Narrative:

Pilot seat cushions installed in some of our aircraft have been manufactured improperly. These are the back pads of the captain and first officer seats. They are split into two parts; an upper back and a lower back pad that are sewn and velcroed together. Where the two pads meet in the middle of the cushions there is a velcro strip to keep the two pads from separating allowing gravity to pull the lower pad down. Some of the lower back pads have been sewn together so that velcro strip is at the bottom instead of the top. Therefore there is nothing keeping the two pads together where they meet. This creates a gap in the two cushions and allowing the metal from the seat to dig into your back. You cannot fix this manually as they are sewn together at the factory.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated their mechanics do a good job of fixing the maintenance problems on their crj-200's; but his carrier does not have a routine maintenance for the pilot seats and they are continually writing up the seat and back cushions for wear and material separation to get any maintenance done. The arm rest coverings are also an issue because of the sharp metal edges exposed from worn fabric.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILOT ALLEGES THAT SOME CRJ-200 PILOT SEAT BACK CUSHIONS HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED IMPROPERLY. THE BACK CUSHION IS SPLIT INTO TWO PARTS AND HAVE BEEN SEPARATING; CREATING A GAP AND ALLOWING THE METAL FROM THE SEATBACK TO DIG INTO PILOT'S BACKS.

Narrative: PILOT SEAT CUSHIONS INSTALLED IN SOME OF OUR AIRCRAFT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED IMPROPERLY. THESE ARE THE BACK PADS OF THE CAPTAIN AND FO SEATS. THEY ARE SPLIT INTO TWO PARTS; AN UPPER BACK AND A LOWER BACK PAD THAT ARE SEWN AND VELCROED TOGETHER. WHERE THE TWO PADS MEET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CUSHIONS THERE IS A VELCRO STRIP TO KEEP THE TWO PADS FROM SEPARATING ALLOWING GRAVITY TO PULL THE LOWER PAD DOWN. SOME OF THE LOWER BACK PADS HAVE BEEN SEWN TOGETHER SO THAT VELCRO STRIP IS AT THE BOTTOM INSTEAD OF THE TOP. THEREFORE THERE IS NOTHING KEEPING THE TWO PADS TOGETHER WHERE THEY MEET. THIS CREATES A GAP IN THE TWO CUSHIONS AND ALLOWING THE METAL FROM THE SEAT TO DIG INTO YOUR BACK. YOU CANNOT FIX THIS MANUALLY AS THEY ARE SEWN TOGETHER AT THE FACTORY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THEIR MECHANICS DO A GOOD JOB OF FIXING THE MAINT PROBLEMS ON THEIR CRJ-200'S; BUT HIS CARRIER DOES NOT HAVE A ROUTINE MAINT FOR THE PILOT SEATS AND THEY ARE CONTINUALLY WRITING UP THE SEAT AND BACK CUSHIONS FOR WEAR AND MATERIAL SEPARATION TO GET ANY MAINT DONE. THE ARM REST COVERINGS ARE ALSO AN ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE SHARP METAL EDGES EXPOSED FROM WORN FABRIC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.