine. 1 flight attendant was on board with the other 3 making a connection at den. While waiting for the other 3 flight attendants to arrive, the first officer and I completed much of the cockpit setup. I thought I would interrupt the setup and check the status of the flight attendants by walking back out to the csr counter. To my surprise, there were about 10 passenger on board the aircraft -- it appeared that the flight attendant stopped the loading. I inquired as to what happened with the csr and she said that the new procedure was that she could load passenger unless the flight attendants called the csr desk to delay loading. I indicated that only 1 of the 4 flight attendants had checked in at the desk for security. At this point, I asked the passenger to go back to the boarding area and wait until the remaining flight attendants arrived. They understood when I explained it was for their safety as we were in the process of refueling. The passenger were on board for 2-4 mins (I think) without the appropriate number of flight attendants. I chatted with the onboard supervisor who explained that the 3 flight attendants had to handle a sick passenger on their inbound flight and were delayed arriving to flight abc. I also explained that this event violated the FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT IS BOARDED BY THE CSR WITH ONLY 1 CABIN ATTENDANT ON BOARD.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT THE GATE, CHK IN WITH THE CSR WAS ROUTINE. 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS ON BOARD WITH THE OTHER 3 MAKING A CONNECTION AT DEN. WHILE WAITING FOR THE OTHER 3 FLT ATTENDANTS TO ARRIVE, THE FO AND I COMPLETED MUCH OF THE COCKPIT SETUP. I THOUGHT I WOULD INTERRUPT THE SETUP AND CHK THE STATUS OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS BY WALKING BACK OUT TO THE CSR COUNTER. TO MY SURPRISE, THERE WERE ABOUT 10 PAX ON BOARD THE ACFT -- IT APPEARED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT STOPPED THE LOADING. I INQUIRED AS TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE CSR AND SHE SAID THAT THE NEW PROC WAS THAT SHE COULD LOAD PAX UNLESS THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED THE CSR DESK TO DELAY LOADING. I INDICATED THAT ONLY 1 OF THE 4 FLT ATTENDANTS HAD CHKED IN AT THE DESK FOR SECURITY. AT THIS POINT, I ASKED THE PAX TO GO BACK TO THE BOARDING AREA AND WAIT UNTIL THE REMAINING FLT ATTENDANTS ARRIVED. THEY UNDERSTOOD WHEN I EXPLAINED IT WAS FOR THEIR SAFETY AS WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF REFUELING. THE PAX WERE ON BOARD FOR 2-4 MINS (I THINK) WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF FLT ATTENDANTS. I CHATTED WITH THE ONBOARD SUPVR WHO EXPLAINED THAT THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS HAD TO HANDLE A SICK PAX ON THEIR INBOUND FLT AND WERE DELAYED ARRIVING TO FLT ABC. I ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THIS EVENT VIOLATED THE FARS.

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.