B777 crew had an unusable crew rest seat.

Attributes
ACN	517863
Time
Date	200107
Day	Thu
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : saeu.artcc
State Reference	FO
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : saeu.artcc tower : saez.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	517863
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft FAA
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Runaway crew rest seat. About 1 1/2 hours after takeoff on an all-nighter (over 10 hours) from eze to jfk, my relief pilot came back to the cockpit 1/2 way into his crew rest break period. He informed me that the crew rest seat was moving unctlably and that he couldn't sleep. It seems that when the seat was placed in any position close to horizontal, the seat would arbitrarily begin to raise itself to the fully vertical position. This situation was further complicated by the lack of crew bunks on this airplane and the business class galley noise emanating just behind the crew rest seat. Realizing that all 3 of us pilots on the flight were at risk of extreme fatigue, I considered our options. First was to order my co-pilots (and myself) to sleep on the floor in the (unauthorized) crew rest area. Second was to divert to an airport in northern south america for rest. Luckily, we got manual control of the seat.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 CREW HAD AN UNUSABLE CREW REST SEAT.

Narrative: RUNAWAY CREW REST SEAT. ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS AFTER TKOF ON AN ALL-NIGHTER (OVER 10 HRS) FROM EZE TO JFK, MY RELIEF PLT CAME BACK TO THE COCKPIT 1/2 WAY INTO HIS CREW REST BREAK PERIOD. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE CREW REST SEAT WAS MOVING UNCTLABLY AND THAT HE COULDN'T SLEEP. IT SEEMS THAT WHEN THE SEAT WAS PLACED IN ANY POS CLOSE TO HORIZ, THE SEAT WOULD ARBITRARILY BEGIN TO RAISE ITSELF TO THE FULLY VERT POS. THIS SIT WAS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY THE LACK OF CREW BUNKS ON THIS AIRPLANE AND THE BUSINESS CLASS GALLEY NOISE EMANATING JUST BEHIND THE CREW REST SEAT. REALIZING THAT ALL 3 OF US PLTS ON THE FLT WERE AT RISK OF EXTREME FATIGUE, I CONSIDERED OUR OPTIONS. FIRST WAS TO ORDER MY CO-PLTS (AND MYSELF) TO SLEEP ON THE FLOOR IN THE (UNAUTH) CREW REST AREA. SECOND WAS TO DIVERT TO AN ARPT IN NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA FOR REST. LUCKILY, WE GOT MANUAL CTL OF THE SEAT.

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.