Date: 201310
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Aircraft: B737 Next Generation Undifferentiated
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Aircraft component: Pilot Seat
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Other / Unknown
Reporter qualification: Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Maintenance
When detected: Routine Inspection
Result: General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Chart Or Publication; Procedure; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Human Factors; Company Policy
Primary problem: Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part

Narrative: The new flight bags being installed are restricting the operation of the crew seats. They are not allowing the Mechanic to operate the seats to the full back and lock position. This is a safety concern for operation and egress in case of an emergency. There is a Pilot Bulletin issued for the flight crew. There needs to be a Maintenance Engineering Bulletin issued for the Maintenance side. Operation in non-compliance of FARs; policy; procedures; NOTAMs; flight deck crew; flight deck procedures; maintenance and inspection issue.

Callback: Reporter stated the new flight bags that hold the ship-sets of manuals and charts on their B737 NexGen aircraft have been re-designed with hard side panels compared to the older flight bags that had softer sides. The harder side panels do not compress like the older bags did when the pilot seats are moved full down and aft. The height adjustment handle on the Captain's seat strikes the hard sided flight bags; preventing full motion of the seat; same problem on First Officer's side. His air carrier had issued a Bulletin to the flight crews to re-arrange the flight manuals and charts in the new bags in hopes of allowing the bags to compress more readily when the seats are moved aft. The bags are located aft and to the left of the Captain's seat; aft and to the right of the First Officer's seat. Reporter stated the re-arrangement of manuals in the flight bags has not worked very well for Maintenance; especially since the Job Card to remove and replace a crew seat requires a full operational check of the seat without any obstructions in the movement of the seat. Inspectors are required to verify the installation and Operational Check of those seats; but instead are writing seats for operational failures. As the Inspection Supervisor; he recognizes the re-designed flight bags are an egress safety problem. Also; the inability for tall; long-legged pilots or mechanics/inspectors to move the seat full down and lock in the aft position makes for a difficult and unsafe situation. The size of the new bags are currently larger than allowed. Recent information indicates the new bags may be re-designed again. He does not know why the older flight bags were changed.



Synopsis: An Inspection Supervisor reports how a change in the design of their onboard flight bags for storage of manuals and charts have been restricting the full aft and lock positions of pilot seats on their B737 NextGen aircraft. Flight bags have contributed to seats failing Maintenance operational checks and raising concerns about cockpit emergency egress.