Narrative:

We departed from las en route to ord with a full load of passenger and flight attendants (139), approximately 1 hour into the flight 1 of the flight attendants called the cockpit to advise us that a seat was broken. I went back to see if I could do anything to help the situation. The main support between the 2 seats (seat a and B), is an aluminum tube which had broken. I was able to provide some limited support by using the flight attendant demonstration seatbelt to tie the arm rest to one of the main support bars. Since the seat was still very flimsy we decided to put a couple of small children in the seats since they would not require as much support. Originally there were 2 heavy-set passenger in the seats. Upon further consideration we decided that it was not safe for anyone to be in the seats. We solicited for any non revenue pilots or flight attendants so as to give passenger their seats and let them ride in jumpseats. Only 1 non revenue crew member was onboard -- a flight attendant. We then put 1 passenger in non revenue flight attendant's seat and put the non revenue flight attendant in a flight attendant jumpseat. This filled up all flight attendant jumpseats. We then decided to put the flight attendant on our crew into the cockpit jumpseat thus making a flight attendant jumpseat available for the remaining passenger. The passenger was briefed by a flight attendant as to the operation of the jumpseat. The #3 flight attendant was thoroughly briefed by the captain and myself as to the operation of the oxygen, communication and evacuate/evacuation procedures. Landing was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE MAIN SUPPORT BTWN 2 CABIN SEATS BROKE ON AN S80 WHILE IT WAS ENRTE. THE FO ASSISTED AND RESOLVED THE SEATING PROB (ON A FULL FLT) BY RESEATING PAX AND CREWMEMBERS UTILIZING JUMPSEATS.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED FROM LAS ENRTE TO ORD WITH A FULL LOAD OF PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS (139), APPROX 1 HR INTO THE FLT 1 OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED THE COCKPIT TO ADVISE US THAT A SEAT WAS BROKEN. I WENT BACK TO SEE IF I COULD DO ANYTHING TO HELP THE SIT. THE MAIN SUPPORT BTWN THE 2 SEATS (SEAT A AND B), IS AN ALUMINUM TUBE WHICH HAD BROKEN. I WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME LIMITED SUPPORT BY USING THE FLT ATTENDANT DEMO SEATBELT TO TIE THE ARM REST TO ONE OF THE MAIN SUPPORT BARS. SINCE THE SEAT WAS STILL VERY FLIMSY WE DECIDED TO PUT A COUPLE OF SMALL CHILDREN IN THE SEATS SINCE THEY WOULD NOT REQUIRE AS MUCH SUPPORT. ORIGINALLY THERE WERE 2 HVY-SET PAX IN THE SEATS. UPON FURTHER CONSIDERATION WE DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE TO BE IN THE SEATS. WE SOLICITED FOR ANY NON REVENUE PLTS OR FLT ATTENDANTS SO AS TO GIVE PAX THEIR SEATS AND LET THEM RIDE IN JUMPSEATS. ONLY 1 NON REVENUE CREW MEMBER WAS ONBOARD -- A FLT ATTENDANT. WE THEN PUT 1 PAX IN NON REVENUE FLT ATTENDANT'S SEAT AND PUT THE NON REVENUE FLT ATTENDANT IN A FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT. THIS FILLED UP ALL FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEATS. WE THEN DECIDED TO PUT THE FLT ATTENDANT ON OUR CREW INTO THE COCKPIT JUMPSEAT THUS MAKING A FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT AVAILABLE FOR THE REMAINING PAX. THE PAX WAS BRIEFED BY A FLT ATTENDANT AS TO THE OP OF THE JUMPSEAT. THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT WAS THOROUGHLY BRIEFED BY THE CAPT AND MYSELF AS TO THE OP OF THE OXYGEN, COM AND EVAC PROCS. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.