Narrative:

Had MEL item 35-07, write-up stated aft galley flight attendant jump seat had loose oxygen panel. Nothing inoperative with seat. Corrective action was, deferred and jump seat inoperative. This requires a passenger seat to be blocked off for flight attendant use en route, but according to MEL flight attendant must situation in jump seat for takeoff and landing if operation. No placard was placed on jump seat, but on oxygen door leading to question, is jump seat inoperative or not? Flight was oversold ZZZ1-ZZZ2 and closed out with 129 passenger. At ZZZ1 an FAA maintenance inspector accomplished a ramp check. His focus was on the confusing MEL write-up and the corrective action not whether we did or did not block off a passenger seat. He felt the flight attendant jump seat should have been placarded and blocked off/not used. He said to go on with our business and he would speak to ZZZ3 for clarification. We did block off passenger seat for return flight to ZZZ2 for flight attendant use. Bottom line, it's my responsibility to check the MEL and comply. Because of the WX situation at den, snow, my focus was on runway condition and preparing for my arrival causing me to rush once at the gate overlooking the requirement to block a seat. MEL states in a black box, it is the dispatcher's responsibility to coordinate block seat location information with the agent and captain. The message was abbreviated on the flight plan.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A FLT ATTENDANT JUMP SEAT OXYGEN SVC PANEL INOP, BUT WITH NO PAX SEAT ASSIGNED TO THE FLT ATTENDANT PER MEL REQUIREMENT.

Narrative: HAD MEL ITEM 35-07, WRITE-UP STATED AFT GALLEY FLT ATTENDANT JUMP SEAT HAD LOOSE OXYGEN PANEL. NOTHING INOP WITH SEAT. CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS, DEFERRED AND JUMP SEAT INOP. THIS REQUIRES A PAX SEAT TO BE BLOCKED OFF FOR FLT ATTENDANT USE ENRTE, BUT ACCORDING TO MEL FLT ATTENDANT MUST SIT IN JUMP SEAT FOR TKOF AND LNDG IF OP. NO PLACARD WAS PLACED ON JUMP SEAT, BUT ON OXYGEN DOOR LEADING TO QUESTION, IS JUMP SEAT INOP OR NOT? FLT WAS OVERSOLD ZZZ1-ZZZ2 AND CLOSED OUT WITH 129 PAX. AT ZZZ1 AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR ACCOMPLISHED A RAMP CHK. HIS FOCUS WAS ON THE CONFUSING MEL WRITE-UP AND THE CORRECTIVE ACTION NOT WHETHER WE DID OR DID NOT BLOCK OFF A PAX SEAT. HE FELT THE FLT ATTENDANT JUMP SEAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACARDED AND BLOCKED OFF/NOT USED. HE SAID TO GO ON WITH OUR BUSINESS AND HE WOULD SPEAK TO ZZZ3 FOR CLARIFICATION. WE DID BLOCK OFF PAX SEAT FOR RETURN FLT TO ZZZ2 FOR FLT ATTENDANT USE. BOTTOM LINE, IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CHK THE MEL AND COMPLY. BECAUSE OF THE WX SIT AT DEN, SNOW, MY FOCUS WAS ON RWY CONDITION AND PREPARING FOR MY ARR CAUSING ME TO RUSH ONCE AT THE GATE OVERLOOKING THE REQUIREMENT TO BLOCK A SEAT. MEL STATES IN A BLACK BOX, IT IS THE DISPATCHER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO COORDINATE BLOCK SEAT LOCATION INFO WITH THE AGENT AND CAPT. THE MESSAGE WAS ABBREVIATED ON THE FLT PLAN.

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.