Narrative:

During takeoff at madrid, spain, seat #xx failed while occupied by a customer. The seat back fell all the way back onto the customer's legs that was seated directly behind seat xx. As these seats are large and the backs are quite heavy, luckily no one was injured, or at least no one declared any injuries. The flight was full with the exception of the cabin crew rest seats located in another section. Turns out that this seat should not have been occupied and should have had a sign/placard on it to that effect. Had been written up in the logbook on a prior day by another crew and maintenance entry was that it was broken and should not be used (deemed inoperative) until repaired. However, the deferred maintenance sticker that was placed on the logbook cover simply stated that the 'seat back was inoperative in the recline position only,' however, the log page indicated that the seat was inoperative period. Lack of appropriate action by maintenance and poor coordination on behalf of several departments nearly caused a serious accident. Upon my inspection of the seat after 10000 ft, I found it to be damaged beyond airborne repair and that it had been tie wrapped together by maintenance. The log page entry was accurate and unfortunately the correct actions not carried out. The deferred maintenance yellow sticker was not written accurately/correctly. The lack of proper coordination created this situation. Passenger was moved to cabin crew rest seat for remainder of the trans-atlantic flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 PAX SEAT MALFUNCTIONED ON TKOF. SEAT BACK FELL ONTO PAX LEGS BEHIND THE BROKEN SEAT.

Narrative: DURING TKOF AT MADRID, SPAIN, SEAT #XX FAILED WHILE OCCUPIED BY A CUSTOMER. THE SEAT BACK FELL ALL THE WAY BACK ONTO THE CUSTOMER'S LEGS THAT WAS SEATED DIRECTLY BEHIND SEAT XX. AS THESE SEATS ARE LARGE AND THE BACKS ARE QUITE HVY, LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED, OR AT LEAST NO ONE DECLARED ANY INJURIES. THE FLT WAS FULL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CABIN CREW REST SEATS LOCATED IN ANOTHER SECTION. TURNS OUT THAT THIS SEAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED AND SHOULD HAVE HAD A SIGN/PLACARD ON IT TO THAT EFFECT. HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP IN THE LOGBOOK ON A PRIOR DAY BY ANOTHER CREW AND MAINT ENTRY WAS THAT IT WAS BROKEN AND SHOULD NOT BE USED (DEEMED INOP) UNTIL REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THE DEFERRED MAINT STICKER THAT WAS PLACED ON THE LOGBOOK COVER SIMPLY STATED THAT THE 'SEAT BACK WAS INOP IN THE RECLINE POS ONLY,' HOWEVER, THE LOG PAGE INDICATED THAT THE SEAT WAS INOP PERIOD. LACK OF APPROPRIATE ACTION BY MAINT AND POOR COORD ON BEHALF OF SEVERAL DEPTS NEARLY CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. UPON MY INSPECTION OF THE SEAT AFTER 10000 FT, I FOUND IT TO BE DAMAGED BEYOND AIRBORNE REPAIR AND THAT IT HAD BEEN TIE WRAPPED TOGETHER BY MAINT. THE LOG PAGE ENTRY WAS ACCURATE AND UNFORTUNATELY THE CORRECT ACTIONS NOT CARRIED OUT. THE DEFERRED MAINT YELLOW STICKER WAS NOT WRITTEN ACCURATELY/CORRECTLY. THE LACK OF PROPER COORD CREATED THIS SIT. PAX WAS MOVED TO CABIN CREW REST SEAT FOR REMAINDER OF THE TRANS-ATLANTIC 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.