Narrative:

As an approved procedure, the air carrier does medical evacuate/evacuations simultaneously with normal passenger flts. To facilitate this, the seatbacks of rows 18-20 are pushed forward until horizontal and the stretcher and occupant are strapped down using seatbelts and a seatbelt extension kit. On this flight, seat 18F would not fold forward. I called the maintenance station in anc, described the problem, and was told that this particular seat, at sometime in the past, was probably used near an exit. All exit row seats are physically blocked from going forward to prevent blockage of an exit row. To do that, an extra bolt is added to the seatback. Removal of the bolt will allow the seatback to fold down without affecting the integrity of the seat. The bolt was removed, the stretcher moved aft and secured in the aircraft. The blocking bolt was not removed by a company a&P.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAINT PROC NOT AUTH.

Narrative: AS AN APPROVED PROC, THE ACR DOES MEDICAL EVACS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH NORMAL PAX FLTS. TO FACILITATE THIS, THE SEATBACKS OF ROWS 18-20 ARE PUSHED FORWARD UNTIL HORIZ AND THE STRETCHER AND OCCUPANT ARE STRAPPED DOWN USING SEATBELTS AND A SEATBELT EXTENSION KIT. ON THIS FLT, SEAT 18F WOULD NOT FOLD FORWARD. I CALLED THE MAINT STATION IN ANC, DESCRIBED THE PROB, AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS PARTICULAR SEAT, AT SOMETIME IN THE PAST, WAS PROBABLY USED NEAR AN EXIT. ALL EXIT ROW SEATS ARE PHYSICALLY BLOCKED FROM GOING FORWARD TO PREVENT BLOCKAGE OF AN EXIT ROW. TO DO THAT, AN EXTRA BOLT IS ADDED TO THE SEATBACK. REMOVAL OF THE BOLT WILL ALLOW THE SEATBACK TO FOLD DOWN WITHOUT AFFECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE SEAT. THE BOLT WAS REMOVED, THE STRETCHER MOVED AFT AND SECURED IN THE ACFT. THE BLOCKING BOLT WAS NOT REMOVED BY A COMPANY A&P.

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.