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Air carrier flight crew is interrupted by flight attendant during approach because a passenger's seat belt had broken and there were no empty seats available. Flight crew had flight attendant occupy cockpit jump seat, and the passenger occupied the flight attendant's seat.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 152332 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199007 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dtw |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dtw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 152332 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We were on a long visibility approach to a landing at dtw. About 3500' and 10 mi out of the chief F/a came into the cockpit to tell us that a passenger had a broken seat belt and that there was not an available seat to move the passenger to. I requested a radar vector for a hold, stating that we had a problem in the cabin and needed a moment to sort it out. After double checking on the seats available and determining there were no spare seat belts, I had 1 of the 4 F/a's move to the jump seat in the cockpit. The passenger took the spare F/a's seat. With everyone now belted in we proceeded on to an uneventful landing. The task of ensuring that all persons on board had seat belts fastened for landing forced the crew to ignore several other rules: the sterile cockpit below 10000', landing with an unauthorized person in the cockpit and having a passenger occupy a F/a's seat. Each seemed to a lesser hazard than leaving the passenger west/O a seat belt. Earlier notification of the problem, above 10000', would have helped. Carrying a spare seat belt on the aircraft could also have solved this rare problem of full seats and a broken belt.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR FLT CREW IS INTERRUPTED BY FA DURING APCH BECAUSE A PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT HAD BROKEN AND THERE WERE NO EMPTY SEATS AVAILABLE. FLT CREW HAD FA OCCUPY COCKPIT JUMP SEAT, AND THE PASSENGER OCCUPIED THE FA'S SEAT.
Narrative: WE WERE ON A LONG VIS APCH TO A LNDG AT DTW. ABOUT 3500' AND 10 MI OUT OF THE CHIEF F/A CAME INTO THE COCKPIT TO TELL US THAT A PAX HAD A BROKEN SEAT BELT AND THAT THERE WAS NOT AN AVAILABLE SEAT TO MOVE THE PAX TO. I REQUESTED A RADAR VECTOR FOR A HOLD, STATING THAT WE HAD A PROB IN THE CABIN AND NEEDED A MOMENT TO SORT IT OUT. AFTER DOUBLE CHKING ON THE SEATS AVAILABLE AND DETERMINING THERE WERE NO SPARE SEAT BELTS, I HAD 1 OF THE 4 F/A'S MOVE TO THE JUMP SEAT IN THE COCKPIT. THE PAX TOOK THE SPARE F/A'S SEAT. WITH EVERYONE NOW BELTED IN WE PROCEEDED ON TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE TASK OF ENSURING THAT ALL PERSONS ON BOARD HAD SEAT BELTS FASTENED FOR LNDG FORCED THE CREW TO IGNORE SEVERAL OTHER RULES: THE STERILE COCKPIT BELOW 10000', LNDG WITH AN UNAUTH PERSON IN THE COCKPIT AND HAVING A PAX OCCUPY A F/A'S SEAT. EACH SEEMED TO A LESSER HAZARD THAN LEAVING THE PAX W/O A SEAT BELT. EARLIER NOTIFICATION OF THE PROB, ABOVE 10000', WOULD HAVE HELPED. CARRYING A SPARE SEAT BELT ON THE ACFT COULD ALSO HAVE SOLVED THIS RARE PROB OF FULL SEATS AND A BROKEN BELT.
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.