3.2 Passenger Seats, Service Units, Information Signs, Markings, Placards & Bassinets
Key Takeaways
- A passenger seat is a certificated dynamic restraint system, so a broken recline lock, damaged belt or unsecured seat back is an airworthiness defect, not a comfort complaint.
- Nig. CARs 8.9.1.3 permits a seat belt to be used during take-off and landing by no more than one person who has reached their second birthday.
- Passenger information signs — fasten seat belt, no smoking and return to seat — must be legible and operative, and floor proximity emergency escape path marking guides evacuation when smoke obscures overhead lighting.
- Passenger service units contain reading lights, attendant call, air gaspers and the stowed passenger oxygen masks, so a PSU panel that is open, loose or damaged is a safety item.
- Bassinets and bayonet tables are fitted only at approved bulkhead positions, must be removed and stowed for take-off, landing and turbulence, and are never a restraint for the infant.
Passenger seats are restraint systems
A passenger seat is certificated to withstand defined dynamic crash loads and to keep the occupant in place while the escape path remains usable. That makes several routine-looking problems into technical defects:
| Observed condition | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Seat belt frayed, cut, twisted at the anchor point, or buckle not latching or releasing cleanly | The restraint may fail or may trap the occupant |
| Recline mechanism will not lock upright | The seat must be upright for take-off and landing so that the row behind retains its escape path and brace position |
| Seat back loose, cracked or detached from the frame | Structural failure path in a deceleration; also an injury source for the occupant behind |
| Armrest that will not lower and lock, particularly in an exit row | Obstructs the escape path and the brace position |
| Table latch broken, table will not stow | Impales or traps the occupant in a deceleration |
| Life vest missing from under the seat | Required equipment absent |
| Seat track or floor fitting damage visible | Structural |
Restraint rules worth memorising: Nig. CARs 8.9.1.3 provides that a safety belt provided for the occupant of a seat may not be used during take-off and landing by more than one person who has reached their second birthday. Infants under two carried on an adult's lap are managed by the operator's approved procedure, which may specify an infant belt loop or an approved child restraint device. Passengers occupying a berth must have their own individual safety belt, and shoulder harness where installed, properly secured for take-off and landing.
Passenger service units and convenience panels
The passenger service unit (PSU) is the panel above each row. Behind a single moulded cover it contains:
- Reading lights and their switches;
- The attendant call button and its associated cabin lamp and chime;
- Air gaspers — individually adjustable ventilation outlets;
- Passenger information sign repeaters on many types;
- The stowed passenger oxygen masks and chemical oxygen generator behind a spring-loaded latched door.
The last item is why a PSU is a safety component. A PSU panel that is open, loose, hanging, or that has been forced closed after a previous deployment must be reported: the mask door latch is what holds the masks until the system commands deployment, and a mask assembly that has already fallen cannot be restowed by cabin crew.
Convenience panels in premium cabins add seat actuation, in-flight entertainment controls and power outlets; the same principle applies, in that a damaged or hot panel is a technical item and not a service inconvenience.
Signs, markings and placards
These carry legal force. Nig. CARs Part 8 requires cabin crew to include in passenger briefings a request that seat belts be kept fastened while seated, and a reference to the no-smoking requirements, and Part 7 requires the associated signs and placards to be installed and legible.
| Item | Function | Failure condition |
|---|---|---|
| Fasten seat belt sign | Commands passengers to be restrained; illuminated for taxi, take-off, turbulence and landing | Sign inoperative in a zone means the crew must instruct that zone verbally and report the defect |
| No smoking sign | Continuous prohibition on all Nigerian commercial flights, including electronic cigarettes and vaping devices | Non-illumination does not create permission to smoke |
| Return to seat sign | Lavatory occupant indication and instruction | Reported as a defect |
| Exit signs and illuminated exit locators | Identify usable exits and remain visible in smoke and darkness | An unlit exit sign is a serious defect |
| Floor proximity emergency escape path marking | A track of lights or photoluminescent markings at floor level leading to the exits, so that occupants can find the way when smoke obscures overhead lighting | Missing or obscured markings must be reported and the aisle kept clear of bags that would cover them |
| Placards — maximum bin load, exit operation instructions, life vest location, no stowage areas, oxygen mask instructions | Convey mandatory operating information at the point of use | Missing or illegible placards are defects |
| Aircraft markings — exterior exit outlines, cut-in areas, no-step and door operation markings | Direct rescuers and passengers from outside the aircraft | Reported through engineering |
Safety instruction cards must be in every seat pocket, must match the aircraft type and configuration actually flown, and are checked during pre-flight cabin preparation. A card from the wrong variant is worse than no card, because it teaches the wrong door drill.
Bassinets and bayonet tables
Bassinets are infant carrycots that attach to approved bulkhead fittings only. The governing rules are consistent across operators:
- They may be fitted only at approved positions, never at an exit row or where they would obstruct an escape path.
- They are for use in the cruise, with the seat belt sign off. They must be removed and stowed for taxi, take-off, landing and turbulence, and the infant must be held and restrained in accordance with the operator's procedure.
- A bassinet is not a restraint device. It provides no crash protection.
- Weight and age limits published by the operator must be observed.
Bayonet tables are the removable tables that slot into a fitting in a bulkhead or seat arm, common at bulkhead rows where no seat-back table exists. They must be stowed in their approved stowage for taxi, take-off, landing and turbulence; a stowed bayonet table left loose in the cabin is a heavy projectile. Check that the fitting is undamaged and that the table locks positively, because a table that will not lock cannot be used at all.
Under Nig. CARs 8.9.1.3, how many people who have reached their second birthday may use a single safety belt during take-off and landing?
What is the purpose of floor proximity emergency escape path marking?
A passenger service unit panel above row 14 is hanging partly open although no oxygen masks have deployed. What is the correct assessment?
Which statement about the use of a bassinet is correct?