Improper seating confign in a passenger cargo aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	287709
Time
Date	199411
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sit
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	287709
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	287862
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I was on a flight in a cargo and passenger confign. We were in a 2 pallet and 72 seat confign and had made 4 legs of a 5 leg trip when the ground agents noticed the airplane had 74 seats on board. The maintenance people had configured the airplane wrong and put 3 seats on each side of the overwing exit row. The proper way is to put 2 seats in each row leaving a space by the emergency exit. When I preflted the airplane I didn't recognize the mistake. This is not part of our preflight flows to check the seat confign. We check things like the smoke barrier and emergency equipment is installed properly. In the future I will check seats in the exit row and make sure they are installed properly. I think this should be added to our flight handbook as an item to be checked when we go through the cabin on preflight. When the problem was realized the plane was grounded and another airplane had to be flown in to finish the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER SEATING CONFIGN IN A PAX CARGO ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT IN A CARGO AND PAX CONFIGN. WE WERE IN A 2 PALLET AND 72 SEAT CONFIGN AND HAD MADE 4 LEGS OF A 5 LEG TRIP WHEN THE GND AGENTS NOTICED THE AIRPLANE HAD 74 SEATS ON BOARD. THE MAINT PEOPLE HAD CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE WRONG AND PUT 3 SEATS ON EACH SIDE OF THE OVERWING EXIT ROW. THE PROPER WAY IS TO PUT 2 SEATS IN EACH ROW LEAVING A SPACE BY THE EMER EXIT. WHEN I PREFLTED THE AIRPLANE I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE MISTAKE. THIS IS NOT PART OF OUR PREFLT FLOWS TO CHK THE SEAT CONFIGN. WE CHK THINGS LIKE THE SMOKE BARRIER AND EMER EQUIP IS INSTALLED PROPERLY. IN THE FUTURE I WILL CHK SEATS IN THE EXIT ROW AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE INSTALLED PROPERLY. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE ADDED TO OUR FLT HANDBOOK AS AN ITEM TO BE CHKED WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE CABIN ON PREFLT. WHEN THE PROB WAS REALIZED THE PLANE WAS GNDED AND ANOTHER AIRPLANE HAD TO BE FLOWN IN TO FINISH THE FLT.

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.