A321
Flight Attendant Current
Flight Attendant Total 22
Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Equipment / Tooling; Human Factors; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part
On an A321 aircraft; the passenger tray tables appear to pose a possible evacuation hazard. Specifically; rows 11 and 25. The mechanism designed to keep the tray table in the upright position appears to be backward. In the event of an emergency and possible evacuation; anyone could inadvertently move the mechanism out of place causing the tray table to drop; ultimately slowing an evacuation or blocking the exit. The small round tab designed to keep the mechanism from rotating fully left or right is on the opposite side of the L2/R2 and L3/R3 doors. I believe this round tab should be aircraft left (if you're seated left) and aircraft right. Please advise.
Reporter stated there is an additional small tab that locks the common latching arm that stows seatback tray tables at emergency exits. When facing forward in the aircraft; the seatbacks at Rows 11 and 25 are exposed to potential passenger emergency egress at emergency exit doors L2/R2; forward of the wing; and L3/L4 doors just aft of the wing. Passengers exiting left emergency doors could easily brush up against the seatbacks and basically unlock the small tab that locks the tray table common latch because the lock turns left to unlock; which would be the direction of passenger flow during a left egress. The tray tables could then be easily unlatched by contact with the tray table's common latch and interfere with emergency egress. Reporter has twenty-two years flight attendant experience.
A Flight Attendant reports that a special tab installed at seatbacks to lock the tray table latches at emergency exit doors L2/R2 and L3/R3 on an A321 aircraft; can be unlocked by contact. Anyone could inadvertently move the lock tab mechanism out of place causing the tray table to drop; ultimately slowing an evacuation or blocking the exit.