Narrative:

Just after takeoff from iad a call light went off in row 9ABC (the row in front of the exit). The plane was still climbing so flight attendant made an announcement to ring the call light again if there was an emergency. The call light rang again. Flight attendant went to investigate. The passenger in seat 9C; mr X; noticed that this row of seats was detached from the floor mounting. He explained that during takeoff this had caused the seats to tilt backwards and pull up from the framework. The gentleman was noticeably concerned and uneasy about the obvious hazard. Flight attendant notified the captain of the problem. The captain said he would call maintenance control and advise us further. When no word was received from the captain after about 15 mins; flight attendant requested permission to enter the cockpit to discuss the situation. The captain's first suggestion was to relocate employees to that row if the passenger were uncomfortable sitting there. When flight attendant replied that there were no employees on board; the captain then recommended that we find mothers traveling with small children and require that they hold their children on their laps in order to free up seats and subsequently move the people seated in row 9ABC. In the meantime; he would contact dispatch to obtain clearance for the 2 federal air marshals to move from first class to the cockpit. He said he would get back to us with more information. Flight attendant left the cockpit and relayed this to the involved passenger and myself. The gentleman seated in 9C didn't agree that this would rectify the problem. He was anxious about the precarious condition of the seats. There were only 2 children under the age of 2 on board and they were already sitting on laps. In addition; we felt that to make that request that of anyone who had purchased a seat for their child on a full 5 hour flight would be inappropriate as well as an inadequate solution. At this point almost 50 mins into the flight and again no word from the captain; I called and requested entry to the cockpit. Prior to this; I examined row 9ABC closely to evaluate the precise nature of the problem then conferred with all the flight attendants. We each agreed that the situation warranted further emphasis on the unsafe condition be conveyed to the captain. Upon entering the cockpit; I explained in detail that the entire row was insecure and that 9C in particular was nearly detached from the mounting structure. The captain was unresponsive (as was the first officer). I advocated on behalf of the other flight attendants that we collectively deemed it a significant safety issue and that we were uncomfortable with the potential hazard this posed to the safety of the flight. We concluded that it was more serious than just the repose of 3 passenger. The captain insinuated that he was irritated and said nothing despite the attempt I made at using my learned CRM skills. He turned away from me and simply advised me that he had obtained clearance for the federal air marshals to situation in the cockpit so 2 of the passenger could move to those first class seats. I pointed out that aside from the neglecting the purpose of the federal air marshals without the weight (at least 450 pounds -- the minimum combined weight of the 3 men) on the chairs I believed it would be even more insecure. The captain overtly displayed an intentional disregard for safety. He never asked any questions regarding the seats. Clearly his only interest was how we could continue without any interruption. He exhibited mere annoyance by the problem. I requested that he make a brief announcement to the passenger explaining the reason we had been walking back and forth to row 9 and into the cockpit. I thought it suitable since there was obviously a disturbance of some sort and by now we were almost 1 hour into our flight and had yet to begin the service in economy class. His response was 'why don't you do it?'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS A320 ACFT SEAT ROW 9-ABC WITH PASSENGERS; SEPARATED FROM TRACK MOUNT AFTER TKOF. CAPTAIN WOULD NOT RETURN TO FIELD. FLT FULL. FIVE HOUR FLT CONTINUED TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TKOF FROM IAD A CALL LIGHT WENT OFF IN ROW 9ABC (THE ROW IN FRONT OF THE EXIT). THE PLANE WAS STILL CLBING SO FLT ATTENDANT MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO RING THE CALL LIGHT AGAIN IF THERE WAS AN EMER. THE CALL LIGHT RANG AGAIN. FLT ATTENDANT WENT TO INVESTIGATE. THE PAX IN SEAT 9C; MR X; NOTICED THAT THIS ROW OF SEATS WAS DETACHED FROM THE FLOOR MOUNTING. HE EXPLAINED THAT DURING TKOF THIS HAD CAUSED THE SEATS TO TILT BACKWARDS AND PULL UP FROM THE FRAMEWORK. THE GENTLEMAN WAS NOTICEABLY CONCERNED AND UNEASY ABOUT THE OBVIOUS HAZARD. FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED THE CAPT OF THE PROB. THE CAPT SAID HE WOULD CALL MAINT CTL AND ADVISE US FURTHER. WHEN NO WORD WAS RECEIVED FROM THE CAPT AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS; FLT ATTENDANT REQUESTED PERMISSION TO ENTER THE COCKPIT TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION. THE CAPT'S FIRST SUGGESTION WAS TO RELOCATE EMPLOYEES TO THAT ROW IF THE PAX WERE UNCOMFORTABLE SITTING THERE. WHEN FLT ATTENDANT REPLIED THAT THERE WERE NO EMPLOYEES ON BOARD; THE CAPT THEN RECOMMENDED THAT WE FIND MOTHERS TRAVELING WITH SMALL CHILDREN AND REQUIRE THAT THEY HOLD THEIR CHILDREN ON THEIR LAPS IN ORDER TO FREE UP SEATS AND SUBSEQUENTLY MOVE THE PEOPLE SEATED IN ROW 9ABC. IN THE MEANTIME; HE WOULD CONTACT DISPATCH TO OBTAIN CLRNC FOR THE 2 FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS TO MOVE FROM FIRST CLASS TO THE COCKPIT. HE SAID HE WOULD GET BACK TO US WITH MORE INFO. FLT ATTENDANT LEFT THE COCKPIT AND RELAYED THIS TO THE INVOLVED PAX AND MYSELF. THE GENTLEMAN SEATED IN 9C DIDN'T AGREE THAT THIS WOULD RECTIFY THE PROB. HE WAS ANXIOUS ABOUT THE PRECARIOUS CONDITION OF THE SEATS. THERE WERE ONLY 2 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 2 ON BOARD AND THEY WERE ALREADY SITTING ON LAPS. IN ADDITION; WE FELT THAT TO MAKE THAT REQUEST THAT OF ANYONE WHO HAD PURCHASED A SEAT FOR THEIR CHILD ON A FULL 5 HR FLT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE AS WELL AS AN INADEQUATE SOLUTION. AT THIS POINT ALMOST 50 MINS INTO THE FLT AND AGAIN NO WORD FROM THE CAPT; I CALLED AND REQUESTED ENTRY TO THE COCKPIT. PRIOR TO THIS; I EXAMINED ROW 9ABC CLOSELY TO EVALUATE THE PRECISE NATURE OF THE PROB THEN CONFERRED WITH ALL THE FLT ATTENDANTS. WE EACH AGREED THAT THE SITUATION WARRANTED FURTHER EMPHASIS ON THE UNSAFE CONDITION BE CONVEYED TO THE CAPT. UPON ENTERING THE COCKPIT; I EXPLAINED IN DETAIL THAT THE ENTIRE ROW WAS INSECURE AND THAT 9C IN PARTICULAR WAS NEARLY DETACHED FROM THE MOUNTING STRUCTURE. THE CAPT WAS UNRESPONSIVE (AS WAS THE FO). I ADVOCATED ON BEHALF OF THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS THAT WE COLLECTIVELY DEEMED IT A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT WE WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE POTENTIAL HAZARD THIS POSED TO THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. WE CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS MORE SERIOUS THAN JUST THE REPOSE OF 3 PAX. THE CAPT INSINUATED THAT HE WAS IRRITATED AND SAID NOTHING DESPITE THE ATTEMPT I MADE AT USING MY LEARNED CRM SKILLS. HE TURNED AWAY FROM ME AND SIMPLY ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD OBTAINED CLRNC FOR THE FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS TO SIT IN THE COCKPIT SO 2 OF THE PAX COULD MOVE TO THOSE FIRST CLASS SEATS. I POINTED OUT THAT ASIDE FROM THE NEGLECTING THE PURPOSE OF THE FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS WITHOUT THE WT (AT LEAST 450 LBS -- THE MINIMUM COMBINED WT OF THE 3 MEN) ON THE CHAIRS I BELIEVED IT WOULD BE EVEN MORE INSECURE. THE CAPT OVERTLY DISPLAYED AN INTENTIONAL DISREGARD FOR SAFETY. HE NEVER ASKED ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SEATS. CLRLY HIS ONLY INTEREST WAS HOW WE COULD CONTINUE WITHOUT ANY INTERRUPTION. HE EXHIBITED MERE ANNOYANCE BY THE PROB. I REQUESTED THAT HE MAKE A BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX EXPLAINING THE REASON WE HAD BEEN WALKING BACK AND FORTH TO ROW 9 AND INTO THE COCKPIT. I THOUGHT IT SUITABLE SINCE THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A DISTURBANCE OF SOME SORT AND BY NOW WE WERE ALMOST 1 HR INTO OUR FLT AND HAD YET TO BEGIN THE SVC IN ECONOMY CLASS. HIS RESPONSE WAS 'WHY DON'T YOU DO IT?'

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.