A320 flight crew is informed by the cabin attendant that a seatback has failed. A willing passenger ...

Attributes
ACN	812910
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	812910
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Approximately 45 mins into our flight; the flight attendants called us (the first officer and I) to tell us that the seatback of a seat was broken and that the seatback had fallen into the person behind the broken seat. Since every seat on the aircraft was full; and since the seat wasn't safe to occupy for landing; we (the first officer and I) with the concurrence of our dispatcher; agreed to move someone into one of the aft flight attendant jumpseats so the broken seat would not have to be used for landing. I asked the flight attendants to find someone to occupy the flight attendant jumpseat considering the following guidelines: 1) an off-duty flight attendant or pilot who was on our flight. 2) an airline employee. 3) able-bodied (meets all emergency exit row seating requirements). 4) clear thinking -- not threatening. A suitable passenger was found and allowed to occupy one of the extra aft flight attendant jumpseats for landing. The rest of the flight proceeded without incident. The event occurred because a passenger seemingly pushed back too hard on his seat and broke it. Passenger should not push back too hard on the seatback. The flight attendants; the first officer; our dispatcher and maintenance all did a great job working on the details of this situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLIGHT CREW IS INFORMED BY THE CABIN ATTENDANT THAT A SEATBACK HAS FAILED. A WILLING PASSENGER IS FOUND TO SIT IN A FLIGHT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLIGHT.

Narrative: APPROX 45 MINS INTO OUR FLT; THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED US (THE FO AND I) TO TELL US THAT THE SEATBACK OF A SEAT WAS BROKEN AND THAT THE SEATBACK HAD FALLEN INTO THE PERSON BEHIND THE BROKEN SEAT. SINCE EVERY SEAT ON THE ACFT WAS FULL; AND SINCE THE SEAT WASN'T SAFE TO OCCUPY FOR LNDG; WE (THE FO AND I) WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF OUR DISPATCHER; AGREED TO MOVE SOMEONE INTO ONE OF THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEATS SO THE BROKEN SEAT WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE USED FOR LNDG. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO FIND SOMEONE TO OCCUPY THE FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES: 1) AN OFF-DUTY FLT ATTENDANT OR PLT WHO WAS ON OUR FLT. 2) AN AIRLINE EMPLOYEE. 3) ABLE-BODIED (MEETS ALL EMER EXIT ROW SEATING REQUIREMENTS). 4) CLEAR THINKING -- NOT THREATENING. A SUITABLE PAX WAS FOUND AND ALLOWED TO OCCUPY ONE OF THE EXTRA AFT FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEATS FOR LNDG. THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE A PAX SEEMINGLY PUSHED BACK TOO HARD ON HIS SEAT AND BROKE IT. PAX SHOULD NOT PUSH BACK TOO HARD ON THE SEATBACK. THE FLT ATTENDANTS; THE FO; OUR DISPATCHER AND MAINT ALL DID A GREAT JOB WORKING ON THE DETAILS OF THIS SITUATION.

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.

A320 flight crew is informed by the cabin attendant that a seatback has failed. A willing passenger is found to situation in a flight attendant jumpseat for the remainder of the flight.