Date: 201603
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.ARTCC, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb; Cruise
Airspace: Class A ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Workload; Confusion; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Flying
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure; Staffing
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: At about top of climb; I was advised by the number 1 flight attendant that we only had 7 of the required 10 F/A's (Flight Attendants) on board. Shortly after that it was discovered that the 3 missing F/A's were in passenger seats because they thought that they were deadheading. It was then discovered that 2 of the 3 were not 777 qualified. The one qualified F/A assumed his/her normal duties as did a deadheading qualified Flight Attendant. All cabin doors had been armed prior to takeoff by working F/A's. The number 1 F/A had been advised by the gate agent prior to departure that we had the required 10 F/A's on board. This was witnessed by at least one more crew member. Crew schedule/tracking should have never assigned 2 unqualified crew members to work the flight. The 3 F/A's who thought they were deadheading; should have been advised that they were actually working the trip. Maybe then they would have spoken up about being not qualified. The gate agent who was checking off the required crew on a crew list; crossed the 3 off as working crew members; but they would of had boarding passes and seat assignments as dead headers.


Second narrative: Gate agent said we had 10 FA's (Flight Attendants) on board; #1 FA said doors were armed; we pushed back and on climb out the #1 said there were only 7 FA's that could be found. Later the FA's were found; but those FA's were under the impression that they were Deadheading. According to the B777we need a minimum of 10 FA's. We made sure that we had 10 FA's for the remainder of flight.Crew schedule should insure that all the FA's are properly assigned to their trips and gate agent insure that all FA's assigned are onboard are working FA's and not deadheading. It was a change of equipment leg on a [different B777 variant]; that should have been a flag to the OPs; gate agent; #1 FA and entire crew that proper crew manning should be scrutinized. It is safe to say that the previous aircraft was smaller than our B777. The other complication was we had FA's from 3 different bases possibly out of communication with #1 FA. So maybe we should have all the FA's report to the cockpit and the pilots can check the FA's off one at a time on the [schedule] like the gate is supposed to do. FA #1-10 reporting for duty.


Synopsis: A B777 crew; pilots and flight attendants; describe the confusion after discovering the flight attendant crew is understaffed in flight. The events surrounding the procedural and human errors are discussed.