A CRJ200 PLT NOTES THAT THE OVER-WING EMER EGRESS ROPE ACCESS PANEL MAY BE BLOCKED BY HIS ACR'S NEW PAX SEATS.

Narrative

ON OCT/THU/06; I WAS ASSIGNED SHIP XXXX. THE FLT ATTENDANT ASKED ME TO COME LOOK AT SOMETHING IN THE CABIN. THE EMER EGRESS ROPES THAT ARE PART OF THE OVER-WING EXITS WERE HARD TO ACCESS. IT APPEARED THAT THE SEATS WERE SOMEHOW INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. SHE RELATED AN EXPERIENCE WHERE HER CREW ONCE HAD TO FERRY AN ACFT BECAUSE THE SEATS PREVENTED THE OPENING OF THE EMER EXITS. I ASKED WHAT FLT AND WHEN AND ALL SHE COULD REMEMBER WAS 'ABOUT A FEW MONTHS AGO' AND THAT THEY FERRIED TO ZZZ1. MAINT WAS CALLED. INITIALLY THE MECH STATED THAT THE LEADING METAL OF THE SEAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JUST IN FRONT OF THE CTR OF THE WINDOW PANE. I ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE WAS ABOUT 5-6 INCHES. HAD THE BAR BEEN ONLY A 1-2 INCH; THE ROPE PANEL WOULD HAVE BEEN OK. HOWEVER; ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE UPPER R-HAND CORNER OF THE PANEL WAS VISIBLE FROM THE EXIT ROW SEATS. THE ROW BEHIND COULD SEE ABOUT 75% OF THE PANEL. THE MECH DEMONSTRATED THAT THE PANEL COULD BE OPENED FROM THE EXIT ROW SEAT; EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMED A BIT TIGHT TO ME. AS I PRESSED THE ISSUE; HE CALLED AND GOT MEASUREMENTS AND AFTER CHKING THE ACFT; HE STATED THAT THE SEATS WERE INSTALLED PER THE ENGINEERING ORDER AND SIGNED THE ACFT ACCORDINGLY. AFTER SPEAKING WITH CHIEF PLT; I ACCEPTED THE ACFT BASED ON THE FACTS THAT THE ROPE WAS ACCESSIBLE AND THAT THE CHIEF PLT INDICATED THAT IF MAINT SIGNED IT OFF; I SHOULD ACCEPT THE ACFT. EVEN THOUGH I DO NOT FEEL THAT THE SEATS ARE ALIGNED IN THE OPTIMAL POS; THE ACFT IS APPARENTLY IN COMPLIANCE AND THE ROPES ARE ACCESSIBLE. HENCE; I FELT THAT I SHOULD ACCEPT THE ACFT. MY OBSERVATION WAS THAT NEW SEATS WERE RECENTLY INSTALLED IN THIS ACFT (NO SCRATCHES; TEARS; DENTS; OR WEAR WAS APPARENT). THEY ARE THE NEW STYLE SEATS; AND THAT THE LAST SEAT IN BOTH ROWS APPEARED TO BE INSTALLED FURTHER FORWARD FROM THE REAR BULKHEADS THAN THE ORIGINAL SEATS. WORKING FORWARD FROM THE BACK ROW; THE DIFFERENCE IN DISTANCE CORRESPONDS TO THE DISTANCE AT THE EMER EXIT ROW. LATER; WHILE OBSERVING OTHER ACFT WHICH STILL HAVE THE OLD STYLE SEATS -- I NOTED THAT THE SEAT BACKS OF THE NEW SEATS ARE WIDER THAN THE OLD STYLE -- POSSIBLY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN MAKING ACCESS TO THE PANEL MORE DIFFICULT. WHEN WE DID GO; THE FLT ATTENDANT BRIEFED THE PAX AS TO THE LOCATION OF THE ROPE AND SHE COMMENTED THAT THE PAX WERE HAVING TROUBLE LOCATING THE PANEL. ALSO WORTH NOTING; IS THE LABELING OF THE PANEL. IT STATES IN PART 'FOR CREW USE ONLY.' SINCE WE EXPECT EMER ROW PAX TO OPEN THE DOOR AND SINCE THE FLT ATTENDANT IS NOT AT THE EXIT; IT SEEMS THAT SOMETHING ALONG THE LINE OF 'FOR EMER USE ONLY' WOULD BE BETTER.