FAA Proposes Removal of 10,000 Airplane Seats Deemed Unsafe

Amy Coyne Bredeson
by Amy Coyne Bredeson
Last updated: 5:21 PM ET, Sun April 24, 2016

Photo via American Airlines

The Federal Aviation Administration is recommending that more than 10,000 Zodiac Aerospace seats be removed from airplanes because of safety concerns, Air Transport World reported.

The FAA released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on April 20, saying that design errors could lead to injuries in a high-impact incident, ATW said.

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Seats with model numbers 4157, 4170 and 4184 are affected, according to ATW. Seats with these model numbers can be found on Bombardier CRJ700s, -900s and Q400s; Embraer ERJ 145s, -170s and -190s; and Boeing 717s.

Delta Air Lines, Envoy Air, Island Air, Republic Airlines, SkyWest Airlines and United Airlines are all affected by the recommendation, ATW reported.

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"The design of the affected seating systems introduce new injury mechanisms, such that the [passenger's] chin can catch on the seat, causing high neck-bending loads and direct concentrated loading on the neck," the notice said, according to ATW. "This interaction between the head and he seat during forward impacts can result in serious injury to the occupant."


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Amy Coyne Bredeson

Amy Coyne Bredeson

Amy Coyne Bredeson is a freelance writer and editor in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. She has worked in journalism for the...

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