Asiana Airliner Takes off without Cabin Crew

[Belgique]

1. Any comment on how this could happen?

2. What type airplane plies this route?

Asiana airplane takes off minus its cabin attendants

An Asiana Airlines domestic flight from Incheon in South Korea to the southern Jeju islands was in the air for 30 minutes before the captain discovered to his surprise that the plane had left without its cabin crew on Tuesday, the Seoul Times reported. After emergency communications with the control tower, the plane hurriedly returned to pick up the cabin attendants. Due to this rare incident, the plane was about 50 minutes behind schedule.

Aviation authorizes have started an investigation into the case.

The plane, which was flying to Jeju islands via Daegu airport, was due to pick up passengers from another Asiana Airlines domestic flight which was crippled shortly before e departure for the Jeju islands. Asiana Airlines, South Korea's second air carrier after Korean Air.

[groan]

Is it April 1 already?

[loc22550]

they must be very short of cabin crew...:ooh: :)

[Halfnut]

Link please.

[groan]

From the Seoul Times

The plane was supposed to pick up 180 stranded passengers of another Asiana Airlines' domestic flight which was crippled at Daegu airport shortly before departure for Jeju island. Asiana Airllines was dispatching is replacement plane to Daegu airport.

[Cyrano]

Hopefully a direct link here (http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=3844).

Brgds
C.

[ExSimGuy]

"Armed and cross-checked" :confused:

[BOAC]

Slow cup of tea? / ''Cabin secure'? / Who closed the entrance door? - cannot be true.:confused:

[cwatters]

Doesn't add much except confusion....

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=040000&biid=2006081097018

On last July 30, Asiana Airlines made a disturbing admission that a flight returned to Incheon Airport only 30 minutes after takeoff because it forgot to take four cabin crews on board.

This flight was put into an air route from Daegu to Jeju instead of a regular flight path to Jeju Island due to bad weather. At Daegu Airport, some 150 passengers who had been scheduled to start off to Jeju on the morning of that day were demanding an alternative flight.

This mistake of not picking up cabin crews resulted from miscommunication between the control tower and pilot of that aircraft.

The control tower confirmed all pilots’ aboard with a mention that “all crew are aboard.” However, the pilot misunderstood “crew” to include flight attendants and made a takeoff without any flight attendants. Realizing this too late, the pilot headed back to Incheon Airport in 30 minutes and took off again to Daegu after picking up flight attendants.


http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200608/kt2006080917485068040.htm

On July 30, an Asiana Airlines' plane took off from Incheon International Airport without carrying its cabin crew and had to return to the airport after the flight deck officer realized the situation, according to the Seoul Regional Aviation Administration Wednesday.

The flight departed empty from Inchon for Taegu where it was supposed to pick up passengers for Cheju Island _ a replacement plane able to land at Taegu in bad weather was used for the trip.

The plane took off from Incheon around 2 p.m. after a crew boarding check. But 30 minutes later, the pilots and the airline realized the cabin crew, who would serve passengers from Taegu, had been left behind at the airport.

The administration said there was a misunderstanding between ground crew and flight crew before takeoff. When checking crew's boarding, the ground crew understood ``crew'' as ``flight crew,'' so told pilots that all crew were on board. The pilots understood that ``all crew'' included ``cabin crew,'' so they left the airport.

The flight immediately returned to Inchon where the cabin crew boarded and then took off for Taegu 50 minutes late.

The plane then carried 120 passengers who were waiting at Taegu airport to their final destination of Cheju.

``We first planned to cancel the flight from Taegu to Cheju, but hastily arranged the substitute following passengers' complaints in Taegu,'' an Asiana official said.

``We wondered why the plane returned to Incheon airport 30 minutes after takeoff, and later realized no cabin crew were on board,'' an official of the aviation administration said.

[View From The Ground]

Good fun but just impossible....must have been a positioning crew that was left behind. That should be a lesson about believing the press....

[captjns]

Sure sounds like a simulator scenario:)

[RoyHudd]

Joking aside, probably the FD thought no CC were planned. We fly A330's with 2 pilots all alone, when positioning empty. Surely this thread is a skit.

[Ron & Edna Johns]

"Emergency communications with the control tower"........? What, a PAN or a MAYDAY? :hmm:

[ettore]

The Maître de cabine was the PIC Mother in Law. :}

[apaddyinuk]

Let me guess....He failed to notice that he took off with the door open and only noticed that the crew were missing when he called back for a cup of tea!!!

[Airbubba]

Well, many Asian and Middle Eastern airlines do put a flight attendant on board to serve the pilots on a ferry flight...

[manincrz2937]

Silly.....but not funny.

I wonder what is going on with Asiana Airlines.
Company doesn't reveal much about it.
Asiana tried to hide as much as they can, whenever this kind of things happen.

I have heard that there are several silly things happen beside of this.
No details are given, Short company notices or
Just rumors are spread through from mouth to mouth.

The only concern in Asiana is how to bust "UNION", nothing else.

If you are a scab, they will cover your ass at any cost.
but If you are a union member or expat, all the humiliation will be poured on your head.

Silly but not funny.
I’m worrying how long Asiana will survive.
It might be not a bad company in the past but not any more.:{

[cwatters]

The way I read it the flight was empty (no pax) when it departed. The pilot probably thought the cabin crew were meeting the plane when it picked up pax at Taegu. One of the flightdeck probably shut the doors.

[FougaMagister]

What a load of b.....ks! I wonder who closed the L1 door before pushback, which dispatcher would have removed the airbridge/steps without a cabin crew present, who passed the "all doors armed" report, the cabin secure report, etc. How about the flight crew briefing for the flight and NOT briefing the cabin crew since they weren't any but still proceeding to the aircraft?

The whole story's so stupid it's laughable!

If this was indeed a positioning flight, then the flight crew may have closed/armed the doors themselves... maybe a subtle hint that the cabin crew are not there?

[Belgique]

What's the equipment used on this route?

B

[suppie]

Let me guess....He failed to notice that he took off with the door open and only noticed that the crew were missing when he called back for a cup of tea!!!

If the a/c was parked at a remote stand and the ground crew checks if crew on board via the headseat they walk up the stairs...close the door and remove the steps....and by by aircraft...so it is possible

[cwatters]

If this was indeed a positioning flight, then the flight crew may have closed/armed the doors themselves... maybe a subtle hint that the cabin crew are not there?

It sounds to me like the flight crew KNEW the cabin crew wern't on board eg They were expecting to pick up a cabin crew when they picked up pax.

[Airbubba]

Here's a possible precedent:

Fed up pilot leaves without passengers

May 14, 2003

Reuters -- A Czech pilot, exasperated by
a deliberate go-slow by protesting workers
at an Israeli airport, has flown back to
Prague without passengers and carrying
inbound baggage, an airline spokesman
says. The pilot for CSA Czech Airlines
who landed at Israel's international
airport on the outskirts of Tel Aviv at
5:15am was scheduled to make a return
flight 45 minutes later. But after
waiting 2 hours for airport workers to
unload and reload his plane, he gave up
and took off. "They allowed the 82
arriving passengers to disembark, but
no workers would take the luggage off
the plane. So we flew back and will
transport the luggage to Tel Aviv later,"
CSA spokesman Vaclav Kral in Prague said.
Israel Airports Authority spokesman Pini
Schiff said: "He (the pilot) waited for
as long as he did, then got approval
from the Czech authorities to leave
without passengers to Prague." CSA is
a member of the Sky Team alliance led
by Air France and Delta.

[antonovman]

I seem to remember in that part of the world, the a/c doors were opened and closed by the ground staff not the crew, maybe thats what happened

[Rolling Stone]

Can remember being sat on the aircraft in MCO about ten years ago getting aircraft ready for departure and being told by local dispatcher of a similar incident. Sorry, senior moment, cant remember the airline after all those years but, basically as I remember. The Airline introduced an automatic passenger release. Flight deck reported on time but cabin crew delayed for some reason. No dispatcher in attendance, gate agent went ahead with automatic release of passengers. Flight deck doing their pre flight checks so busy. Gate agent came down with load sheet and pax manifest and confirmed all correct through gate, could not see crew member so assumed in the cabin, so left pax manifest in forward crew seat. The door was closed from the outside by the engineer (not sure if this was company policy or just being helpful) and jet way removed for on time departure. The fact no cabin crew were on board did not come to light until captain tried calling the crew for cabin secure checks etc. Very embarrassing incident had to reopen up and get the passengers back off. Never did hear why the crew were late or if one had been scheduled? May be there is a case for CRM.

[malanda]

What's the equipment used on this route?
B
Daegu-Jeju is a 737-400 route. Doesn't mean the substitute was, of course.

[FougaMagister]

The fact no cabin crew were on board did not come to light until captain tried calling the crew for cabin secure checks etc. May be there is a case for CRM.

Definitely. Also serves to show that CRM doesn't mean quite the same thing on every continent...

Cheers :cool:

[motaderim]

Is this for real? Who closed the door (1L) prior to bushback? Wasn't there any contacts between cockpit/cabin crew prior to closing doors? This must be one of the most stupidest incidents I've heard in my aviation career. A lot of people are to be blamed but ultimately the captain.

[Buster Hyman]

Now...this'd be interesting if it took off without Tech Crew!

[manincrz2937]

The inside rumor told that it was a ferry flight to Daegu to pick passengers from Daegu. Even though the newspapaer said pilot called emergency communication with tower but it is not what it means. (The Korean Newspaper exaggerated its situation to sell their paper.) I guess pilot realized they left the cabin crew behind when they contact for T/O time and ETA report with company. Maybe ground staff told to pilot "crew on board" and "he will close the door"(It is not rare that ground crew close the door in ferry fight).

But anyway nobody can deny there is serious problem with CRM in Asiana. Especially between crews.

It looks like Asiana prefer this way. Because Asiana use cabin report against pilot. (Unfortunately pilots report against cabin crew’s wrong doing easily disappeared on process). Cabin crew ,in Asiana, usually think they are totally separate part and tend to deny pilot’s authority. Asiana makes them operate and check in separately to aircraft. Strangely but obvious , terrible even hostile, conflict exist. Most of cabin manager doesn’t report there duty to captain. They just seat there and wait until captain is looking for them.
A couple of years ago, one captain and cabin manager had serious conflict about who has authority over the duty crews. ( I know it is non-sense and you might never have seen this in any part of the world, but it was real in Aisna). Cabin manager insisted his superior officer is not captain but cabin supervisor in office and kept his arrogant attitude to Captain and order cabin crew not to add any kind of polite word to pilots. Captain couldn’t endure it anymore. He called all cabin crew and discussed about it when he land on destination. No matter how captain tried to persuade cabin manager, cabin manager never accept captain’s word. Finally captain gave up persuading purser and requested to change purser. I don’t know Asiana changed purser but this unbelievable event delay return flight more than 30 min and company put disciplinary board on it. The result? What do you think? What do you expecting? :ugh:
Company put both of them in suspension from duty same amount of days (maybe a month?) without payment. :D

Is it fair? The order of A/C is not a matter, but the delay is problem.

I think Asiana’s one perfect goal is no matter what happen put the A/C depart on time. Rest of thing will be on pilot’s problem and pilot’s responsibility because A/C is out of gate. “It is ALL YOUR FAULT, CAPTAIN.”
I also have heard that one senior captain who expecting his retirement soon was threaten not to file purser’s wrong doing, who insist purser himself is a CRM instructor and crew inspector in Asiana. (I wonder what is crew inspector’s job over pilot. Is there any duty who can inspect pilot under the duty of CREW INSPECTOR as a member of cabin crew?). “You will retire in couple of months, why don’t you retire quietly without making any trouble with me?”:mad:

[Akktu Stakki]

I've heard about a similar, but true, story from Iceland.
A Fokker F27 from a domestic carrier bound for Egilstadir, was late due to
late arriving cabin crew. To save time boarding was initiated with an other cabin crew off duty, on board. After boarding all 4 passengers the C/A left to go home and the plane just stood and waited for the late cabin member.
After approx 20 min time the door was closed and ground staff gave assistance to start up and off they went. (No "cabin clear" was given)
After 15 min flight a passenger showed up in the cockpit, asked the crew if it was possible to get a cup of coffee. He was told to contact the C/A.
He responded that no C/A was in the cabin, and also informed, when asked, that he was a regular commuter and as he and the other 3 passengers was inpatient to go, he had locked the door, as he had seen the C/A done so many times and he felt familiar with the procedure.
The aircraft did a 180, picked up the "no-show", was airborne again and finally the man got his cup of coffee. :)

[wobble2plank]

Goddamn! I knew I was missing something when I bought back that bus the other day!!!

Thankfully I was fully trained up on the bev makers in order to get my mucker and I a cup of warm wet stuff. (Always be prepared for all eventualities is my motto)

Perhaps the flight crew were briefed that the crew at the other end would be operating the flight back and therefore weren't expecting crew, completed the secure drills, turned off the galleys, closed and armed the doors and got on with it????

Then, shock horror, ops calls up and says they've got grumpy cabin crew on the tarmac, mis/lack of communication, it certainly won't be the last time it happens.