Misaligned seats block 757 emergency exit
Jan 30, 2013, 9:00 am
#1
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Misaligned seats block 757 emergency exit
The New York Post has a story about a 757 that flew with the exit row seats misaligned meaning that the emergency exit couldn't be opened: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/a...tZZWOqryAsakAN
One can imagine that this is a pretty easy mistake to make by getting the seat a hole or two off on the runners, but you would have thought there should be a check in the process somewhere.
Of course, of much more concern than the blocked exit is the fact that some poor people were duped out of two inches of leg room.
One can imagine that this is a pretty easy mistake to make by getting the seat a hole or two off on the runners, but you would have thought there should be a check in the process somewhere.
Of course, of much more concern than the blocked exit is the fact that some poor people were duped out of two inches of leg room.
Jan 30, 2013, 9:53 am
#2
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I imagine this happened when the MCE refit took place.
Jan 30, 2013, 10:31 am
#3
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I'm pretty sure I flew on this one. I remember sitting in the exit row and feeling like something was off, but chalked it up to not being familiar with MCE yet.
Jan 30, 2013, 11:03 am
#4
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That the bain of my life on the 737 where exit row is 13,14 or 14,15 depending on the configuration. Of course I choose 14 whenever I can and some GA's will swap 13 and 15 if the equipment changes.
Jan 30, 2013, 11:04 am
#5
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I think that's the case, but the odd thing is that rows 16, 17 and 18 should not have been touched by the mechanics involved in the seat repitch, as their positions are dictated by the overwing hatches. Only the seats in rows 10-15 should have been moved (row 16 gains room when row 15 is moved forward).
Jan 30, 2013, 11:07 am
#6
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During heavy maintenance ("C" checks) the cabin is gutted - so there are certainly opportunities for seats to be misinstalled (as the recent, er, row, about seats coming unattached in midair has indicated).
Sounds like AA will have to become a bit more rigorous about the new outsourced engineering / mechanical services if they do not want to get their knuckles seriously rapped by the FAA. Again.
An aircraft with blocked emergency exit rows should be grounded and is a serious safety hazard should an emergency occur. Absolutely unacceptable.
Sounds like AA will have to become a bit more rigorous about the new outsourced engineering / mechanical services if they do not want to get their knuckles seriously rapped by the FAA. Again.
An aircraft with blocked emergency exit rows should be grounded and is a serious safety hazard should an emergency occur. Absolutely unacceptable.
Jan 30, 2013, 11:45 am
#7
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Well, I'd probably refer to the FARs and see if mandated clearances were violated. If they weren't, not a problem; if they were and could impede the required evacuation time or in any way cause an impediment, unacceptable.
Not to mention the embarrassment AA has had with the (probably deserved) media circus about unattached seats, etc.
I have to admit I am a bit of a bug on safety issues as a onetime pilot and one who has lost a colleague and good friend / relative in air crashes caused by pilot error and faulty maintenance over the years.
Not to mention the embarrassment AA has had with the (probably deserved) media circus about unattached seats, etc.
I have to admit I am a bit of a bug on safety issues as a onetime pilot and one who has lost a colleague and good friend / relative in air crashes caused by pilot error and faulty maintenance over the years.
What I do not understand is this quote in the story,
"The seats were about 2 inches out of line — enough, said sources, to prevent the emergency hatches from properly opening."
The overwing doors on a 757 open out not in. How could the seat keep them from opening properly. This would block the exit by 2 inches but nothing more.
"The seats were about 2 inches out of line — enough, said sources, to prevent the emergency hatches from properly opening."
The overwing doors on a 757 open out not in. How could the seat keep them from opening properly. This would block the exit by 2 inches but nothing more.
Jan 30, 2013, 12:02 pm
#8
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Well, I'd probably refer to the FARs and see if mandated clearances were violated. If they weren't, not a problem; if they were and could impede the required evacuation time or in any way cause an impediment, unacceptable.
Not to mention the embarrassment AA has had with the (probably deserved) media circus about unattached seats, etc.
I have to admit I am a bit of a bug on safety issues as a onetime pilot and one who has lost a colleague and good friend / relative in air crashes caused by pilot error and faulty maintenance over the years.
Not to mention the embarrassment AA has had with the (probably deserved) media circus about unattached seats, etc.
I have to admit I am a bit of a bug on safety issues as a onetime pilot and one who has lost a colleague and good friend / relative in air crashes caused by pilot error and faulty maintenance over the years.
The NG 737's open outwards (hinge), so the only issue with misaligned seats would be space for evacuation.
Jan 31, 2013, 4:30 pm
#9
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American Airlines jet carried thousands with its emergency exits blocked
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/a...tZZWOqryAsakAN
An American Airlines jet ferried thousands of passengers in December and January with its emergency exits blocked by misaligned passenger seats, sources told The Post.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the misplaced seats – which blocked the exits over the wings -- on the Boeing 757, which an aviation expert said would have endangered passengers’ lives in an emergency.
An American Airlines jet ferried thousands of passengers in December and January with its emergency exits blocked by misaligned passenger seats, sources told The Post.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the misplaced seats – which blocked the exits over the wings -- on the Boeing 757, which an aviation expert said would have endangered passengers’ lives in an emergency.
Jan 31, 2013, 4:33 pm
#10
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Whoa.
If true, this is a pretty MAJOR safety issue.
If true, this is a pretty MAJOR safety issue.
Jan 31, 2013, 4:38 pm
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Moderator action: Removed circular link, post-merge
Talked about here.
Talked about here.
Last edited by miamigrad; Jan 31, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Jan 31, 2013, 5:05 pm
#13
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http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/a...tZZWOqryAsakAN
An American Airlines jet ferried thousands of passengers in December and January with its emergency exits blocked by misaligned passenger seats, sources told The Post.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the misplaced seats – which blocked the exits over the wings -- on the Boeing 757, which an aviation expert said would have endangered passengers’ lives in an emergency.
An American Airlines jet ferried thousands of passengers in December and January with its emergency exits blocked by misaligned passenger seats, sources told The Post.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the misplaced seats – which blocked the exits over the wings -- on the Boeing 757, which an aviation expert said would have endangered passengers’ lives in an emergency.
Jan 31, 2013, 5:20 pm
#14
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Technically I think it only had the chance to affect fewer than 100 people. After all, not everyone on the plane would need to exit via those exits and you can be quite sure that if an emergency occurred the problem would have been immediately apparent (and resolved before the aircraft flew again, assuming the emergency wasn't written off as a total hull loss).
The article referenced said that thousands of passengers were carried - which seems feasible in 2 months
It also stated that that an aviation expert said it would have endangered passengers' lives in an emergency
Obviously only those onboard at the time of an emergency would have been impacted by the emergency and it wasn't suggested otherwise
Jan 31, 2013, 8:22 pm
#15
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I take any journalism with a grain of salt until otherwise noted by a credible source, such as the DOT/FAA.
Since I am assuming that this was referencing over-wing exits as all doors open outwards, the problem is getting passengers out and not door removal? I thought all 737s' and 757s' exits hinged upwards and outwards.
Granted i haven't been on a 757 in a long time with AA (long live the MD80s), so I could be incorrect with this.
Either way, aren't aircraft rated for their evacuation under 90 seconds with only partial exits anyways?
Not saying that if it's true that's any excuse and needs to be fixed asap, but I would like to see something more credible than the NY Post.
Since I am assuming that this was referencing over-wing exits as all doors open outwards, the problem is getting passengers out and not door removal? I thought all 737s' and 757s' exits hinged upwards and outwards.
Granted i haven't been on a 757 in a long time with AA (long live the MD80s), so I could be incorrect with this.
Either way, aren't aircraft rated for their evacuation under 90 seconds with only partial exits anyways?
Not saying that if it's true that's any excuse and needs to be fixed asap, but I would like to see something more credible than the NY Post.