CREWMEMBER REQUIREMENTS
While domestic and international regulations are quite clear as to required pilot personnel, the requirement for (trained) cabin crewmembers is less defined for smaller aircraft. U. S. FAR § 91.533 Flight attendant requirements:
(a) No person may operate an airplane unless at least the following number of flight attendants are on board the airplane: (1) For airplanes having more than 19 but less than 51 passengers on board, one flight attendant.
While the regulation does NOT require a flight attendant on aircraft with less than 19 seats, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) recommends that, when practi cal for the size of the aircraft (i.e., cabin- class), a trained flight attendant should be utilized for safety.
NBAA Management Guide:
"FAR Section 91.533 requires the presence of a flight attendant (also known as a third crewmember) on any aircraft carrying more than 19 passengers. However, given the complexities and duties involved in order to operate with the utmost safety, some companies routinely utilize a flight attendant even with fewer than 19 passengers. Professional flight attendants should be trained and qualified in cabin safety and equipment specific to the aircraft as well as inflight medical emergencies.
Flight attendants should provide safety assurance as well as pay attention to passenger and other flightcrew member preferences. They should ensure that the cabin environment is conducive to passenger needs before focusing on the business needs of the company.
The senior or chief flight attendant should report to the pilot in command to coordinate and keep standardized all flight attendant duties and procedures."
The confusion mainly exists in Part 135 (air charter) and Part 91 (corporate) flight operations who regularly fly aircraft with fewer than 20 seats.
Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) Part 1.1- Definitions and Abbreviations, state that “crewmember means a person assigned to perform duty in an aircraft during flight time.”
A person assigned cabin duties is legally considered a crewmember. As a crewmember, that individual is required to have the training in the use of emergency equipment and crew emergency procedures.
Without proper training, the person “assigned” cabin duty may put the flight department at risk of litigation with the occurrence of an emergency for which the “assigned” person is ill-equipped (untrained/unable) to handle.
NTSB
Recommendation A-06-69
The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration: (parsed)...
"Require that any cabin personnel on board 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 flights who could be perceived by passengers as equivalent to a qualified flight attendant receive basic FAA-approved safety training in at least the following areas: preflight briefing and safety checks; emergency exit operation; and emergency equipment usage. This training should be documented and recorded by the Part 135 certificate holder. (A-06-69)"
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