Narrative:

At the gate in san; my flight attendants were very diligent and discovered the life vests were not the crew life vests (beacon light and dye marker installed in the vest) required for the flight attendants to use. He stated that in training he was told he was required to have crew vests for the flight attendant seats. I was never aware that pilots had a specific crew life vest. Maybe I was sleeping. Are we as pilots required to have crew vests? We searched through the plane and found 4 crew life vests for the 5 crew members. Maintenance said they could MEL the flight attendants' seats as inoperative. Since it wasn't fully equipped; only 1 flight attendant seat is required to be fully functional for ETOPS flight. So 1 flight attendant was placed in the last row of passenger seats. We had met the MEL and we had the 3 flight attendants on board. So it's arguable we met all the requirements for the flight. I had quite a time convincing the crew that we met the requirements. If the crew life vests are required all life vests on the flight deck should be crew vests (we had 2 passenger life vests and 2 crew life vests in aircraft X) and secondly; the company should verify all the flight attendant life vests on all planes say 'crew' on them. The flight attendant told me he had the same problem on another aircraft. From the conversation it sounded as though he thought maintenance had taken life vests from the broken plane in sna and placed them on his plane. By placing 4 crew vests on the flight deck; we'd have 2 extra life vests onboard; and in an emergency; pilot wouldn't have to look through the vests to see which vest says 'crew' on it. The flight took a delay. We arrived 15 mins past arrival time.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 PLT NOTES THAT FOR ETOPS OP; ALL CREW MEMBERS MUST HAVE LIFE VESTS MARKED 'CREW.'

Narrative: AT THE GATE IN SAN; MY FLT ATTENDANTS WERE VERY DILIGENT AND DISCOVERED THE LIFE VESTS WERE NOT THE CREW LIFE VESTS (BEACON LIGHT AND DYE MARKER INSTALLED IN THE VEST) REQUIRED FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO USE. HE STATED THAT IN TRAINING HE WAS TOLD HE WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE CREW VESTS FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT SEATS. I WAS NEVER AWARE THAT PLTS HAD A SPECIFIC CREW LIFE VEST. MAYBE I WAS SLEEPING. ARE WE AS PLTS REQUIRED TO HAVE CREW VESTS? WE SEARCHED THROUGH THE PLANE AND FOUND 4 CREW LIFE VESTS FOR THE 5 CREW MEMBERS. MAINT SAID THEY COULD MEL THE FLT ATTENDANTS' SEATS AS INOP. SINCE IT WASN'T FULLY EQUIPPED; ONLY 1 FLT ATTENDANT SEAT IS REQUIRED TO BE FULLY FUNCTIONAL FOR ETOPS FLT. SO 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS PLACED IN THE LAST ROW OF PAX SEATS. WE HAD MET THE MEL AND WE HAD THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD. SO IT'S ARGUABLE WE MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FLT. I HAD QUITE A TIME CONVINCING THE CREW THAT WE MET THE REQUIREMENTS. IF THE CREW LIFE VESTS ARE REQUIRED ALL LIFE VESTS ON THE FLT DECK SHOULD BE CREW VESTS (WE HAD 2 PAX LIFE VESTS AND 2 CREW LIFE VESTS IN ACFT X) AND SECONDLY; THE COMPANY SHOULD VERIFY ALL THE FLT ATTENDANT LIFE VESTS ON ALL PLANES SAY 'CREW' ON THEM. THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME HE HAD THE SAME PROB ON ANOTHER ACFT. FROM THE CONVERSATION IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH HE THOUGHT MAINT HAD TAKEN LIFE VESTS FROM THE BROKEN PLANE IN SNA AND PLACED THEM ON HIS PLANE. BY PLACING 4 CREW VESTS ON THE FLT DECK; WE'D HAVE 2 EXTRA LIFE VESTS ONBOARD; AND IN AN EMER; PLT WOULDN'T HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH THE VESTS TO SEE WHICH VEST SAYS 'CREW' ON IT. THE FLT TOOK A DELAY. WE ARRIVED 15 MINS PAST ARR TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.