Maintenance procedure not authority/authorized.

Attributes
ACN	298860
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ome
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 14800 flight time type : 3300
ASRS Report	298860
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

As an approved procedure, the air carrier does medical evacuate/evacuations simultaneously with normal passenger flts. To facilitate this, the seatbacks of rows 18-20 are pushed forward until horizontal and the stretcher and occupant are strapped down using seatbelts and a seatbelt extension kit. On this flight, seat 18F would not fold forward. I called the maintenance station in anc, described the problem, and was told that this particular seat, at sometime in the past, was probably used near an exit. All exit row seats are physically blocked from going forward to prevent blockage of an exit row. To do that, an extra bolt is added to the seatback. Removal of the bolt will allow the seatback to fold down without affecting the integrity of the seat. The bolt was removed, the stretcher moved aft and secured in the aircraft. The blocking bolt was not removed by a company a&P.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAINT PROC NOT AUTH.

Narrative: AS AN APPROVED PROC, THE ACR DOES MEDICAL EVACS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH NORMAL PAX FLTS. TO FACILITATE THIS, THE SEATBACKS OF ROWS 18-20 ARE PUSHED FORWARD UNTIL HORIZ AND THE STRETCHER AND OCCUPANT ARE STRAPPED DOWN USING SEATBELTS AND A SEATBELT EXTENSION KIT. ON THIS FLT, SEAT 18F WOULD NOT FOLD FORWARD. I CALLED THE MAINT STATION IN ANC, DESCRIBED THE PROB, AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS PARTICULAR SEAT, AT SOMETIME IN THE PAST, WAS PROBABLY USED NEAR AN EXIT. ALL EXIT ROW SEATS ARE PHYSICALLY BLOCKED FROM GOING FORWARD TO PREVENT BLOCKAGE OF AN EXIT ROW. TO DO THAT, AN EXTRA BOLT IS ADDED TO THE SEATBACK. REMOVAL OF THE BOLT WILL ALLOW THE SEATBACK TO FOLD DOWN WITHOUT AFFECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE SEAT. THE BOLT WAS REMOVED, THE STRETCHER MOVED AFT AND SECURED IN THE ACFT. THE BLOCKING BOLT WAS NOT REMOVED BY A COMPANY A&P.

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.