Narrative:

Late getting started on job because ramp was closed from lightning storm and heavy rain. 4 out of the 7 technicians assigned to the shift were off due to other scheduling by management. This left me and 1 other technician to do the entire workload for the night. Including helping get the seat in and out of the airplane; as XXX was on the seat installation all night; I did aircraft XXX entirely with no help; in addition to interior check on another plane; outside of a different one; while jumping back and forth to help open and close engine cowlings for job cards and rii assignments on other matters. In my opinion; this is a dangerous situation for 1 person to try to do without help. The workload and staffing are constantly unrealistic at this station. While the staffing has recently increased; no extra help was available on this night. We do what we can. Too much pressure to get the seat back in playing mode in time for morning departure with the workload and available help all gone. The wrong seat was sent to us for installation. We also thought it was the correct seat for the row in question; after looking in ipc. Other technician installed it and I was rii. I helped XXX remove the old seat from the aircraft and load the new one onto the plane. It is my understanding that this seat was to be installed and only the armrest entertainment section was to be placarded to get the seat back in use per maintenance control. The seat in the rows directly ahead and behind of this were the correct seat it turns out. I checked security and location of the seat. Hardware was tight and in the same location that we marked before removal. Our supervisor showed us in ipc where the row for seat location were wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 ACFT SEAT ROW INSTALLED WITH INCORRECT SEAT. MECHANICS FEEL THE MAINT WORKLOAD EXCESSIVE.

Narrative: LATE GETTING STARTED ON JOB BECAUSE RAMP WAS CLOSED FROM LIGHTNING STORM AND HVY RAIN. 4 OUT OF THE 7 TECHNICIANS ASSIGNED TO THE SHIFT WERE OFF DUE TO OTHER SCHEDULING BY MGMNT. THIS LEFT ME AND 1 OTHER TECHNICIAN TO DO THE ENTIRE WORKLOAD FOR THE NIGHT. INCLUDING HELPING GET THE SEAT IN AND OUT OF THE AIRPLANE; AS XXX WAS ON THE SEAT INSTALLATION ALL NIGHT; I DID ACFT XXX ENTIRELY WITH NO HELP; IN ADDITION TO INTERIOR CHK ON ANOTHER PLANE; OUTSIDE OF A DIFFERENT ONE; WHILE JUMPING BACK AND FORTH TO HELP OPEN AND CLOSE ENG COWLINGS FOR JOB CARDS AND RII ASSIGNMENTS ON OTHER MATTERS. IN MY OPINION; THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR 1 PERSON TO TRY TO DO WITHOUT HELP. THE WORKLOAD AND STAFFING ARE CONSTANTLY UNREALISTIC AT THIS STATION. WHILE THE STAFFING HAS RECENTLY INCREASED; NO EXTRA HELP WAS AVAILABLE ON THIS NIGHT. WE DO WHAT WE CAN. TOO MUCH PRESSURE TO GET THE SEAT BACK IN PLAYING MODE IN TIME FOR MORNING DEP WITH THE WORKLOAD AND AVAILABLE HELP ALL GONE. THE WRONG SEAT WAS SENT TO US FOR INSTALLATION. WE ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS THE CORRECT SEAT FOR THE ROW IN QUESTION; AFTER LOOKING IN IPC. OTHER TECHNICIAN INSTALLED IT AND I WAS RII. I HELPED XXX REMOVE THE OLD SEAT FROM THE ACFT AND LOAD THE NEW ONE ONTO THE PLANE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS SEAT WAS TO BE INSTALLED AND ONLY THE ARMREST ENTERTAINMENT SECTION WAS TO BE PLACARDED TO GET THE SEAT BACK IN USE PER MAINT CTL. THE SEAT IN THE ROWS DIRECTLY AHEAD AND BEHIND OF THIS WERE THE CORRECT SEAT IT TURNS OUT. I CHKED SECURITY AND LOCATION OF THE SEAT. HARDWARE WAS TIGHT AND IN THE SAME LOCATION THAT WE MARKED BEFORE REMOVAL. OUR SUPVR SHOWED US IN IPC WHERE THE ROW FOR SEAT LOCATION WERE WRONG.

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.