Narrative:

Flight X aug/sat/03, just south of lkv from sea to lax the 'a' flight attendant called to inform me that a passenger seat would not stay in the upright position. The flight was full with 1 pilot and 1 flight attendant occupying jumpseats. I decided to send our cockpit jumpseat rider to the back to pin the seat in the upright position. I contacted maintenance control and got instructions for the procedure. He later called forward to inform me that the seat was severely broken and leaning back at an angle partially blocking the next row back due to a sheared stabilizing pin. The jumpseating flight attendant suggested using flex cuffs to hold the seat upright (great idea). This worked however the seat was still not stable enough to be occupied. I asked the 'a' flight attendant to find out if there were any company non-revenue passenger aboard and what their position was in the company. After conferring with maintenance, dso, and fodo, under captain's authority/authorized I instructed her to have the employee occupy the remaining flight attendant jumpseat and for the passenger to move to the now vacant employee seat. The employee was one of our sea fleet service personnel and was familiar with the interior of the aircraft. My final instructions were to have the remaining flight attendant train our new jumpseat rider on emergency and evacuate/evacuation pros and only to be used if necessary. Having a pilot jumpseat rider helped a great deal. He was able to secure the seat and report back to me while the flight attendants worked with the passenger. Had 1 final brief with flight attendants prior to top of descent to verify everyone understood what and why and to make sure nothing had been overlooked. Followed with a more relaxed briefing including our drafted employee after passenger had deplaned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 HAD A BROKEN PAX SEAT ON A FULL ACFT RESULTING IN A NON-REVENUE PAX OCCUPYING A FLT ATTENDANT SEAT FOR LNDG.

Narrative: FLT X AUG/SAT/03, JUST S OF LKV FROM SEA TO LAX THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT A PAX SEAT WOULD NOT STAY IN THE UPRIGHT POS. THE FLT WAS FULL WITH 1 PLT AND 1 FLT ATTENDANT OCCUPYING JUMPSEATS. I DECIDED TO SEND OUR COCKPIT JUMPSEAT RIDER TO THE BACK TO PIN THE SEAT IN THE UPRIGHT POS. I CONTACTED MAINT CTL AND GOT INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PROC. HE LATER CALLED FORWARD TO INFORM ME THAT THE SEAT WAS SEVERELY BROKEN AND LEANING BACK AT AN ANGLE PARTIALLY BLOCKING THE NEXT ROW BACK DUE TO A SHEARED STABILIZING PIN. THE JUMPSEATING FLT ATTENDANT SUGGESTED USING FLEX CUFFS TO HOLD THE SEAT UPRIGHT (GREAT IDEA). THIS WORKED HOWEVER THE SEAT WAS STILL NOT STABLE ENOUGH TO BE OCCUPIED. I ASKED THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT TO FIND OUT IF THERE WERE ANY COMPANY NON-REVENUE PAX ABOARD AND WHAT THEIR POS WAS IN THE COMPANY. AFTER CONFERRING WITH MAINT, DSO, AND FODO, UNDER CAPT'S AUTH I INSTRUCTED HER TO HAVE THE EMPLOYEE OCCUPY THE REMAINING FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT AND FOR THE PAX TO MOVE TO THE NOW VACANT EMPLOYEE SEAT. THE EMPLOYEE WAS ONE OF OUR SEA FLEET SVC PERSONNEL AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE ACFT. MY FINAL INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO HAVE THE REMAINING FLT ATTENDANT TRAIN OUR NEW JUMPSEAT RIDER ON EMER AND EVAC PROS AND ONLY TO BE USED IF NECESSARY. HAVING A PLT JUMPSEAT RIDER HELPED A GREAT DEAL. HE WAS ABLE TO SECURE THE SEAT AND RPT BACK TO ME WHILE THE FLT ATTENDANTS WORKED WITH THE PAX. HAD 1 FINAL BRIEF WITH FLT ATTENDANTS PRIOR TO TOP OF DSCNT TO VERIFY EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD WHAT AND WHY AND TO MAKE SURE NOTHING HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED. FOLLOWED WITH A MORE RELAXED BRIEFING INCLUDING OUR DRAFTED EMPLOYEE AFTER PAX HAD DEPLANED.

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.