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An MD80 had a broken passenger seat. The passenger was moved after an FAA inspector notified the flight attendant that the situation was unacceptable.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 588372 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200307 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bdl.airport |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 588372 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other other : 4 |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Cabin Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
While en route on flight, #1 flight attendant notified me that there had been a problem during the boarding process. While boarding, the passenger seated in row xyz notified flight attendant #2 that their seat would not lock in the upright position. Flight attendant, thinking it was a full flight, instructed the passenger that should a problem arise, they were to be sure to push the retract button and make sure that the seat back fully retracted. The passenger in the row directly behind overheard the conversation and happened to be an FAA inspector. The FAA inspector then approached the #1 flight attendant, idented themselves, and made it known that the situation with seat was unacceptable. The flight attendants then moved the passenger to another open seat. At this point, the cabin report was received with no mention to myself of what had just transpired and the flight departed. En route, after learning what had happened, I spoke with the flight attendant and reviewed the safety implications of the situation, stressing that safety is first and foremost. I also spoke to the FAA inspector during deplaning and his account of the incident reconciled with the flight attendant's account.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 HAD A BROKEN PAX SEAT. THE PAX WAS MOVED AFTER AN FAA INSPECTOR NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT THE SIT WAS UNACCEPTABLE.
Narrative: WHILE ENRTE ON FLT, #1 FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROB DURING THE BOARDING PROCESS. WHILE BOARDING, THE PAX SEATED IN ROW XYZ NOTIFIED FLT ATTENDANT #2 THAT THEIR SEAT WOULD NOT LOCK IN THE UPRIGHT POS. FLT ATTENDANT, THINKING IT WAS A FULL FLT, INSTRUCTED THE PAX THAT SHOULD A PROB ARISE, THEY WERE TO BE SURE TO PUSH THE RETRACT BUTTON AND MAKE SURE THAT THE SEAT BACK FULLY RETRACTED. THE PAX IN THE ROW DIRECTLY BEHIND OVERHEARD THE CONVERSATION AND HAPPENED TO BE AN FAA INSPECTOR. THE FAA INSPECTOR THEN APCHED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT, IDENTED THEMSELVES, AND MADE IT KNOWN THAT THE SIT WITH SEAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS THEN MOVED THE PAX TO ANOTHER OPEN SEAT. AT THIS POINT, THE CABIN RPT WAS RECEIVED WITH NO MENTION TO MYSELF OF WHAT HAD JUST TRANSPIRED AND THE FLT DEPARTED. ENRTE, AFTER LEARNING WHAT HAD HAPPENED, I SPOKE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT AND REVIEWED THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF THE SIT, STRESSING THAT SAFETY IS FIRST AND FOREMOST. I ALSO SPOKE TO THE FAA INSPECTOR DURING DEPLANING AND HIS ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT RECONCILED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT'S ACCOUNT.
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.