Flight crew discovers missing passenger seatbelt prior to landing.

Attributes
ACN	545493
Time
Date	200204
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smf.airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mcc.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 124 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 3175
ASRS Report	545493
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	545494
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

On close in approach (20 mi to touchdown) to smf, flight attendant notified cockpit that she had a maintenance write-up. When asked what the problem was, we were told that seat xx was missing the female portion of its lap belt. She informed us that the passenger occupying that seat had concealed the missing portion by stretching the other end across his lap during takeoff. He had just confessed this to her during cabin clean-up for fear that he would have lost his seat out of bur. This was the 5TH leg of the day for this crew on the same aircraft and was the first one to have a completely full aircraft. Told her to search for missing portion and to use demonstration belt to secure passenger if belt could not be located. Captain landed aircraft, debriefed crew taking over aircraft, and MEL'ed missing belt. Not one person expressed any concern or asked any questions to this crew during deplaning at smf.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DISCOVERS MISSING PAX SEATBELT PRIOR TO LNDG.

Narrative: ON CLOSE IN APCH (20 MI TO TOUCHDOWN) TO SMF, FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED COCKPIT THAT SHE HAD A MAINT WRITE-UP. WHEN ASKED WHAT THE PROB WAS, WE WERE TOLD THAT SEAT XX WAS MISSING THE FEMALE PORTION OF ITS LAP BELT. SHE INFORMED US THAT THE PAX OCCUPYING THAT SEAT HAD CONCEALED THE MISSING PORTION BY STRETCHING THE OTHER END ACROSS HIS LAP DURING TKOF. HE HAD JUST CONFESSED THIS TO HER DURING CABIN CLEAN-UP FOR FEAR THAT HE WOULD HAVE LOST HIS SEAT OUT OF BUR. THIS WAS THE 5TH LEG OF THE DAY FOR THIS CREW ON THE SAME ACFT AND WAS THE FIRST ONE TO HAVE A COMPLETELY FULL ACFT. TOLD HER TO SEARCH FOR MISSING PORTION AND TO USE DEMO BELT TO SECURE PAX IF BELT COULD NOT BE LOCATED. CAPT LANDED ACFT, DEBRIEFED CREW TAKING OVER ACFT, AND MEL'ED MISSING BELT. NOT ONE PERSON EXPRESSED ANY CONCERN OR ASKED ANY QUESTIONS TO THIS CREW DURING DEPLANING AT SMF.

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.