Narrative:

We pushed back from the gate at mdw with 137 passenger. As we began to taxi, the flight attendants called on the interphone and informed me that a seat was broken. We taxied back to the gate and called maintenance. The flight attendants said the passenger in the broken seat was a large man approximately 6 ft 3 inches tall and probably weighing 220-240 pounds. According to other passenger, he had basically flung himself into the seat putting a heavy load on the seat back. No problem was noted immediately, but during the pretkof briefing, the passenger leaned forward and when he leaned back, the seat back collapsed into the lap of the person sitting behind him. Maintenance discovered a sheared pin in the seat and without the pin the seat back could not be secured in the upright position. Maintenance removed the seat back, placarded the seat, and deferred it per MEL 25-6. The broken seat was on the aisle in the emergency exit row. With the seat back removed, access to the emergency exit was not impeded. We then removed a passenger since the seat could not be occupied and after coordinating with dispatch and maintenance control, amended the release to show the MEL. We flew the aircraft 2 more legs under the same MEL. At XA50 on aug/wed/03, a chief pilot telephoned and informed me the mechanic who repaired the seat said that the MEL did not allow the removal of the seat back. After re-reading the MEL, I found there was no procedure specifying the removal of a broken seatback. I feel our actions were safe in that they secured the seat and ensured access to the emergency overwing exit, but we may not have followed the letter of the MEL. In the future, I will read the MEL more closely and if the actions performed by the mechanic do not precisely follow the procedure in the MEL, I will discuss the issue more fully with maintenance control and if necessary the chief pilot on call. Supplemental information from acn 589328: we checked logbook and it basically said 'removed seat back, ok to continue per MEL.' supplemental information from acn 589332: maintenance control agreed that we should continue to fly the aircraft for the remainder of our day. Supplemental information from acn 589326: chief pilot called aug/wed/03 to advise me of possible MEL mistake on removal of passenger seat back in chicago (2 legs prior to my flight).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 WITH A BROKEN SEAT BACK IS RELEASED BY MAINT AND REVIEWED BY FLT CREW. LATER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE MEL PROCS WERE NOT FOLLOWED.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AT MDW WITH 137 PAX. AS WE BEGAN TO TAXI, THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE AND INFORMED ME THAT A SEAT WAS BROKEN. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND CALLED MAINT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THE PAX IN THE BROKEN SEAT WAS A LARGE MAN APPROX 6 FT 3 INCHES TALL AND PROBABLY WEIGHING 220-240 LBS. ACCORDING TO OTHER PAX, HE HAD BASICALLY FLUNG HIMSELF INTO THE SEAT PUTTING A HVY LOAD ON THE SEAT BACK. NO PROB WAS NOTED IMMEDIATELY, BUT DURING THE PRETKOF BRIEFING, THE PAX LEANED FORWARD AND WHEN HE LEANED BACK, THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED INTO THE LAP OF THE PERSON SITTING BEHIND HIM. MAINT DISCOVERED A SHEARED PIN IN THE SEAT AND WITHOUT THE PIN THE SEAT BACK COULD NOT BE SECURED IN THE UPRIGHT POS. MAINT REMOVED THE SEAT BACK, PLACARDED THE SEAT, AND DEFERRED IT PER MEL 25-6. THE BROKEN SEAT WAS ON THE AISLE IN THE EMER EXIT ROW. WITH THE SEAT BACK REMOVED, ACCESS TO THE EMER EXIT WAS NOT IMPEDED. WE THEN REMOVED A PAX SINCE THE SEAT COULD NOT BE OCCUPIED AND AFTER COORDINATING WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL, AMENDED THE RELEASE TO SHOW THE MEL. WE FLEW THE ACFT 2 MORE LEGS UNDER THE SAME MEL. AT XA50 ON AUG/WED/03, A CHIEF PLT TELEPHONED AND INFORMED ME THE MECH WHO REPAIRED THE SEAT SAID THAT THE MEL DID NOT ALLOW THE REMOVAL OF THE SEAT BACK. AFTER RE-READING THE MEL, I FOUND THERE WAS NO PROC SPECIFYING THE REMOVAL OF A BROKEN SEATBACK. I FEEL OUR ACTIONS WERE SAFE IN THAT THEY SECURED THE SEAT AND ENSURED ACCESS TO THE EMER OVERWING EXIT, BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE FOLLOWED THE LETTER OF THE MEL. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL READ THE MEL MORE CLOSELY AND IF THE ACTIONS PERFORMED BY THE MECH DO NOT PRECISELY FOLLOW THE PROC IN THE MEL, I WILL DISCUSS THE ISSUE MORE FULLY WITH MAINT CTL AND IF NECESSARY THE CHIEF PLT ON CALL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 589328: WE CHKED LOGBOOK AND IT BASICALLY SAID 'REMOVED SEAT BACK, OK TO CONTINUE PER MEL.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 589332: MAINT CTL AGREED THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO FLY THE ACFT FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR DAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 589326: CHIEF PLT CALLED AUG/WED/03 TO ADVISE ME OF POSSIBLE MEL MISTAKE ON REMOVAL OF PAX SEAT BACK IN CHICAGO (2 LEGS PRIOR TO MY FLT).

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.