Narrative:

Inbound flight on evening of aug/thu/04, notified me that seats abc were loose from floor. Sent notice to ZZZ operations that mechanic was required. Mechanic called at XA00 and I advised him to look at seat and secure. He called back and advised that seat fitting was broken and leg could not be secured to floor. I informed him that past practice if seat could not be secured was to remove the seat and place in respective pit (forward seats in forward pit and aft seats in aft pit). Since I was going off shift at XA45, I informed my ZZZ1 counterpart what the mechanic told me and what I was having the mechanic do. He agreed with the removal of the seat and took over the job. He completed the job after I completed my shift. The pes (passenger entertainment system) was checked due to the disconnected mux cables and system checked normal. Logbook was completed and aircraft dispatched. Several days later I was notified by my office manager that I violated the hazmat shipping procedures by shipping life vests in the cargo pit. Also the seat was removed by ramp service in ZZZ2 in spite of the fact that the seat was marked lob (leave on board) to comply with weight requirements. I did start the procedure which has been a common practice for all fleet types in the event that a seat cannot be secured to the floor tracks but I did not complete the procedure and failed to remove the life vests from the seat and place in the spare life vest bag in the cabin. After discussion with company quality assurance representative, it is admitted that the practice has been accepted for many yrs but it will now be reviewed with engineering and FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 SEAT ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED DUE TO FAILURE TO LOCK IN SEAT TRACKS. SEAT ASSEMBLY STOWED IN AFT PIT. FAILED TO HAVE LIFE VESTS REMOVED.

Narrative: INBOUND FLT ON EVENING OF AUG/THU/04, NOTIFIED ME THAT SEATS ABC WERE LOOSE FROM FLOOR. SENT NOTICE TO ZZZ OPS THAT MECH WAS REQUIRED. MECH CALLED AT XA00 AND I ADVISED HIM TO LOOK AT SEAT AND SECURE. HE CALLED BACK AND ADVISED THAT SEAT FITTING WAS BROKEN AND LEG COULD NOT BE SECURED TO FLOOR. I INFORMED HIM THAT PAST PRACTICE IF SEAT COULD NOT BE SECURED WAS TO REMOVE THE SEAT AND PLACE IN RESPECTIVE PIT (FORWARD SEATS IN FORWARD PIT AND AFT SEATS IN AFT PIT). SINCE I WAS GOING OFF SHIFT AT XA45, I INFORMED MY ZZZ1 COUNTERPART WHAT THE MECH TOLD ME AND WHAT I WAS HAVING THE MECH DO. HE AGREED WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE SEAT AND TOOK OVER THE JOB. HE COMPLETED THE JOB AFTER I COMPLETED MY SHIFT. THE PES (PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYS) WAS CHKED DUE TO THE DISCONNECTED MUX CABLES AND SYS CHKED NORMAL. LOGBOOK WAS COMPLETED AND ACFT DISPATCHED. SEVERAL DAYS LATER I WAS NOTIFIED BY MY OFFICE MGR THAT I VIOLATED THE HAZMAT SHIPPING PROCS BY SHIPPING LIFE VESTS IN THE CARGO PIT. ALSO THE SEAT WAS REMOVED BY RAMP SVC IN ZZZ2 IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE SEAT WAS MARKED LOB (LEAVE ON BOARD) TO COMPLY WITH WT REQUIREMENTS. I DID START THE PROC WHICH HAS BEEN A COMMON PRACTICE FOR ALL FLEET TYPES IN THE EVENT THAT A SEAT CANNOT BE SECURED TO THE FLOOR TRACKS BUT I DID NOT COMPLETE THE PROC AND FAILED TO REMOVE THE LIFE VESTS FROM THE SEAT AND PLACE IN THE SPARE LIFE VEST BAG IN THE CABIN. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH COMPANY QUALITY ASSURANCE REPRESENTATIVE, IT IS ADMITTED THAT THE PRACTICE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR MANY YRS BUT IT WILL NOW BE REVIEWED WITH ENGINEERING AND FAA.

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.