Narrative:

Captain pointed to power port wiring below coach seats, and said he had witnessed arcing between same wires and seat frame on another plane. He wanted to know what system it was, and where to turn it off in-flight. Upon further investigation, I noticed the following: 1) power port wiring installed not per standard wiring practices maintenance manual chapter xx throughout fleet. 2) power port wiring (115 volt) is chafed by under-seat carry-on items causing fire and electrocution hazard. 3) seat installation (maintenance manual xy-zz-00-2) procedures make no mention of either power port or new seat-mounted epm wiring. I recommend emergency ad. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the laptop computer seat power port wiring was contracted out by the carrier and the work is not up to approved maintenance manual aircraft wiring standards. The reporter said the wiring runs from seat-to-seat in 4 columns on top of the carpet and secured to the seats with undersized plastic tie wraps. The reporter stated reports have been received of wires arcing and in various stages of damage. The reporter said the wiring is exposed to passenger under-seat carry-on baggage and has also been reported as a tripping hazard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD SUPER 80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH LAPTOP COMPUTER PWR WIRING INSTALLED IMPROPERLY CREATING A FIRE AND TRIPPING HAZARD.

Narrative: CAPT POINTED TO PWR PORT WIRING BELOW COACH SEATS, AND SAID HE HAD WITNESSED ARCING BTWN SAME WIRES AND SEAT FRAME ON ANOTHER PLANE. HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT SYS IT WAS, AND WHERE TO TURN IT OFF INFLT. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I NOTICED THE FOLLOWING: 1) PWR PORT WIRING INSTALLED NOT PER STANDARD WIRING PRACTICES MAINT MANUAL CHAPTER XX THROUGHOUT FLEET. 2) PWR PORT WIRING (115 VOLT) IS CHAFED BY UNDER-SEAT CARRY-ON ITEMS CAUSING FIRE AND ELECTROCUTION HAZARD. 3) SEAT INSTALLATION (MAINT MANUAL XY-ZZ-00-2) PROCS MAKE NO MENTION OF EITHER PWR PORT OR NEW SEAT-MOUNTED EPM WIRING. I RECOMMEND EMER AD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LAPTOP COMPUTER SEAT PWR PORT WIRING WAS CONTRACTED OUT BY THE CARRIER AND THE WORK IS NOT UP TO APPROVED MAINT MANUAL ACFT WIRING STANDARDS. THE RPTR SAID THE WIRING RUNS FROM SEAT-TO-SEAT IN 4 COLUMNS ON TOP OF THE CARPET AND SECURED TO THE SEATS WITH UNDERSIZED PLASTIC TIE WRAPS. THE RPTR STATED RPTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED OF WIRES ARCING AND IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DAMAGE. THE RPTR SAID THE WIRING IS EXPOSED TO PAX UNDER-SEAT CARRY-ON BAGGAGE AND HAS ALSO BEEN RPTED AS A TRIPPING HAZARD.

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.