Narrative:

Aircraft was boarded and pilot called the maintenance room with broken tray table. I inspected the seat and found seat back pin sheared on seat 11C. The aircraft was ready to go and boarded with 137 people. I called maintenance control to see if I could MEL the seat 11C. He told me I have to MEL the row. He then told me to fold down the seat back. As I was performing maintenance on the seat passenger were all around me arguing with the flight attendant and gate agents. The situation was very stressful for me and the captain or first officer never questioned the MEL and maintenance control or I never thought to either. I MEL'ed the seat row and the aircraft flew to ZZZ. The aircraft was grounded in ZZZ. Maintenance control called me at work and told me a mistake was made. The lack of communication between me; the captain and first officer and maintenance control contributed to the problem. Supplemental information from acn 746396: mechanic was called at push for flight assistance. He said a passenger had broke seat 11C. I told him to fold it forward and defer it; and make sure a and B were empty because of egress. He did and I deferred it. I never asked if it was an aisle seat or an emergency exit and he never seemed to notice. I feel bad for not asking more questions. We took it OTS on the very next flight and sent a mechanic to repair before further flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 PAX SEAT ROW WAS INCORRECTLY MEL'D AND DEFERRED WITH ONE OF THE SEATBACKS FOLDED DOWN AND SECURED. THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY EXIT ROW FOR THE OVERWING HATCH.

Narrative: ACFT WAS BOARDED AND PLT CALLED THE MAINT ROOM WITH BROKEN TRAY TABLE. I INSPECTED THE SEAT AND FOUND SEAT BACK PIN SHEARED ON SEAT 11C. THE ACFT WAS READY TO GO AND BOARDED WITH 137 PEOPLE. I CALLED MAINT CTL TO SEE IF I COULD MEL THE SEAT 11C. HE TOLD ME I HAVE TO MEL THE ROW. HE THEN TOLD ME TO FOLD DOWN THE SEAT BACK. AS I WAS PERFORMING MAINT ON THE SEAT PAX WERE ALL AROUND ME ARGUING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT AND GATE AGENTS. THE SITUATION WAS VERY STRESSFUL FOR ME AND THE CAPT OR FO NEVER QUESTIONED THE MEL AND MAINT CTL OR I NEVER THOUGHT TO EITHER. I MEL'ED THE SEAT ROW AND THE ACFT FLEW TO ZZZ. THE ACFT WAS GNDED IN ZZZ. MAINT CTL CALLED ME AT WORK AND TOLD ME A MISTAKE WAS MADE. THE LACK OF COM BTWN ME; THE CAPT AND FO AND MAINT CTL CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 746396: MECH WAS CALLED AT PUSH FOR FLT ASSISTANCE. HE SAID A PAX HAD BROKE SEAT 11C. I TOLD HIM TO FOLD IT FORWARD AND DEFER IT; AND MAKE SURE A AND B WERE EMPTY BECAUSE OF EGRESS. HE DID AND I DEFERRED IT. I NEVER ASKED IF IT WAS AN AISLE SEAT OR AN EMER EXIT AND HE NEVER SEEMED TO NOTICE. I FEEL BAD FOR NOT ASKING MORE QUESTIONS. WE TOOK IT OTS ON THE VERY NEXT FLT AND SENT A MECH TO REPAIR BEFORE FURTHER FLT.

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.