Flight crew is concerned about using courier seats in cargo area for revenue passengers.

Attributes
ACN	83277
Time
Date	198802
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ror
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	83277
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The airline station manager placed passenger on the courier seats of the aircraft against company policy to facilitate an overbooked situation. I was only partially aware of the situation and did not give a great deal of concern due to the necessity of preparing for the next leg of the trip. I did not object based on my feeling that it was not inherently unsafe. (The courier seats are in the aft portion of the cargo area of the cargo convertable aircraft when the forward cabin has 2 pallet locations and the aft cabin has less than 8 seats. The courier seats are isolated by a bulkhead, but equipped with all normal emergency equipment and evacuate/evacuation routes are available. It is permissible for company employees to occupy the seats in all phases of flight.) I believed that any use of the courier seats by revenue passenger was a company policy that could be waived by appropriate mgrs. After the incident I was surprised to learn that my license could be revoked by the action and that it was against the far's. I am not aware of any such regulation that is published. The courier seats are not within the cockpit nor is access to the cockpit permitted more easily from them. However, I will monitor the boarding of revenue passenger more carefully in the future. I will recommend a more suitable published policy on the subject.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW IS CONCERNED ABOUT USING COURIER SEATS IN CARGO AREA FOR REVENUE PASSENGERS.

Narrative: THE AIRLINE STATION MGR PLACED PAX ON THE COURIER SEATS OF THE ACFT AGAINST COMPANY POLICY TO FACILITATE AN OVERBOOKED SITUATION. I WAS ONLY PARTIALLY AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND DID NOT GIVE A GREAT DEAL OF CONCERN DUE TO THE NECESSITY OF PREPARING FOR THE NEXT LEG OF THE TRIP. I DID NOT OBJECT BASED ON MY FEELING THAT IT WAS NOT INHERENTLY UNSAFE. (THE COURIER SEATS ARE IN THE AFT PORTION OF THE CARGO AREA OF THE CARGO CONVERTABLE ACFT WHEN THE FORWARD CABIN HAS 2 PALLET LOCATIONS AND THE AFT CABIN HAS LESS THAN 8 SEATS. THE COURIER SEATS ARE ISOLATED BY A BULKHEAD, BUT EQUIPPED WITH ALL NORMAL EMER EQUIP AND EVAC ROUTES ARE AVAILABLE. IT IS PERMISSIBLE FOR COMPANY EMPLOYEES TO OCCUPY THE SEATS IN ALL PHASES OF FLT.) I BELIEVED THAT ANY USE OF THE COURIER SEATS BY REVENUE PAX WAS A COMPANY POLICY THAT COULD BE WAIVED BY APPROPRIATE MGRS. AFTER THE INCIDENT I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT MY LICENSE COULD BE REVOKED BY THE ACTION AND THAT IT WAS AGAINST THE FAR'S. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY SUCH REGULATION THAT IS PUBLISHED. THE COURIER SEATS ARE NOT WITHIN THE COCKPIT NOR IS ACCESS TO THE COCKPIT PERMITTED MORE EASILY FROM THEM. HOWEVER, I WILL MONITOR THE BOARDING OF REVENUE PAX MORE CAREFULLY IN THE FUTURE. I WILL RECOMMEND A MORE SUITABLE PUBLISHED POLICY ON THE SUBJECT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.