A B737 cabin attendant reports a missing seal on a passenger life vest to flight crew. Flight crew investigation reveals seals missing from many passenger life vests.

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Attributes
ACN	691843
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 8800
ASRS Report	691843
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	691842
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

After arrival at gate in ZZZ; flight attendant found a seal missing on a life vest. Called dispatch and talked to maintenance control to MEL missing life vest seal. Upon further inspection; found a few other seals missing on life vests. Decided to deplane passenger and inspect all life vest seals with the help of contract maintenance. Found many more seals missing on life vests. Contract maintenance coordinated with maintenance controller to MEL missing life vest seals; continued flight with missing seals MEL'ed. What caused event: passenger rubbing against seals with bags; etc. How to correct situation: perhaps stronger seals or have seals guarded from passenger rubbing against them.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cabin attendant reported an under seat life vest seal was missing on a vest. The seal is a very flimsy type of tie wrap that can be easily be broken. A contract technician was called and the passenger deplaned. The contract technician discovered many seals broken or missing; being damaged by passenger bags or other items pushed under the seats. Reporter noted the that the new life vest container did not protect as well as previous canvas bag type.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS A MISSING SEAL ON A PAX LIFE VEST TO FLT CREW. FLT CREW INVESTIGATION REVEALS SEALS MISSING FROM MANY PAX LIFE VESTS.

Narrative: AFTER ARR AT GATE IN ZZZ; FLT ATTENDANT FOUND A SEAL MISSING ON A LIFE VEST. CALLED DISPATCH AND TALKED TO MAINT CTL TO MEL MISSING LIFE VEST SEAL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION; FOUND A FEW OTHER SEALS MISSING ON LIFE VESTS. DECIDED TO DEPLANE PAX AND INSPECT ALL LIFE VEST SEALS WITH THE HELP OF CONTRACT MAINT. FOUND MANY MORE SEALS MISSING ON LIFE VESTS. CONTRACT MAINT COORDINATED WITH MAINT CTLR TO MEL MISSING LIFE VEST SEALS; CONTINUED FLT WITH MISSING SEALS MEL'ED. WHAT CAUSED EVENT: PAX RUBBING AGAINST SEALS WITH BAGS; ETC. HOW TO CORRECT SITUATION: PERHAPS STRONGER SEALS OR HAVE SEALS GUARDED FROM PAX RUBBING AGAINST THEM.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CABIN ATTENDANT RPTED AN UNDER SEAT LIFE VEST SEAL WAS MISSING ON A VEST. THE SEAL IS A VERY FLIMSY TYPE OF TIE WRAP THAT CAN BE EASILY BE BROKEN. A CONTRACT TECHNICIAN WAS CALLED AND THE PAX DEPLANED. THE CONTRACT TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED MANY SEALS BROKEN OR MISSING; BEING DAMAGED BY PAX BAGS OR OTHER ITEMS PUSHED UNDER THE SEATS. RPTR NOTED THE THAT THE NEW LIFE VEST CONTAINER DID NOT PROTECT AS WELL AS PREVIOUS CANVAS BAG TYPE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.