Narrative:

During a quick turnaround at the gate, a cabin cleaner pointed out a seatbelt buckle (female portion) resting alone on a seat that had come off the webbing -- the webbing have slipping all the way through the buckle due to the terminating end (where it's normally rolled back upon itself), becoming unrolled. I rethreaded the webbing through the buckle and checked operation of the buckle, and under tension it held the webbing tight, like it should. The only way for the buckle to come off the webbing would be for someone to deliberately pull it off. I called our maintenance control, and described the situation, after which I was told that as long as the integrity of the seatbelt was in tact, and it functioned to restrain the passenger, it was usable. I was told that maintenance would have a look at it when we got back to our destination. She reported during and after the flight that all was normal with that seatbelt and the passenger seated there. I made a maintenance write-up at our destination, and maintenance control decided to replace the seatbelt. Ultimately, I had to use my best judgement in making a decision, and after talking it over with my crew and maintenance control, knowing that our maintenance is also careful and cautious, I felt it was a reasonable and safe decision to allow the use of the seatbelt in question.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 CAPT RPTS REPAIRING A PAX SEATBELT AND ADVISED MAINT CTL BUT BELIEVES A TECHNICIAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.

Narrative: DURING A QUICK TURNAROUND AT THE GATE, A CABIN CLEANER POINTED OUT A SEATBELT BUCKLE (FEMALE PORTION) RESTING ALONE ON A SEAT THAT HAD COME OFF THE WEBBING -- THE WEBBING HAVE SLIPPING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BUCKLE DUE TO THE TERMINATING END (WHERE IT'S NORMALLY ROLLED BACK UPON ITSELF), BECOMING UNROLLED. I RETHREADED THE WEBBING THROUGH THE BUCKLE AND CHKED OP OF THE BUCKLE, AND UNDER TENSION IT HELD THE WEBBING TIGHT, LIKE IT SHOULD. THE ONLY WAY FOR THE BUCKLE TO COME OFF THE WEBBING WOULD BE FOR SOMEONE TO DELIBERATELY PULL IT OFF. I CALLED OUR MAINT CTL, AND DESCRIBED THE SIT, AFTER WHICH I WAS TOLD THAT AS LONG AS THE INTEGRITY OF THE SEATBELT WAS IN TACT, AND IT FUNCTIONED TO RESTRAIN THE PAX, IT WAS USABLE. I WAS TOLD THAT MAINT WOULD HAVE A LOOK AT IT WHEN WE GOT BACK TO OUR DEST. SHE RPTED DURING AND AFTER THE FLT THAT ALL WAS NORMAL WITH THAT SEATBELT AND THE PAX SEATED THERE. I MADE A MAINT WRITE-UP AT OUR DEST, AND MAINT CTL DECIDED TO REPLACE THE SEATBELT. ULTIMATELY, I HAD TO USE MY BEST JUDGEMENT IN MAKING A DECISION, AND AFTER TALKING IT OVER WITH MY CREW AND MAINT CTL, KNOWING THAT OUR MAINT IS ALSO CAREFUL AND CAUTIOUS, I FELT IT WAS A REASONABLE AND SAFE DECISION TO ALLOW THE USE OF THE SEATBELT IN QUESTION.

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.