Pilot seat adjustment handles easily broken, preventing seat adjustment backwards for quick egress.

Attributes
ACN	189825
Time
Date	199109
Day	Mon
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	189825
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This is an alert to the possibility of inadequate strength seat adjustment handles. In my 4 months experience on this aircraft, I have experienced the following failures: 1) 2 fore/aft seat adjustment handle failures that still provided enough leverage for operation with extreme effort. This would have been inadequate for rapid/emergency operation. 2) 2 fore/aft seat adjustment handle failures that resulted in loss of operation. A) 1 was found on preflight inspection. B) 1 broke during attempt to assist cabin crew with passenger deplaning after 'minor' electrical fire. Instead of a rapid cockpit exit, I had to then retract the table tray and climb over center pedestal. 3) 1 fore aft seat adjustment internal mechanism failure. Was unable to move seat position, but it occasionally unlocked and slid to full aft position. This required replacement of the seat/pedestal assembly. The breakages have caused 2 flight delays, but all required maintenance attention. I am concerned of possible consequences during an emergency evacuate/evacuation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter has made a report to his company and his alpa safety committee. Has heard 1 or 2 reports from other pilots and has heard that maintenance has had to replace numerous seat adjustment handles.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT SEAT ADJUSTMENT HANDLES EASILY BROKEN, PREVENTING SEAT ADJUSTMENT BACKWARDS FOR QUICK EGRESS.

Narrative: THIS IS AN ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF INADEQUATE STRENGTH SEAT ADJUSTMENT HANDLES. IN MY 4 MONTHS EXPERIENCE ON THIS ACFT, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING FAILURES: 1) 2 FORE/AFT SEAT ADJUSTMENT HANDLE FAILURES THAT STILL PROVIDED ENOUGH LEVERAGE FOR OP WITH EXTREME EFFORT. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN INADEQUATE FOR RAPID/EMER OP. 2) 2 FORE/AFT SEAT ADJUSTMENT HANDLE FAILURES THAT RESULTED IN LOSS OF OP. A) 1 WAS FOUND ON PREFLT INSPECTION. B) 1 BROKE DURING ATTEMPT TO ASSIST CABIN CREW WITH PAX DEPLANING AFTER 'MINOR' ELECTRICAL FIRE. INSTEAD OF A RAPID COCKPIT EXIT, I HAD TO THEN RETRACT THE TABLE TRAY AND CLB OVER CENTER PEDESTAL. 3) 1 FORE AFT SEAT ADJUSTMENT INTERNAL MECHANISM FAILURE. WAS UNABLE TO MOVE SEAT POS, BUT IT OCCASIONALLY UNLOCKED AND SLID TO FULL AFT POS. THIS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE SEAT/PEDESTAL ASSEMBLY. THE BREAKAGES HAVE CAUSED 2 FLT DELAYS, BUT ALL REQUIRED MAINT ATTN. I AM CONCERNED OF POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES DURING AN EMER EVAC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAS MADE A RPT TO HIS COMPANY AND HIS ALPA SAFETY COMMITTEE. HAS HEARD 1 OR 2 RPTS FROM OTHER PLTS AND HAS HEARD THAT MAINT HAS HAD TO REPLACE NUMEROUS SEAT ADJUSTMENT HANDLES.

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.