Why are airplane seat controls/buttons often broken?
 

How come seat controls on airplanes often are broken? It is mostly the video control electronics that never seem to work properly. It kind of makes you wonder if the engineers couldn't make these simple things robust, what faith should you have in the rest of the aircraft design?

One has nothing to do with the other. Seat controls are made by a different company than the rest of the aircraft.

I know because I happen to work for a company that makes seat controls, so I know what I am talking about.

As to why they are often broken, the answer is probably poor maintenance by the airline.

I realize they come from suppliers. Why can't they have a bullet-proof design though? It probably comes down to weight issues, I suppose. Also this technology changes so fast, that no supplier has enough field history to build a solid design. High failure rates are acceptable since it's not that big a deal in the manufacturer's eyes.

Second on the lack of maintenance. With airlines cutting corners something has to give.

What one has to be concerned about is the maintenance on the rest of the airplane. Are they cutting corners there too?

While there is probably some validity to the maintenance, there is still the mfg's responsbility for a good design.
Primarily the failure mode for seat reclines must be well known; why not design it so if/when it fails, its in the upright position ?
That way the airline doesn't void the seat.

I wouldn't want to sit in a seat that's stuck upright!

Probably the answer to the OP's question is a combination of design, maintenance, and lots of people plopping into that seat and wearing down on the controls.

While the OEM could make the controls pretty much bulletproof, the airlines wouldn't buy them due to the expense. They are also made to specification so the airlines specs them out and a company makes them. The company won't spend any more than it must to produce a product to specifications. Pity the poor project manager who writes a shoddy spec.

What does a broken seat control have to do with TS&S, unless we think that it is a new tactic levied by the Smurf Brigade...

So we'll move this thread to a more appropriate forum.
Anytime you find a misposted thread, feel free to hit the RBP button and a moderator will be happy to move the thread to the correct forum.

scoow
Moderator, TS/S.

Airlines need to save some money...

oh wait, was that sarcastic?