What happened
On January 27, 2017, during pre-flight operations at Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWR), a Saab SF-340A was undergoing final checks after engines had been started. During the final inspection of the passenger cabin, a cabin crew member noticed that one of the passenger seats was not properly secured to the aircraft floor. Upon discovering the loose seat, the pilot decided to abort the departure sequence and shut down the engines.
The aircraft in question is a quick-change model, frequently reconfigured between passenger and cargo versions by the operator's internal maintenance organization. Following the discovery, maintenance personnel were called to the aircraft to rectify the issue. The technicians successfully secured the seat in accordance with the required procedures, and the aircraft was subsequently cleared for flight. No further irregularities were noted during subsequent operations.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the reconfiguration process performed by the operator's Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO). It was established that the cabin interior had recently been converted from a cargo configuration to a passenger configuration following the procedures outlined in the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM). The investigation examined the workflow of the maintenance staff responsible for the seat installation and the subsequent verification processes.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the unintentional omission of specific inspection steps regarding seat attachment during the cabin reconfiguration process.
- The maintenance task was performed by personnel belonging to the operator's own AMO.
- The incident was identified during the final cabin check by the crew, preventing a potential in-flight hazard.