Narrative:

Ms X of the NTSB in washington believes I have an actionable airline safety complaint. As far as she could determine, no ergonomic studies have been conducted to see if passenger can remove seat cushions in the new, ever-narrower seat configns in case of an emergency water landing. Try it yourself: if you fly in any area but first class and aren't sitting in an aisle seat, it's virtually impossible to stand up, turn around, pull out the seat cushion, and strap it on as instructed in the standard safety brochure in every airline's seat pocket. I'm a five ft tall frequent flyer, and I've attempted to do this on many different types of commercial planes, and it's not possible for me -- so how would tall, overweight or elderly passenger accomplish this safety maneuver? I'm concerned about another safety issue caused by overcrowding: the inability to assume optimum crash position which is head-on-knees. Supposedly, crash dummy tests have shown that forehead-resting-on-crossed-arms on the seat ahead is just as safe, but it doesn't seem likely to me. I'd like to see some documentation. I also have air quality concerns, and ms X informed me that there is currently a petition to do an air quality study. Recently designed airplanes deploy, for economy of operations, greater amounts of reticulated air than earlier models. Reticulated air (air current coming across the jet turbines, cooled and circulated through the airplane's ventilation system) causes staler, stuffier air, more throat and eye problems, noxious odors, and uncomfortable lack of humidity in cabins. One group of attendants claim that hydraulic fluid and lubrication oil could be leaking into air conditioning. Sounds unhealthy to me. In general, most of the discomfort all passenger experience is caused by unbelievably greedy (and unregulated) airlines. We can also list 'food,' lack of cleanliness, lack of storage and overbooking as problems caused by overcrowding. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that she also sent a letter to another group, but hasn't heard from them. The NTSB told her to write to the ASRS program, as they said that it was not in their jurisdiction, but in ASRS's. The reporter travels quite a bit. She has tested the seats on every plane she's been on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX RPT ON SAFETY CONCERNS OF HAVING VIABLE SPACE TO REMOVE FLOATABLE SEAT CUSHIONS FOR WATER LNDG. CABIN AIR CONCERNS.

Narrative: MS X OF THE NTSB IN WASHINGTON BELIEVES I HAVE AN ACTIONABLE AIRLINE SAFETY COMPLAINT. AS FAR AS SHE COULD DETERMINE, NO ERGONOMIC STUDIES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED TO SEE IF PAX CAN REMOVE SEAT CUSHIONS IN THE NEW, EVER-NARROWER SEAT CONFIGNS IN CASE OF AN EMER WATER LNDG. TRY IT YOURSELF: IF YOU FLY IN ANY AREA BUT FIRST CLASS AND AREN'T SITTING IN AN AISLE SEAT, IT'S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STAND UP, TURN AROUND, PULL OUT THE SEAT CUSHION, AND STRAP IT ON AS INSTRUCTED IN THE STANDARD SAFETY BROCHURE IN EVERY AIRLINE'S SEAT POCKET. I'M A FIVE FT TALL FREQUENT FLYER, AND I'VE ATTEMPTED TO DO THIS ON MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMERCIAL PLANES, AND IT'S NOT POSSIBLE FOR ME -- SO HOW WOULD TALL, OVERWT OR ELDERLY PAX ACCOMPLISH THIS SAFETY MANEUVER? I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE CAUSED BY OVERCROWDING: THE INABILITY TO ASSUME OPTIMUM CRASH POS WHICH IS HEAD-ON-KNEES. SUPPOSEDLY, CRASH DUMMY TESTS HAVE SHOWN THAT FOREHEAD-RESTING-ON-CROSSED-ARMS ON THE SEAT AHEAD IS JUST AS SAFE, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKELY TO ME. I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME DOCUMENTATION. I ALSO HAVE AIR QUALITY CONCERNS, AND MS X INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY A PETITION TO DO AN AIR QUALITY STUDY. RECENTLY DESIGNED AIRPLANES DEPLOY, FOR ECONOMY OF OPS, GREATER AMOUNTS OF RETICULATED AIR THAN EARLIER MODELS. RETICULATED AIR (AIR CURRENT COMING ACROSS THE JET TURBINES, COOLED AND CIRCULATED THROUGH THE AIRPLANE'S VENTILATION SYS) CAUSES STALER, STUFFIER AIR, MORE THROAT AND EYE PROBS, NOXIOUS ODORS, AND UNCOMFORTABLE LACK OF HUMIDITY IN CABINS. ONE GROUP OF ATTENDANTS CLAIM THAT HYD FLUID AND LUBRICATION OIL COULD BE LEAKING INTO AIR CONDITIONING. SOUNDS UNHEALTHY TO ME. IN GENERAL, MOST OF THE DISCOMFORT ALL PAX EXPERIENCE IS CAUSED BY UNBELIEVABLY GREEDY (AND UNREGULATED) AIRLINES. WE CAN ALSO LIST 'FOOD,' LACK OF CLEANLINESS, LACK OF STORAGE AND OVERBOOKING AS PROBS CAUSED BY OVERCROWDING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT SHE ALSO SENT A LETTER TO ANOTHER GROUP, BUT HASN'T HEARD FROM THEM. THE NTSB TOLD HER TO WRITE TO THE ASRS PROGRAM, AS THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT IN THEIR JURISDICTION, BUT IN ASRS'S. THE RPTR TRAVELS QUITE A BIT. SHE HAS TESTED THE SEATS ON EVERY PLANE SHE'S BEEN ON.

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.