A B737 flight crew start takeoff roll with the cabin attendants still up in the back.

Attributes
ACN	612624
Time
Date	200403
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : takeoff roll ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : dca.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Airbus Industrie Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	612624
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

This was the last leg of a good 3 day trip. We were not really rushed until the after start check was completed and we called for taxi. Tower cleared us to runway 19, hold short of the crossing runway. First officer repeated the hold short and I added power. Just as we started to roll, tower stated we needed to be off by XA46, time now XA35. First officer checked with me and I said yes and she relayed that to the tower. An airbus was cleared for takeoff as we were approaching the runway and then tower told us we would be next, keep the airbus in sight. I noticed traffic just rolling toward final and knew we were going to have to be ready for an immediate takeoff. First officer completed the before takeoff check and as the airbus rotated, we were cleared to go. I asked her if we were ready and we both agreed that we had done it all and I set takeoff power as we began to roll down the runway. That's when I realized that the flight attendants were not ready to go. I could hear doors being slammed shut in the galley and assumed that they were not in their seats. I made the decision to continue the takeoff since we were accelerating rapidly, and rejecting the takeoff at that time would have been more hazardous to our crew and the aircraft behind us. I feel I let the tower rush me to judgement and initiated the takeoff without checking that the flight attendants were ready and thereby risked causing injury or harm to my crew.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW START TKOF ROLL WITH THE CABIN ATTENDANTS STILL UP IN THE BACK.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A GOOD 3 DAY TRIP. WE WERE NOT REALLY RUSHED UNTIL THE AFTER START CHK WAS COMPLETED AND WE CALLED FOR TAXI. TWR CLRED US TO RWY 19, HOLD SHORT OF THE XING RWY. FO REPEATED THE HOLD SHORT AND I ADDED PWR. JUST AS WE STARTED TO ROLL, TWR STATED WE NEEDED TO BE OFF BY XA46, TIME NOW XA35. FO CHKED WITH ME AND I SAID YES AND SHE RELAYED THAT TO THE TWR. AN AIRBUS WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AS WE WERE APCHING THE RWY AND THEN TWR TOLD US WE WOULD BE NEXT, KEEP THE AIRBUS IN SIGHT. I NOTICED TFC JUST ROLLING TOWARD FINAL AND KNEW WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO BE READY FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. FO COMPLETED THE BEFORE TKOF CHK AND AS THE AIRBUS ROTATED, WE WERE CLRED TO GO. I ASKED HER IF WE WERE READY AND WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE HAD DONE IT ALL AND I SET TKOF PWR AS WE BEGAN TO ROLL DOWN THE RWY. THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOT READY TO GO. I COULD HEAR DOORS BEING SLAMMED SHUT IN THE GALLEY AND ASSUMED THAT THEY WERE NOT IN THEIR SEATS. I MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE TKOF SINCE WE WERE ACCELERATING RAPIDLY, AND REJECTING THE TKOF AT THAT TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE HAZARDOUS TO OUR CREW AND THE ACFT BEHIND US. I FEEL I LET THE TWR RUSH ME TO JUDGEMENT AND INITIATED THE TKOF WITHOUT CHKING THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE READY AND THEREBY RISKED CAUSING INJURY OR HARM TO MY CREW.

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.