2003-07 · NASA ASRS report 587215
BE10 PLT OVERSHOOTS HIS ASSIGNED DEP ALT WHEN HIS SEAT MALFUNCTIONS DURING INITIAL CLBOUT 10 MI W OF SJU; PR.
I DEPARTED SAN JUAN (TJIG) ON THE AFTERNOON FLT WITH DEST OF LA ROMANA; DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. ONCE AIRBORNE; ATC INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE A VECTOR OF 280 DEGS W AND 2000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED AND STARTED MY CLB TOWARDS ALT AT THE NORMAL RATE OF CLB OF 1500 FPM. AT ABOUT 1800 FT; I ENCOUNTERED MODERATE CHOP; SINCE THE DAY WAS QUITE BREEZY; AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY; MY SEAT UNLOCKED AND SLID ALL THE WAY BACK ON THE SEAT TRACK; IMPAIRING ME FROM CTLING THE ACFT MOMENTARILY. I IMMEDIATELY WENT FOR THE SEAT HANDLE TO TRY TO GET IT BACK IN POS; AND WHILE I WAS DOING SO; I CAUGHT MY R HAND ON A METAL FILE JUST UNDER THE SEAT; THAT PRODUCED A DEEP GASH ON MY INDEX FINGER AND PART OF MY UPPER HAND. WHILE I WAS ON THAT STRUGGLE; ATC STARTED YELLING AT ME THAT I HAVE MISSED MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT; AND I REPLIED; 'SORRY ABOUT THAT;' SINCE THE FREQ WAS QUITE JAMMED WITH CONVERSATIONS; AND I DID NOT WANT TO MAKE IT WORSE BY EXPLAINING MY PROB. FINALLY; I MANAGED TO FREE MY HAND FROM THE PIECE OF METAL; MANAGED TO DISENGAGE THE AUTOPLT AND PUSH THE YOKE FORWARD. BY THE TIME I COULD REGAIN FULL CTL OF THE SIT; MY ALTIMETER READ 2500 FT. THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. ONCE ON THE GND; I HAD MAINT PERSONNEL CHK MY SEAT; AND THEY FOUND A BROKEN WIRE; AND WORN OUT SEAT PINS; THAT CAUSED THE SEAT ROLLING ALL THE WAY AFT ON THE SEAT TRACK ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN TEMPORARY LOSS OF CTL OF THE ACFT. SEAT WAS REPAIRED AND ACFT RETURNED TO SVC.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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