Narrative:

A 400 pound passenger broke 2 seat backs completely down and broke the seat frame when he attempted to recline his seat. The aircraft was completely full (ie, all seats occupied). For the approach and landing into bdl, I moved the 400 pound man into a seat in the last row of coach class cabin. The much smaller man that had been occupying that seat was put on the aft flight attendant jump seat with another flight attendant. There were seatbelts and shoulder straps for both individuals. The 400 pounds man's wife was put in a seat originally occupied by a 2 yr old child. The father of the child held the child in his lap for approach and landing, which were uneventful. I am filling out this report on the advice of my supervisor, who agreed I did the right thing (not much choice) by putting a passenger in the unoccupied flight attendant's jump seat. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the 6 ft 6 in 400 pound man who broke the two seats and seat backs with his weight was very concerned that the seat backs would hurt the people behind him. The captain's main concern was that the weight of the man dislodged the two seats off the track on the floor. The captain felt that this was a real design defect. He talked to one of his mechanics after the flight about this fact, and the mechanic replied, 'these seats are a bunch of junk, anyway.' the captain said that he had no alternative in breaking the FARS on seating of passenger, eg, the man in the flight attendant's jump seat, because they had a full flight and two unusable seats.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, DC9 ENRTE TO HARTFORD, THE WT OF A 400 LB MAN BROKE 2 SEATS AND SEAT BACKS. VIOLATION OF FARS OF PAX SEATING FOR LNDG.

Narrative: A 400 LB PAX BROKE 2 SEAT BACKS COMPLETELY DOWN AND BROKE THE SEAT FRAME WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO RECLINE HIS SEAT. THE ACFT WAS COMPLETELY FULL (IE, ALL SEATS OCCUPIED). FOR THE APCH AND LNDG INTO BDL, I MOVED THE 400 LB MAN INTO A SEAT IN THE LAST ROW OF COACH CLASS CABIN. THE MUCH SMALLER MAN THAT HAD BEEN OCCUPYING THAT SEAT WAS PUT ON THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT JUMP SEAT WITH ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT. THERE WERE SEATBELTS AND SHOULDER STRAPS FOR BOTH INDIVIDUALS. THE 400 LBS MAN'S WIFE WAS PUT IN A SEAT ORIGINALLY OCCUPIED BY A 2 YR OLD CHILD. THE FATHER OF THE CHILD HELD THE CHILD IN HIS LAP FOR APCH AND LNDG, WHICH WERE UNEVENTFUL. I AM FILLING OUT THIS RPT ON THE ADVICE OF MY SUPVR, WHO AGREED I DID THE RIGHT THING (NOT MUCH CHOICE) BY PUTTING A PAX IN THE UNOCCUPIED FLT ATTENDANT'S JUMP SEAT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE 6 FT 6 IN 400 LB MAN WHO BROKE THE TWO SEATS AND SEAT BACKS WITH HIS WEIGHT WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT THE SEAT BACKS WOULD HURT THE PEOPLE BEHIND HIM. THE CAPT'S MAIN CONCERN WAS THAT THE WT OF THE MAN DISLODGED THE TWO SEATS OFF THE TRACK ON THE FLOOR. THE CAPT FELT THAT THIS WAS A REAL DESIGN DEFECT. HE TALKED TO ONE OF HIS MECHS AFTER THE FLT ABOUT THIS FACT, AND THE MECH REPLIED, 'THESE SEATS ARE A BUNCH OF JUNK, ANYWAY.' THE CAPT SAID THAT HE HAD NO ALTERNATIVE IN BREAKING THE FARS ON SEATING OF PAX, EG, THE MAN IN THE FLT ATTENDANT'S JUMP SEAT, BECAUSE THEY HAD A FULL FLT AND TWO UNUSABLE SEATS.

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.