MD-82
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Aircraft; Human Factors
I was the First Officer and this was my first trip after Initial Operating Experience (IOE). I was pilot flying. The Captain got out of his seat at one point but didn't tell me what he was doing. Later he told me his seat would not latch into position and slid freely forward and backward. He stated that he would be making the landing. He called to the cabin but I could not hear what he was saying. A short while later one of the flight attendants came to the cockpit and the Captain began discussing the need for her to sit on the jump seat and keep his seat from sliding fore and aft. I heard her mention that there was another Flight Attendant covering duties at an exit. They practiced having the Flight Attendant hold his seat steady. The Captain took control of the aircraft before we began configuring for landing. The landing was very smooth and without any problem whatsoever. I was a regional airline Captain for [several] years and would have allowed the First Officer to make the landing. But this was my first trip after IOE so I was not going to argue against the Captain's decision. The Captain made his decision without asking for my thoughts or ideas.
At top of descent I moved my seat forward to lock it in landing position. My seat would not lock in any position despite many attempts to do so. The seat was just sliding on the track due to newtons law 1st and 3rd laws. The aircraft was uncontrollable completely from the captains seat. In the right seat was a new hire co-pilot on his very first trip; on the two landings he had attempted to make; I had to intervene for safe landings to occur. I asked the #1 F/A for a knife to wedge into the seat track; that didn't work. I then asked the #! F/A to come up to the cockpit for landing to hold my seat in position while she sat in the jump seat. I then moved the #4 F/A to the #1s position and asked a non-reving AA F/A in uniform to cover the #4s position. The #1 was able to hold my seat in position without sliding to much for a safe landing and taxi in. I felt it was better to remain in positive control of the aircraft; rather than having to save it if the FO was allowed to land. I did have it at the ready however for the possible GA; in case things did not go as planned.This seat had a history according to the mechanics had had to be replaced. You could put 2 to 4 lock pins in each aircraft similar to the ones you put in weight lifting machines you could manually insert into the seat track on each end.
When an MD82 Captain's seat failed to latch into position; a Flight Attendant was called to the cockpit to hold the seat in position while the Captain landed the aircraft. Uneventful landing.