Emergency landing after row of seats comes loose

[signals]

I can't imagine ANY licensed mechanic tampering with something this serious. Even in our worst days (financial) I trusted my mechanics to give me a safe, airworthy plane. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. So sad..

Ironically it comes on the heels of a pilot sick call in. Blaming 'outsourcing' at this point seems suspicious because the events coincide with BK and labor disputes.

 

[FA Mikey]

It has happened in the past. On a 757 several years ago, on take off a row of coach unbuckled from the floor and rested in the row behind. We flew the plane back to Miami and blocked the 2 rows of seats. The plane was pulled from service so they could reattach to the floor.

 

[Mach85ER]

Weeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrreeee there any mmmmmmooooooooorrrrrrrrrre seats not securely bolted down on this jet?????????




Just wondering.

 

[Mach85ER]

Weeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrreeee there any mmmmmmooooooooorrrrrrrrrre seats not securely bolted down on this jet?????????




Just wondering.

 

[amtide]

If there was no maintenance items then there was no need for mechanics. Things are going to break and need to be fixed. There are some issues that can be prevented and we work for that. There is no perfect maintenance program.

 

[FWAAA]

Weeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrreeee there any mmmmmmooooooooorrrrrrrrrre seats not securely bolted down on this jet?????????

Just wondering.

In post #7, sinkingship said:

20 Rows of seats were loose or out of the track

 

[Buck]

I'm more curious who is overseeing the work. Did AA put anyone onsite, or are they just trusting a signature on the work-card? The only way outsourcing something like this works is when there's reasonable oversight by the client.

Yes

 

[Phoenix]

Evidently it has happened again, i.e.. twice in three days..

http://newyork.cbslo...ats-come-loose/

 

[FWAAA]

Interesting tidbit from the article:

American issued another statement Monday afternoon. “An initial internal investigation into why a row of seats became loose on an American Airlines Boeing 757 bound from Boston to Miami on Saturday has indicated that there could be a possible issue with a certain model of seats and how they fit into the tracking used to secure the seats. Out of an abundance of caution, American has decided to proactively reinspect eight 757s today that could possibly have this same issue.

“The seats were installed by American maintenance and contract maintenance. The issue does not seem to be tied to any one maintenance facility or one workgroup. This afternoon, the company flew engineers, tech crew chiefs, and inspectors from its Tulsa maintenance base to New York to evaluate the aircraft and determine the next course of action to correct the problem.

 

[limit]

FWAA shame on you.

 

[Mach85ER]

FWAAA,

Thanks, missed that.

100 seats loose? Could you explain to those at Flyertalk the possible disasterous isssue of unsecured seats. Read on another board where it was mentioned what could happen in the event a takeoff was aborted with heavy braking which is far more G's than a simple takeoff.

 

[FWAAA]

While I can believe that a single set of three seats may have been loose, I'm not able to believe that 100 or more people could buckle in after boarding without someone noticing that their seat was loose, so 20 rows on one plane seems a little far-fetched.

 

[Mach85ER]

FWAAA,

Plenty of attachments on aircraft appear to be firm and connected until stressed. any of the Maintenance types on here will tell you that. For whatever reason, most likely because these 3 seats worked their way loose over a few days possibly due to possibilities like larger than normal passengers (weight) over the last few days, track channnels and seat fiitings that have lost metal and widened the track gap in that zone over their 15-20 year life, expansion contract isssues, ect ect.

This is life threatening stuff. I'm thankful it was just embarrassing from my experience in flying. Hopefully you can explain the bodily injury, life threatening safety issues of unsecured seats to those on FT. Given what I've read over there, it will be tough talking sense to those that have no concept of a burning aircraft where the fire could start from problem coffee makers, lighting and cabin entertainment items, oven problems or simple lav water leaks, or children that can be cut from the exposed metal of a broken seat back pocket.

There are items that seem annoying and part of some alleged pilot job action. I've got PIA eletrical switch issues in my house and car. Hearing a FA bring similar items up inflight sometimes runs my blood cold knowing previous accidents started innocently the same way at 39,000 feet.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

Seat tracks are inspected at regular intervals. They are a vital part of the aircraft structure in most aircraft. Any wear should have been caught before it exceeded tolerance limits.

 

[Mach85ER]

Seat tracks are inspected at regular intervals. They are a vital part of the aircraft structure in most aircraft. Any wear should have been caught before it exceeded tolerance limits.

Agreed.

You know how it goes sometimes. The lowest bidder somehow might also have the least accurate measuring devices. Or the most accurate, who knows.