Narrative:

We elected to depart runway 14. We were concerned with the reduced visibility and with the fact that aircraft Y had taxied out for departure ahead of us. As we turned to depart the apron; the 'a' flight attendant called to say that they were secure for departure. We called tower to notify them that we were ready for takeoff and to verify that aircraft Y had departed. Tower informed us that the flight had departed. We were then cleared to back-taxi into position on runway 14. We ran the before takeoff checklist before we took the runway. During the back-taxi tower informed us that visibility had risen to 3000 ft RVR. At the end of the runway we executed a 180 degree turn. As I applied takeoff power; the first officer placed his hand on the center console. I asked what happened. He said he'd forgotten to have the flight attendants situation down and he had just made the announcement. By the time I figured out what had happened; we were past 80 KTS (we were very light as the airplane was not even half full). I also assumed that; since we had received the 'secure for takeoff' notification; they'd already be seated; so a rejected takeoff was not considered. As we climbed out; the first officer said he'd attempted to make the announcement as we were taxiing; but he thought the intercom may have malfunctioned and that he was not sure if it had gone through. He was about to attempt another announcement but was distraction from that task by the heavy workload as we taxied in the fog and did not remember until we were beginning our takeoff roll. As we climbed through 10000 ft; I called the cabin to see if the flight attendants were ok. The 'a' flight attendant said that he and the 'B' flight attendant had been walking around doing a compliance check when we began our takeoff roll and that both had jumped into available seats. The 'a' flight attendant said he fell onto an armrest as he fell into a seat; but that he was ok. On the ground; we briefed both flight attendants about the reporting program and that we would be filing our reports about the incident. From my own reading of the flight attendant manual and from discussions with check flight attendants; it is my understanding that when the 'secure for takeoff' call is made; both flight attendants are to be seated. I would recommend that all flight attendants be reminded to be seated at this point. However; this does not resolve us of responsibility for failing to make the 'flight attendants please be seated' call.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISTRACTED BY LOW VISIBILITY AND NEED TO BACK TAXI ON THE RWY FOR TKOF; FLT CREW FAILS TO ADVISE CABIN ATTS TO PREPARE FOR TKOF IN A TIMELY FASHION.

Narrative: WE ELECTED TO DEPART RWY 14. WE WERE CONCERNED WITH THE REDUCED VISIBILITY AND WITH THE FACT THAT ACFT Y HAD TAXIED OUT FOR DEP AHEAD OF US. AS WE TURNED TO DEPART THE APRON; THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO SAY THAT THEY WERE SECURE FOR DEP. WE CALLED TWR TO NOTIFY THEM THAT WE WERE READY FOR TKOF AND TO VERIFY THAT ACFT Y HAD DEPARTED. TWR INFORMED US THAT THE FLT HAD DEPARTED. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO BACK-TAXI INTO POS ON RWY 14. WE RAN THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST BEFORE WE TOOK THE RWY. DURING THE BACK-TAXI TWR INFORMED US THAT VISIBILITY HAD RISEN TO 3000 FT RVR. AT THE END OF THE RWY WE EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN. AS I APPLIED TKOF PWR; THE FO PLACED HIS HAND ON THE CTR CONSOLE. I ASKED WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID HE'D FORGOTTEN TO HAVE THE FLT ATTENDANTS SIT DOWN AND HE HAD JUST MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT. BY THE TIME I FIGURED OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED; WE WERE PAST 80 KTS (WE WERE VERY LIGHT AS THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EVEN HALF FULL). I ALSO ASSUMED THAT; SINCE WE HAD RECEIVED THE 'SECURE FOR TKOF' NOTIFICATION; THEY'D ALREADY BE SEATED; SO A REJECTED TKOF WAS NOT CONSIDERED. AS WE CLBED OUT; THE FO SAID HE'D ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS WE WERE TAXIING; BUT HE THOUGHT THE INTERCOM MAY HAVE MALFUNCTIONED AND THAT HE WAS NOT SURE IF IT HAD GONE THROUGH. HE WAS ABOUT TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT BUT WAS DISTR FROM THAT TASK BY THE HVY WORKLOAD AS WE TAXIED IN THE FOG AND DID NOT REMEMBER UNTIL WE WERE BEGINNING OUR TKOF ROLL. AS WE CLBED THROUGH 10000 FT; I CALLED THE CABIN TO SEE IF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE OK. THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT SAID THAT HE AND THE 'B' FLT ATTENDANT HAD BEEN WALKING AROUND DOING A COMPLIANCE CHK WHEN WE BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL AND THAT BOTH HAD JUMPED INTO AVAILABLE SEATS. THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT SAID HE FELL ONTO AN ARMREST AS HE FELL INTO A SEAT; BUT THAT HE WAS OK. ON THE GND; WE BRIEFED BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT THE REPORTING PROGRAM AND THAT WE WOULD BE FILING OUR RPTS ABOUT THE INCIDENT. FROM MY OWN READING OF THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL AND FROM DISCUSSIONS WITH CHK FLT ATTENDANTS; IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN THE 'SECURE FOR TKOF' CALL IS MADE; BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS ARE TO BE SEATED. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ALL FLT ATTENDANTS BE REMINDED TO BE SEATED AT THIS POINT. HOWEVER; THIS DOES NOT RESOLVE US OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILING TO MAKE THE 'FLT ATTENDANTS PLEASE BE SEATED' CALL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.