Narrative:

Flight attendant informed me that one of the lumbar seat controllers was very hot and smoking. After a very quick inspection I sent the relief pilot back to disconnect the electrical power to the seat. I proceeded to look for suitable airports and call dispatch and maintenance control while the copilot flew the airplane. Two very disconcerting things happened: satcom was very intermittent (we kept getting disconnected and when we were on; it was very weak). The second problem was that maintenance control's knowledge of the airplane was very poor. I asked how to disconnect all power to the seat and maintenance control said that there was no individual control on the seat and we could disconnect 'circuit breaker-T8' and turn off passenger service power switch on 1L. Both circuit breaker and switch did not remove power and the switch was getting hotter and smoking more. Maintenance control said the only other way to remove power was inaccessible in the east&east bay. We had no tools and a simple screwdriver or small knife would have been enough to pop the switch out and remove power. Finally the copilot got the switch removed with a fork. If this had not worked I would have been left with sending back the crash ax and hacking up the seat. Once the switch was removed the problem was solved. Two very important things came out of this: if we had the most rudimentary tools such as we had prior to 911 we would have solved the problem much quicker. Also; if maintenance control had more knowledge of the aircraft he would have instructed us to tear off the back cover of the seat and there we would have found two cannon plugs.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 CAPT RPTS PAX SEAT CTLR HOT AND SMOKING. SATCOM INTERMITTENT. MAINT CTLR HAD LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF SEAT CTL.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME THAT ONE OF THE LUMBAR SEAT CTLRS WAS VERY HOT AND SMOKING. AFTER A VERY QUICK INSPECTION I SENT THE RELIEF PLT BACK TO DISCONNECT THE ELECTRICAL PWR TO THE SEAT. I PROCEEDED TO LOOK FOR SUITABLE ARPTS AND CALL DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL WHILE THE COPLT FLEW THE AIRPLANE. TWO VERY DISCONCERTING THINGS HAPPENED: SATCOM WAS VERY INTERMITTENT (WE KEPT GETTING DISCONNECTED AND WHEN WE WERE ON; IT WAS VERY WEAK). THE SECOND PROB WAS THAT MAINT CTL'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS VERY POOR. I ASKED HOW TO DISCONNECT ALL PWR TO THE SEAT AND MAINT CTL SAID THAT THERE WAS NO INDIVIDUAL CTL ON THE SEAT AND WE COULD DISCONNECT 'CIRCUIT BREAKER-T8' AND TURN OFF PAX SVC PWR SWITCH ON 1L. BOTH CIRCUIT BREAKER AND SWITCH DID NOT REMOVE PWR AND THE SWITCH WAS GETTING HOTTER AND SMOKING MORE. MAINT CTL SAID THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO REMOVE PWR WAS INACCESSIBLE IN THE E&E BAY. WE HAD NO TOOLS AND A SIMPLE SCREWDRIVER OR SMALL KNIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO POP THE SWITCH OUT AND REMOVE PWR. FINALLY THE COPLT GOT THE SWITCH REMOVED WITH A FORK. IF THIS HAD NOT WORKED I WOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT WITH SENDING BACK THE CRASH AX AND HACKING UP THE SEAT. ONCE THE SWITCH WAS REMOVED THE PROB WAS SOLVED. TWO VERY IMPORTANT THINGS CAME OUT OF THIS: IF WE HAD THE MOST RUDIMENTARY TOOLS SUCH AS WE HAD PRIOR TO 911 WE WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE PROB MUCH QUICKER. ALSO; IF MAINT CTL HAD MORE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ACFT HE WOULD HAVE INSTRUCTED US TO TEAR OFF THE BACK COVER OF THE SEAT AND THERE WE WOULD HAVE FOUND TWO CANNON PLUGS.

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.