Narrative:

Flight arrived dfw. The aircraft has 290 seats and the company loaded 290 passenger. At the termination of the flight at dfw, it was discovered that emergency O2 was available to only 287 seats due to a maintenance placard for the O2 system at 3 seats which was defective and had not been fixed. The cause of the problem was the company loading passenger in excess of the emergency O2 due to a breakdown in communication between maintenance and loading departments. Contributing factors: the F/a's who permitted 3 seats to be used when there were large 'do not use' signs on them, and the cockpit crew did not receive the maintenance log until just before departure. It contained 4 other placards for maintenance items not fixed. In researching the details of these unfixed problems, the crew failed to note that 3 seats were unusable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB MAKES OCEANIC FLT WITH 3 OCCUPIED SEATS HAVING UNUSABLE O2 UNITS.

Narrative: FLT ARRIVED DFW. THE ACFT HAS 290 SEATS AND THE COMPANY LOADED 290 PAX. AT THE TERMINATION OF THE FLT AT DFW, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT EMER O2 WAS AVAILABLE TO ONLY 287 SEATS DUE TO A MAINT PLACARD FOR THE O2 SYS AT 3 SEATS WHICH WAS DEFECTIVE AND HAD NOT BEEN FIXED. THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS THE COMPANY LOADING PAX IN EXCESS OF THE EMER O2 DUE TO A BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN MAINT AND LOADING DEPTS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE F/A'S WHO PERMITTED 3 SEATS TO BE USED WHEN THERE WERE LARGE 'DO NOT USE' SIGNS ON THEM, AND THE COCKPIT CREW DID NOT RECEIVE THE MAINT LOG UNTIL JUST BEFORE DEP. IT CONTAINED 4 OTHER PLACARDS FOR MAINT ITEMS NOT FIXED. IN RESEARCHING THE DETAILS OF THESE UNFIXED PROBS, THE CREW FAILED TO NOTE THAT 3 SEATS WERE UNUSABLE.

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.