A B737-700 PLT NOTES THAT FOR ETOPS OP; ALL CREW MEMBERS MUST HAVE LIFE VESTS MARKED 'CREW.'
Synopsis
A B737-700 PLT NOTES THAT FOR ETOPS OP; ALL CREW MEMBERS MUST HAVE LIFE VESTS MARKED 'CREW.'
Narrative
AT THE GATE IN SAN; MY FLT ATTENDANTS WERE VERY DILIGENT AND DISCOVERED THE LIFE VESTS WERE NOT THE CREW LIFE VESTS (BEACON LIGHT AND DYE MARKER INSTALLED IN THE VEST) REQUIRED FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO USE. HE STATED THAT IN TRAINING HE WAS TOLD HE WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE CREW VESTS FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT SEATS. I WAS NEVER AWARE THAT PLTS HAD A SPECIFIC CREW LIFE VEST. MAYBE I WAS SLEEPING. ARE WE AS PLTS REQUIRED TO HAVE CREW VESTS? WE SEARCHED THROUGH THE PLANE AND FOUND 4 CREW LIFE VESTS FOR THE 5 CREW MEMBERS. MAINT SAID THEY COULD MEL THE FLT ATTENDANTS' SEATS AS INOP. SINCE IT WASN'T FULLY EQUIPPED; ONLY 1 FLT ATTENDANT SEAT IS REQUIRED TO BE FULLY FUNCTIONAL FOR ETOPS FLT. SO 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS PLACED IN THE LAST ROW OF PAX SEATS. WE HAD MET THE MEL AND WE HAD THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD. SO IT'S ARGUABLE WE MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FLT. I HAD QUITE A TIME CONVINCING THE CREW THAT WE MET THE REQUIREMENTS. IF THE CREW LIFE VESTS ARE REQUIRED ALL LIFE VESTS ON THE FLT DECK SHOULD BE CREW VESTS (WE HAD 2 PAX LIFE VESTS AND 2 CREW LIFE VESTS IN ACFT X) AND SECONDLY; THE COMPANY SHOULD VERIFY ALL THE FLT ATTENDANT LIFE VESTS ON ALL PLANES SAY 'CREW' ON THEM. THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME HE HAD THE SAME PROB ON ANOTHER ACFT. FROM THE CONVERSATION IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH HE THOUGHT MAINT HAD TAKEN LIFE VESTS FROM THE BROKEN PLANE IN SNA AND PLACED THEM ON HIS PLANE. BY PLACING 4 CREW VESTS ON THE FLT DECK; WE'D HAVE 2 EXTRA LIFE VESTS ONBOARD; AND IN AN EMER; PLT WOULDN'T HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH THE VESTS TO SEE WHICH VEST SAYS 'CREW' ON IT. THE FLT TOOK A DELAY. WE ARRIVED 15 MINS PAST ARR TIME.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.