Narrative:

This is a report of safety concern regarding the design and layout of the forward jumpseat on the ATR 72 aircraft (my experience is with X Y airlines Z connection). My safety concerns are not mine only, but are an expression of nearly every flight attendant I have flown with. These safety concerns fall into three specific categories all focused around the forward jumpseat on the ATR 72. 1)the jumpseat slides out from just forward of the passenger bulkhead at row one. As the flight attendant sits in the jumpseat facing aft, his/her head lines up perfectly with this forward passenger bulkhead. (Ie. If I were to look left or right from my seat 90 degrees, I would be looking at edge (approximately 1 inch wide) of the bulkhead). There is no protection, nor anything in the design of the seat to keep my head from slamming into this one inch edge of bulkhead. (Concern-killed instantly unable to assist passengers). 2)the shoulder harnesses on forward jumpseat of ATR 72 are limited in their ability to protect the flight attendant. They do nothing to restrain lateral movement. Furthermore, it has been observed by myself and most other flight attendants that on extremely rough landings, we have found no restraint action what so ever by the shoulder harnesses, rather we have found out bodies being flung forward and aft. (One suggestion would be cinch down shoulder harnesses as used on the aft jumpseat). 3)there is no interphone communication available at jumpseat B (forward). If passengers are in the aisle in a hijacking, in a fire, in an emergency evacuate/evacuation, no communication is available between the cockpit, aft flight attendant, or apa to passengers from the forward jumpseat flight attendant. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the harness on the top has no way to tighten it up or to cinch it, and it only restrains movement forward, such as in the older models of cars. There is no interphone at all up front, the closest is in the aft galley. If the flight attendant in this seat, facing aft, sees a passenger up, when they shouldn't be up or needs to verify credentials of an armed guard or an FAA check rider, he has no way to confirm this with the aft flight attendant taking tickets or tell the captain, because there is no interphone. There is not even a megaphone at this jumpseat, it is all the way back at row 16. The jumpseat seems to have been added as an afterthought, unlike the aft jumpseat, which not only has a cinched harness, but also has an interphone. In addition to this unsafe jumpseat.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAB RPT, ATR 72. UNSAFE DESIGN OF FORWARD JUMPSEAT, NO INTERPHONE IN FRONT.

Narrative: THIS IS A RPT OF SAFETY CONCERN REGARDING THE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF THE FORWARD JUMPSEAT ON THE ATR 72 ACFT (MY EXPERIENCE IS WITH X Y AIRLINES Z CONNECTION). MY SAFETY CONCERNS ARE NOT MINE ONLY, BUT ARE AN EXPRESSION OF NEARLY EVERY FLT ATTENDANT I HAVE FLOWN WITH. THESE SAFETY CONCERNS FALL INTO THREE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES ALL FOCUSED AROUND THE FORWARD JUMPSEAT ON THE ATR 72. 1)THE JUMPSEAT SLIDES OUT FROM JUST FORWARD OF THE PAX BULKHEAD AT ROW ONE. AS THE FLT ATTENDANT SITS IN THE JUMPSEAT FACING AFT, HIS/HER HEAD LINES UP PERFECTLY WITH THIS FORWARD PAX BULKHEAD. (IE. IF I WERE TO LOOK L OR R FROM MY SEAT 90 DEGS, I WOULD BE LOOKING AT EDGE (APPROX 1 INCH WIDE) OF THE BULKHEAD). THERE IS NO PROTECTION, NOR ANYTHING IN THE DESIGN OF THE SEAT TO KEEP MY HEAD FROM SLAMMING INTO THIS ONE INCH EDGE OF BULKHEAD. (CONCERN-KILLED INSTANTLY UNABLE TO ASSIST PASSENGERS). 2)THE SHOULDER HARNESSES ON FORWARD JUMPSEAT OF ATR 72 ARE LIMITED IN THEIR ABILITY TO PROTECT THE FLT ATTENDANT. THEY DO NOTHING TO RESTRAIN LATERAL MOVEMENT. FURTHERMORE, IT HAS BEEN OBSERVED BY MYSELF AND MOST OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS THAT ON EXTREMELY ROUGH LANDINGS, WE HAVE FOUND NO RESTRAINT ACTION WHAT SO EVER BY THE SHOULDER HARNESSES, RATHER WE HAVE FOUND OUT BODIES BEING FLUNG FORWARD AND AFT. (ONE SUGGESTION WOULD BE CINCH DOWN SHOULDER HARNESSES AS USED ON THE AFT JUMPSEAT). 3)THERE IS NO INTERPHONE COM AVAILABLE AT JUMPSEAT B (FORWARD). IF PASSENGERS ARE IN THE AISLE IN A HIJACKING, IN A FIRE, IN AN EMER EVAC, NO COM IS AVAILABLE BTWN THE COCKPIT, AFT FLT ATTENDANT, OR APA TO PASSENGERS FROM THE FORWARD JUMPSEAT FLT ATTENDANT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE HARNESS ON THE TOP HAS NO WAY TO TIGHTEN IT UP OR TO CINCH IT, AND IT ONLY RESTRAINS MOVEMENT FORWARD, SUCH AS IN THE OLDER MODELS OF CARS. THERE IS NO INTERPHONE AT ALL UP FRONT, THE CLOSEST IS IN THE AFT GALLEY. IF THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THIS SEAT, FACING AFT, SEES A PAX UP, WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T BE UP OR NEEDS TO VERIFY CREDENTIALS OF AN ARMED GUARD OR AN FAA CHK RIDER, HE HAS NO WAY TO CONFIRM THIS WITH THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT TAKING TICKETS OR TELL THE CAPT, BECAUSE THERE IS NO INTERPHONE. THERE IS NOT EVEN A MEGAPHONE AT THIS JUMPSEAT, IT IS ALL THE WAY BACK AT ROW 16. THE JUMPSEAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ADDED AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT, UNLIKE THE AFT JUMPSEAT, WHICH NOT ONLY HAS A CINCHED HARNESS, BUT ALSO HAS AN INTERPHONE. IN ADDITION TO THIS UNSAFE JUMPSEAT.

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.