AN A320 HAD A ROW OF SEATS REMOVED DUE TO INABILITY TO LOCK IT DOWN IN THE SEAT TRACKS. MAINT CTLR CONCERNED OVER POSSIBLE FAR VIOLATION FOR SEAT REMOVAL.

Narrative

I WAS WORKING THE AIRBUS ZZZ SYS ACFT MAINT CTLR DESK. I WAS WORKING WITH ANOTHER CTLR; MAINT CTLR Y ON THE SFO DESK. ACFT X HAD A WRITE-UP THAT A SEAT ROW WAS LOOSE IN ITS TRACK. THE LCL CONTRACT MECH PHONED TO RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT WAS REQUIRED TO RETURN THE ACFT BACK TO SVC. I INSTRUCTED HIM TO RE-SECURE THE SEAT AS REQUIRED. AS I WAS ON ANOTHER CALL; THE MECH CALLED BACK AND TALKED TO MAINT CTLR Y. THE SEAT FRONT ATTACH HARDWARE WAS BROKEN AND THE SEAT COULD NOT BE SECURED. MAINT CTLR Y INSTRUCTED THE MECH TO REMOVE THE SEAT ASSEMBLY AND PUT IT IN THE FORWARD CARGO PIT; REATTACH THE MUX CABLES AND CHK THE OTHER SEATS FOR PROPER LIGHT AND PES OP. THE MECH COMPLIED WITH THOSE INSTRUCTIONS. MAINT CTLR Y INFORMED ME OF THE SIT AND TO USE THE MEL FOR SEATS INOP. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED MAINT CTLR Y ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF REMOVING THE SEATS BUT DECIDED NOT TO BECAUSE MAINT CTLR Y IS A MORE SENIOR CTLR. AND I REMEMBER FROM MY CTLR INDOCTRINATION TRAINING; THAT MY TRAINING CTLR HAD A SIMILAR SIT AND REMOVED A SEAT ASSEMBLY JUST AS MAINT CTLR Y INSTRUCTED THE MECH TO DO. THE MECH CALLED BACK AND I TOOK THE CALL AS MAINT CTLR Y WAS ON THE PHONE TALKING TO A MECH WORKING ANOTHER ACFT. THE MECH INFORMED ME THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH. I INSTRUCTED THE MECH ON HOW TO FILL OUT OUR LOGBOOK FOR A SEAT INOP DEFERRAL PER MEL XXXX. THE MECH FILLED OUT THE LOGBOOK AND I COMPLETED THE COMPUTER TRANSACTION TO DEFER THE SEATS AS INOP; THEN I ISSUED THE MAINT RELEASE. THE SEAT ASSEMBLY WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO THE OVERNIGHT STATION TO BE REPAIRED AND REPLACED. THE NEXT DAY I DISCUSSED THE DEFERRAL WITH ANOTHER MORE SENIOR CTLR AND HE SAID THAT MY DEFERRAL MAY NOT BE LEGAL AND THAT THE FAA HAS SAID REMOVAL OF THE SEATS WAS DEVIATING FROM THE CERTIFICATION OF THE ACFT.