Narrative:

Prior to departure, I was called on the intercom in first class and told a passenger seated in the aft row had his personally owned seatbelt extension on. Flight attendant #5 called me from main cabin on intercom to request she had asked him to move, after explaining to him a seatbelt extension was not allowed in an exit row. She said he told her he always sat there with it on and did not move. I was at the entrance door in first class and told flight attendant #5 I would inform the gate agent of the mistake, and ask the gate agent to assign him another seat. 2 gate agents were at the entrance door. I gave them the information. After the 2 agents discussed who should go back to discuss issue with passenger, one went back. I was told passenger convinced the gate agent he could use the regular seatbelt without the extension, thus he was allowed to keep his exit row seat. After departure, flight attendants #2, and #5 discovered he had the extension back on. One of the male flight attendants took the passenger's extension and gave it to #1 flight attendant. Flight attendant #6 wrote up the individual and notified the cockpit. Security met our flight in austin, and took the report. I heard the security employee say the report would be sent to the FAA and that passenger would be fined as much as $11,000.00. I was never involved directly with passenger and never saw, nor heard his actions, or comments. In the future, passenger should be observed at the gate for possible need of seatbelt extension and not be given a seat in an exit row. If they need an extension belt to be comfortable, they should be moved, and if they refuse, they should be taken off the flight. This issue took time of all flight attendants on board during boarding and several after boarding. This additional disturbance during safety checks takes valuable time we need to make sure aircraft is secure and other passenger meet all safety requirements for takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B757, SJC-AUS. GATE AGENT LET OVERWT MAN SIT AT EXIT ROW, WHO HAD OWN SEATBELT EXTENSION. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF FAR 100 PT 4 PT 9-10. CABIN ATTENDANT CONFISCATED EXTENSION AND RPTED TO AUS AUTHS. INTERFERENCE WITH CREW DUTIES.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP, I WAS CALLED ON THE INTERCOM IN FIRST CLASS AND TOLD A PAX SEATED IN THE AFT ROW HAD HIS PERSONALLY OWNED SEATBELT EXTENSION ON. FLT ATTENDANT #5 CALLED ME FROM MAIN CABIN ON INTERCOM TO REQUEST SHE HAD ASKED HIM TO MOVE, AFTER EXPLAINING TO HIM A SEATBELT EXTENSION WAS NOT ALLOWED IN AN EXIT ROW. SHE SAID HE TOLD HER HE ALWAYS SAT THERE WITH IT ON AND DID NOT MOVE. I WAS AT THE ENTRANCE DOOR IN FIRST CLASS AND TOLD FLT ATTENDANT #5 I WOULD INFORM THE GATE AGENT OF THE MISTAKE, AND ASK THE GATE AGENT TO ASSIGN HIM ANOTHER SEAT. 2 GATE AGENTS WERE AT THE ENTRANCE DOOR. I GAVE THEM THE INFO. AFTER THE 2 AGENTS DISCUSSED WHO SHOULD GO BACK TO DISCUSS ISSUE WITH PAX, ONE WENT BACK. I WAS TOLD PAX CONVINCED THE GATE AGENT HE COULD USE THE REGULAR SEATBELT WITHOUT THE EXTENSION, THUS HE WAS ALLOWED TO KEEP HIS EXIT ROW SEAT. AFTER DEP, FLT ATTENDANTS #2, AND #5 DISCOVERED HE HAD THE EXTENSION BACK ON. ONE OF THE MALE FLT ATTENDANTS TOOK THE PAX'S EXTENSION AND GAVE IT TO #1 FLT ATTENDANT. FLT ATTENDANT #6 WROTE UP THE INDIVIDUAL AND NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT. SECURITY MET OUR FLT IN AUSTIN, AND TOOK THE RPT. I HEARD THE SECURITY EMPLOYEE SAY THE RPT WOULD BE SENT TO THE FAA AND THAT PAX WOULD BE FINED AS MUCH AS $11,000.00. I WAS NEVER INVOLVED DIRECTLY WITH PAX AND NEVER SAW, NOR HEARD HIS ACTIONS, OR COMMENTS. IN THE FUTURE, PAX SHOULD BE OBSERVED AT THE GATE FOR POSSIBLE NEED OF SEATBELT EXTENSION AND NOT BE GIVEN A SEAT IN AN EXIT ROW. IF THEY NEED AN EXTENSION BELT TO BE COMFORTABLE, THEY SHOULD BE MOVED, AND IF THEY REFUSE, THEY SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE FLT. THIS ISSUE TOOK TIME OF ALL FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD DURING BOARDING AND SEVERAL AFTER BOARDING. THIS ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCE DURING SAFETY CHKS TAKES VALUABLE TIME WE NEED TO MAKE SURE ACFT IS SECURE AND OTHER PAX MEET ALL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR TKOF.

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.