Aircraft seats with no Backrests?! Angry Mentour

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Can an aircraft fly with a row of broken seats? What does this say about the quality and safety of the airline and how can Twitter make it all way worse?
In this episode I will try and explain the wildfire of tweets that erupted Yesterday when a photo of a women, sitting on a broken seat, was posted to Twitter. I will explain the use of Minimum Equipment Lists and how we, the pilots, reason about these things.
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[@benedictul]

"... on the Internet, people who don't know what they're talking about are questioning people that know what they're talking about, and incite fear into others" - never truer words have been spoken

[@giorginho7mobile]

Yeah, like Boeing and the FAA were doing, these guys certainly knew what they were talking about... Oh wait! It's good to question "those who know what they are talking about", not only to get them to think twice about a certain subject, but to get them to pass on their knowledge to those (without it) questioning.

[@itsowlet]

6:40

[@calm.aware.]

Welcome to the world of antivax and flatearth.... 😡😞

[@Paul0326]

It is called Dunning-Kruger...

[@user-do5zk6jh1k]

Yep. Like the dumb civs who should know their place in military matters.

[@Paulf1fan]

It's not like Twitter to let a story get carried away...

[@offcenterconcepthaus]

Unprecedented!! ;-)

[@czdaniel1]

Twitter is worthless...Unless you are public communications expert looking specifically for the absolute WORST PLATFORM imaginable for public communications

[@RamakersRoger]

@@czdaniel1 I totally don't understand why twitter is taken so seriously. Or is it just that it is so easy fot stupid people to read messages less then 300 characters, and there are so many stupid people ?

[@czdaniel1]

@@RamakersRoger -- It's designed for corporations/politicians to have a platform for communication that is also a clear reason for why that communication by design must be expected as meaningless, vague, unreasonably brief, poorly worded, and hard to identify any actual human source _(ie: if you say something too stupid, you deflect blame by saying it was a low-level employee managing your twitter or something outsourced to an unidentified PR firm)_ Like I said, Twitter is not designed for you and me. It's designed for the powers-that-be

[@Poodz_]

@@RamakersRoger It's an addictive social media model. People aren't there because they think it's a good platform, they're there because they're addicted to it in some way or another.

[@Matt-mv5tt]

Some say broken seat, I say free footrest

[@mintyaviation2376]

Lol

[@annasstorybox7906]

And no one complaining about the passenger in front leaning back to much... xD

[@Erazzzer]

Poor man's 1st class!

[@sierraromeomike]

Oh now you've given the airline an idea. They're going to charge extra for for the footrest seats. Your meal sits in your lap though...

[@dindog22]

ottaman

[@TheSwanies]

IMO the worst thing about this twitter case is how the airline's official twitter account handled it, and i think that fueled the flames. Instead of handling it responsibily, their first reply was "Please delete the photo and send a PM", to which the original author got mad and paranoid about them trying to censor a flaw. It doesn't help sceptics when the people responsible try to censor it, thats just more reasoning for why they are right, usually.

[@rosco3]

Yeah, bad reply from someone that most likely doesn't understand anything. Whoever is in charge of the twitter account of airlines most likely are just PR/Marketing people

[@E9X330]

@@rosco3 stupid marketing people at that

[@buckhorncortez]

@@E9X330 And that would be so unlike stupid people on Twitter?

[@noctusowl]

@@buckhorncortez Twitter is Facebook on speed.

[@haqvor]

It's a textbook Streisand-effect that anyone in PR or marketing should know how to avoid.

[@talaminia]

No passengers were assigned to the broken seats and the person pictured had not been permitted to sit or travel there. The plane was on the ground.

[@wsshead]

Thank you Captain. As an Aircraft Maintenance Technician I appreciate your defense of the MEL. What outsiders from our industry don't realize is the MEL is approved by the aircraft manufacturer's engineers for temporary relief to a discrepancy that must be corrected within a certain flight hour/cycle/day limit. In addition, that relief is there so they can make that flight for their vacation, job interview, etc. Thank you for defending the maintenance staff. Two BIG thumbs up Captain.👍👍

[@a.mgaming3418]

Agreed there, really annoys me when people think they know it all about the industry and get things wrong.

[@gonzobeer]

My pen is my most used tool at work. Defer it!

[@eliaskount9610]

Bottom line: "People who don't know what they're talking about are questioning people who do know what they're talking about". I don't think there's a better or more accurate way to describe it. Thank you Petter.

[@srowley85]

I was recently downgraded because the airline determined that the seat to which I was assigned was unsafe. The flight was otherwise uneventful, and as you said: to pull equipment that is otherwise perfectly safe for one broken seat would have put many to inconvenience, as opposed to one person. I was still able to get to my destination on time and safely. Even though I ended up sitting towards the back of the aircraft, the flight crew up front came back and made sure I got service similar to what I'd have gotten in my assigned seat. The whole thing was handled well by the crew, and the plane was perfectly safe to fly.

[@keyworksales6241]

Did you pay up for the seat? You deserve a refund if so

[@timothylegg]

I was once on a transatlantic flight where the seatback screen was in an endless loop of console screen error messages. As a computer engineer, I personally thought it was pretty amusing because I was able to also diagnose the likely cause (a damaged or partially dislodged RAM module). I was also surprised to see that the system in front of me was Linux based. Can you imagine seated for eight and a half hours watching kernel panic messages scroll past every two seconds as the device is perpetually rebooting itself?

[@chairbornefobbit]

We need more logic and reason and less emotion in daily discourse and I love that this channel provides that in a professional way. It's easy to be toxic, being good to each other takes work.

[@memphiscoe9410]

@Erik Johansson there is a point here. Call me a moron too, but yes. What is being said is correct.

[@RT-ox8lv]

@@memphiscoe9410 Erik is the perfect example of your comment. Logic and reason aren't in his wheelhouse

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

My momma used to tell me "A god damn rock can sit quietly and behave itself. Don't you think you can do a little better than a god damn rock???" It's really NOT that difficult to be good to each other. If you haven't got something constructive to say, SHUT THE HELL UP. It's not difficult to not say (or in this case TYPE) something. BE LAZY... JUST DON'T ADD TO THE VITRIOL... Seriously... Have humans REALLY got to devolve past the basic (arguably damn good) behavior of a god damn rock??? ;o)

[@cybersquire]

'Angry' Mentor is better than 99.9% of the rest of the internet. I was concerned about this story, and This channel was able to give me a concise, informative explanation. Thank you, for what you do!

[@dennypollard8004]

I am a retired FAA maintenance inspector and spent a lot of hours in the jump seat of many airlines and we all know the MEL has a place to make things safe so the aircraft can be operated in a safe manner. Most of the people who fly have no idea how complicated aircraft are but aircraft do have redundant systems, unlike vehicles they drive around. People who question stuff they have no knowledge are stupid and you cannot fix stupid. I deal with this every day on my blog as well on social media.

[@tariq8890]

I really appreciate Petter's attitude and integrity to his profession. He inspires me a lot

[@david14Herbie]

I actually did that 2 weeks ago when I saw a loose insulation piece from the flaps and under the spoilers. I told the pilot and he was very appreciative. Never wrong if you see something say something!

[@johnmightymole2284]

Yes I did the same thing when one of the engines fell off iff but the flight attendant told me to get back to my seat and said that I was spoiling it for everyone.

[@wh1zz796]

@@johnmightymole2284 I know I'm late but this is funny lmaooo

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@johnmightymole2284 Yeah, they tell me that every time I'm trying to point out the gremlins trying to take the engines apart in-flight, too... Except that once in a while flight, when they get really excited and bring in the guys with the white jackets who put me up in a really fancy hotel that always treats us with the good drugs!!! ;o)

[@JohnFrusciante319]

Thank you mentour for giving people head up on this story. Haters comment from knowledgeless people is so unbearable...

[@Ice_Karma]

... as someone proves your point ...

[@edwardwood6532]

When I told the airline attendant about the gremlin on the wing tearing things up they looked at me like I was crazy.

[@Candisa]

Was it also unbolting the engine in-flight? Were you removed from the crashed aircraft in a straightjacket?

[@danielaramburo7648]

Ryanair flight attendant: yes, it’s a gremlin. Instead of hiring expensive mechanics, we hire gremlins to maintain he engines. We pay them in candy.

[@edwardwood6532]

@@Candisa Yes, but happily I am better now and realize I was imagining things due to personal stress.

[@gorillaau]

@@danielaramburo7648 Also Ryan Air: We tried in-flight engineers but they refused to leave the cabin tomorrow on the wings and tail. Hire a Gremlin and there is no problem, even at cruise altitude.

[@JackdeDuCoeur]

Frank Borman, Apollo astronaut and later Chairman of Eastern Airlines, once said that when a passenger sees a coffee stain not cleaned from the passenger tray, that passenger is inclined to wonder whether the airline maintains its engines. Customers are not expected to know how things work, only to trust they will, and it's incumbent on any vendor to inspire that trust.

[@PassiveSmoking]

Yeah, appearances count for a lot. I'm sure the aircraft in question was airworthy, and that the lady in the seat wasn't actually going to be sat there on takeoff. But even so I'd feel pretty uncomfortable about riding in a plane with a cabin in that state. Like you say there'd always be a question in the back of my mind about what else is being left in a decrepit state?

[@liammaupin9492]

When my parents were on their honeymoon my father was an aircraft mechanic in the navy for 20 years and they were getting seated and my dad had the window seat and he noticed some fluid weeping out of the wing on the plane and he told the flight attendant about it then she told the captain and they deplaned so it does happen!

[@craigobrien5098]

I like an angry Mentour

[@RahmanSajid]

Craig O'Brien Haha 😀

[@musicalneptunian]

Angry Menatour with horns.

[@Robostomp]

@@musicalneptunian and breathing fire.

[@letterslayer7814]

8:42 i love how he said bullshitting boulsheeting

[@mustangnawt1]

Me 2, I’ve been naughty. Yep thirsty

[@mattsingh_]

Twitter begins with Twit for a reason

[@highlypolishedturd7947]

OMG I wish I thought of that!

[@ZambiblasianOgre]

David Cameron's greatest moment of wisdom: "Too many Tweets might make a twat."

[@matejfele9971]

Twatter it should be called.

[@edp2260]

I always thought that too.

[@tgm9991]

@@matejfele9971 I've been calling it twatter for years.

[@dominicMcAfee]

What a fantastic detailed, clear and concise video Mentour! So diplomatic!

[@dany3346]

Hi! I’m a cabin crew, and in my opinion it’s a NO GO. Here’s why. In case of an emergency, we have a minimum of 1 PSP ( preselected passenger ) to help us evacuate the passengers on the overwing exits. If there are no seats, we do not have those PSP’s. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m right, what do you think?

[@bikkies]

I like this question as it has been constructively worded and from what appears to be a position of experience. I'm just a passenger, I've been in an overwing seat twice before and was specifically briefed both times by flight attendants that I would have a specific responsibility in the event of an emergency. In each case the briefing was delivered with authority and it improved my view of the airline rather than tarnished it. So, this question is a good one as it focuses not on the physical hardware (seat backs in this case) but on the passenger. Following the logic, does this mean all flights, even if almost empty, should have a passenger stationed at an exit seat? Genuinely curious, I have never thought about that before.

[@bearcubdaycare]

Just curious...do the procedures allow a passenger in a different row or across the aisle to perform the function, if half a row is empty as in this case?

[@JohanMsWorld]

First the picture does not show if the broken seats are the actual emergency seats and second you might as well design some one from row behind the broken row. Johan.

[@BWPT.]

On my Virgin flight to Arizona from London the seat in front had a broken back rest that was crushing my knees, not only that, the in flight entertainment was broken too (guessing some wires got damaged as well) I couldn't fit my laptop on my lap or tray so I reported it to cabin crew and was allowed to sit on the jump seat at the back for the rest of the flight after enduring extreme discomfort for 5 hours, the guy was extremely apologetic and reported it to the Captain, guessing there was one missing back rest on that plane on the return flight!

[@czdaniel1]

If I were in a jump seat, I would talk ALL DAY about airplanes!

[@czdaniel1]

....Well, airplanes & Soviet surgeon Leonid Rogazov's _self-Appendectomy_ procedure

[@tomkeane2629]

This has become my favourite channel. It has really helped me with my fear of flying. Keep it up man, love these videos

[@haqvor]

I had a similar experience on a flight a few years ago on a A380, my backrest didn't lock at all. I contacted one of the flight attendants to alert her of the situation but initially had a bit of a problem to make myself understood and at first she was dismissive. I had to say the words "my seat don't lock in the upright position" to get her attention. After that I got moved to another seat without any problems and actually got a better seat with more legroom. There are a couple of lessons to learn from this. First, this was during finishing the boarding and she was probably focused on all that goes on during that time. So a passenger trying to get her attention during a period of high workload on a matter that initially seems trivial requires a very clear communication to get the attention it deserves. I had to use more or less the exact words they use for it to register, which is how humans work in a high stress situation. Second, once we understood each other she was helpful and attentive, solved the problem as soon as possible and well before we started to move. She wanted to help and to solve the problem which in my experience is what all cabin crew tries to do to the best of their ability. In this case with the missing backrests the airline created a more or less textbook Streisand-effect and I hope that their PR-department have learnt a very important lesson on how to not handle something like this in the future.

[@Zany4God]

I am so happy I stumbled into your vlog and I'm a devoted fan. Thank you for the clarity you bring into the arena.

[@luzten]

Your mistake was to use Twitter. Great vid as usual. Thanks

[@bencroll3860]

You’re doing a great service to many. Keep up the great work. Fear-mongering is a terribly effect tool and used by those whom are uneducated and/or to myopic in their view points. Knowledge is power, thank you for sharing yours.

[@Lion_McLionhead]

The dog was expecting more rage.

[@BarneyLeith]

Well said! Thank you for explaining the reality of the situation!

[@DaveWestMedia]

Oh I remember this so well. That guy was a complete clown, just looking to make a mountain out of a molehill and cause some outrage. Thanks for making this video, very sensible 👍

[@saqibmudabbar]

I learned quite a lot today from this video. Biggest thing I learned is that people who don't know much form opinions based on their personal perception of something rather than actually asking someone what they are looking at or learning it by themselves. And sometimes they are too late to ask. They already have an opinion on it and ask to challenge facts rather than actually learning. When their motives are questioned, they become emotional and instead of focusing on the questions, they take it personally and then refuse to accept the reality. Thanks for this video. 👍🏻 love❤️ from🇵🇰

[@bobbernstein8824]

Thanks for this excellent explanation. I had seen the original tweeted photo, but had not noticed that the loose seatbelts make clear the aircraft was not underway. I'm really glad to get this very clear and complete explanation.

[@TheBurt007]

8:02 Teleportation dog! On a serious note Mentour Pilot love your channel and explanations on all things aviation - keep it up :-)

[@joaogouveia3505]

Hats off to you, Mentour. Keep them coming. Ignorance has always been dangerous. The problem is, with the advent of the internet, they got a voice. Any ignorant nincompoop can speak his head off.

[@markandsuriyonphanasonkath8768]

Delighted with your clear and factual explanations, keep up the great work, many thanks! Love your children (doggies), we are expats in Thailand from Australia, brought 3 toy poodles with us and have adopted 5 more who were "rescued", all are BRILLIANT - congratulations on the (I think), recent litter - terrific!

[@bwagenberg]

The row behind that row doesn't have tray tables. Why weren't those passengers moved as well? Probably would be charged extra to move. Never piss off Mentour. He will fly over your house and drop something, probably frozen and blue. Excellent explanation, Thanks.

[@michaelking3327]

i don't question it's safe to fly without the seat backs, but i do question the bolts sticking out which can clearly be seen in the picture. those bolts could cut someone easily.

[@czdaniel1]

N'ahh. Nearly 1inch thick circle thingy? Hardly looks to be piercing. Certainly doesn't affect air-worthyness (the primary measure of aircraft safety). If we are talking about the same object, then anybody who gets cut by the that thing should get new *Man-Skin®* Get Your New, All Weather, Air Worthy, top of the line, *Man-Skin 2.0®* today!!

[@cruisemissle87]

Blog it!

[@michaelking3327]

@@czdaniel1 the bolts that are sticking out below the armrests but above the seatbelts. i've been cut by similar bolts myself being a mechanic (not a aircraft mechanic)

[@Aviatial]

Interesting video, you were Angry for different reasons of what everyone expected and rightly so!

[@MrMrWrench]

Great Video. Very well explained and helpful. Thank you for your time and knowledge.

[@XM-qk5sh]

Love his channel !!!! Makes flying less nerve wracking. Recently made several trans- Atlantic flights and his videos made me a lot more comfortable about the trips.

[@crossocean5663]

Cross marketing tactic: viewer: I don’t care about aviation, but those dogs!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️, subbed and am being notified.

[@MrPomelo555]

That video made me feel absolutely fantastic.

[@Aviatial]

yeah I bet it did

[@VMCAviationVideos]

Haha

[@borderlineiq]

An excellent video and so true today. Thank you for taking the time.

[@tomclark6271]

At first, from the title I thought perhaps this video was about a malfunction in one of the cockpit crew seats. Very glad it wasn't, but it did happen to me nearly fifty years ago. As a student pilot flying solo (Cessna 150) my seatback broke just as I was climbing to clear rising terrain after takeoff. Of course I had one hand on the control yoke and the other on the throttle. When the seatback hinge suddenly broke I was pushed rearward and with the aircraft controls in both hands. I naturally tried to catch my rearward motion with my hands, slamming the elevator full up, and retarding the throttle to idle. Luckily, I caught myself with my feet against the firewall. My seatbelt and shoulder harness were holding me back now too, but I managed to release the control yoke and thanks to the inherent stability of the trainer, the nose lowered preventing a stall. However, I was now losing altitude with the terrain rapidly rising, and unable to reach the throttle to climb. Finally, I released the harness and thanks to my athletic ability, I was able to sit up straight and fly the airplane albeit with my feet off the rudders clutching the seat front instead. I cleared the trees at the top of the ridge by only a few feet and headed to home plate. Luckily again, my home field was an uncontrolled GA airport, so I radioed my intent to enter a straight-in approach. My instructor was monitoring the Unicom and asked my reason for the straight-in approach. I'll never forget telling him that his fucking airplane was broken! After a quick visit to the men's room, I returned to the airplane where we discovered a failed repair to the seatback mechanism. I told him that I was very close to declaring an emergency that would have required a lot of paperwork and no doubt would have involved him and his mechanic. Of course, he said that I did the right thing and even went a little out of his way to make sure I passed my exam.

[@labeachgeek]

So if a Twitter user's seatbelt in backseat of their car jams or comes apart, the car should be put up on blocks until the belt is fixed? Oh... and the engine overhauled. /s 🤔😉

[@christianbarnay2499]

And if the radio tuner button is broken you MUST immediately destroy the car and buy a new one.

[@windsoord]

@@christianbarnay2499 Depends on whats playing on the radio ;)

[@RWoody1995]

@@christianbarnay2499 well, if apple starts making cars like rumours have stated that is exactly what you must do :P

[@GlanderBrondurg]

Aircraft are held to a much higher standard than automobiles. If you maintained automobiles to the same standard as aircraft, they would routinely have over a million miles and still operate like new. Still, in this case, they should have left the seat vacant. The same thing is a legal requirement for automobiles if you have a broken seat belt assembly. You simply can't use the seat for passengers until it is fixed. I have been pilled over by police when they thought my kids lacked seatbelts.

[@labeachgeek]

@@GlanderBrondurg Agree. In both cases, seat should be empty until repairs made. I doubt anyone was in those seats for flight.

[@SimonSNB]

That's my pet peeve, when someone acts like they know more than you when they haven't got a clue what they're talking about. Also, loved watching the Qvirtual live stream you featured in recently. I would love to see more videos with you and a desktop simulator

[@GiddeonFox]

Look up the Dunning-Kruger effect some time, it's actually a bizarre quirk of psychology that people who don't know what they're talking about think they know more than they do (and weirdly people who DO know what they're talking about think they know *less* than they do). Our monkey brains were really not built for this world at all

[@craigwebber3944]

Your caring, balanced approach is very watchable!

[@vegascad]

Love your posts to start. My wife is an FA on a budget airline and I am well versed in commercial aircraft. Surprised the MX did not just remove the entire row. I totally agree that this is bs posted by people that have little knowledge of the industry and don't understand that commercial flying is the safest way to travel. Keep up the good work.

[@thekittycats8061]

I still want to know what the people in the row behind have to do in the case they have to do an emergency landing do they treat it the same way people at the very front do where they place their elbows down by their knees and hold the back of their head?

[@mrichards55]

The guy sitting behind is wearing shorts so lacks decorum. In order to avoid other passengers clambering over his bare legs in an emergency, the airline had to remove the backrest.

[@voxer99]

Interesting point. Are shorts inappropriate on a flight? I tend to think so but what's the majority opinion?

[@Markle2k]

@voxer99 It's a budget airline in Summer. Most people on the plane are probably on vacation/holiday.

[@voxer99]

@@Markle2k So it's okay for holidaymakers on a budget airline but not otherwise? If it's okay for them why not everyone?

[@Markle2k]

The OP was an obvious joke. But as far as proper attire for a generic flight goes, I think anything that meets the societal standards of both your departure and your destination as street-wear should be fine. It's your prerogative to disagree with me.

[@GiddeonFox]

@@voxer99 Yep little known fact, you should only ever wear full formal business attire on a flight unless you want the flight attendants to think you're a hillbilly and laugh at you when they're out of earshot

[@tommyerscough714]

This is another prime example of why I like this channel so much and why I’m so pleased it exists. It’s incredibly rare to find a channel on KZbin where the creator isn’t seeking views or money or fame, but simply wants to have a positive impact on their community. You are probably the most genuine, sincere, honest person on this platform and I’m thrilled to have found someone like you who is in a very small minority of people. Please keep doing what you’re doing because it really makes a difference to many people out there! 😆

[@Chris73619]

Great followup video! Thanks for the abundance of information you shared!

[@Ecoenergy]

I completely agree with your assessment of some people on the internet, I continually tell my children to take any comment or video online with a pinch of salt. I gave up years ago commenting on anything with the backlash received from authoritative sounding armchair experts. I was forced to comment a year ago when a video was sent my way via a colleague urging me to step in as a matter of urgency. A so called expert was explaining how to connect up large lithium cells and what to do to charge without a BMS and a lot of people where commenting in a congratulatory fashion. Against my better judgement I contacted the expert and explained my 20+ (30+in general) years of experience in this field with OEM's and explained he was in effect creating a time bomb with a non predictable time frame. The so called expert ignored me and posted the comment on line and claimed I was in the pocket of manufacturers and a prime example of companies keeping the non money making ideas to them selves. I then received a barrage of vile attacks and comments. At that point I decided don't contradict anybody on line anymore. I enjoy your posts, some a very informative especially some of the technical.

[@arykstrykker2330]

I am shocked!... shocked!, that you were trolled in Twitter by people who didn't know what they were talking about! LOL! 🤣

[@eldom20]

Some edgy wannabe guy tried to

[@TheBrakpan]

Great explanation. Good to see a complete professional explaining how things are.

[@werner2503]

Wonderful clarification! Thanks a bunch for providing an exceptional service for the entire industry!

[@lgonzalez1154]

Sorry but that dog steals the show everytime!

[@bikesnblades6737]

So basically flat earthers got involved and things went down fast. Just another day on twitter.

[@EleanorPeterson]

If you've ever wondered why Donald Trump loves Twitter... This kind of garbage is why Donald Trump loves Twitter. You can talk rubbish with impunity, cause chaos, lie, insult, and spread rumours much more effectively than going through official channels and a press office. It's perfect for a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman trying to con people into believing his line of patter, but it's a crying shame for a man in his position.

[@willymccabe6602]

@@EleanorPeterson Way to hijack a thread with a comment that has nothing whatsoever to do with the subject. yawn.

[@felobatirmoheb4884]

@@EleanorPeterson dafuq does politics gotta do with this

[@TheEGCRACKER]

Happy to find your site. Fair is fun! ✌️

[@MrDavidfarris]

This is an example of the level of discourse when all personal responsibility is removed, and anyone can state anything anonymously. I promise you, if those people had to sit across the table and look you in the eye, they would conduct themselves completely differently. As usual, you provided and logical, intelligent, compelling answer as to why this occurred. And some simply want to roil the waters, so to speak. Good job Sir! I’d fly with you anytime!

[@amiralavi6599]

Wouldn't the passengers in the seats behind lack tray tables?

[@andyowens5494]

Amir Alavi Like every bulkhead seat. As another comment says, free foot rest :).

[@kobibenlevi5523]

That depends. Some aircraft have the tray tables stowed in the armrests as well.

[@OptimusNiaa]

"People who don't really know what they're talking about are questioning people who do know what they're talking about, and inciting fear in others." Indeed, Captain. That's not to say people shouldn't ask questions. Ask. But then listen, do research, and don't make confident assertions without doing said research.

[@GiddeonFox]

Yeah, and he gets to that later, you absolutely should ask questions if you see anything weird on a plane! Just don't discount the answer when you get it because it doesn't fit your twitter narrative or whatever.

[@OptimusNiaa]

@@GiddeonFox No doubt. I wasn't trying to add to what he said, because, like you say, he also makes that point.

[@Piggieherdvids]

Social media experts. No help to anyone. Thank you so much for being so down to earth. x

[@No1Horsham]

Very helpful as always thank you. However when I saw the original tweets the point that riled people was that the company had said the picture had to be removed before they would investigate. It was that reaction that created the fuss. Had they just explained as you have the matter would have ended there and saved them a lot of adverse publicity. There is a lesson on transparency and openness to be learned her. Anyhow, thanks again for your explanation.

[@riverbankfisher]

Thanks for the explanation, Captain. Quite a few odd cryptic responses to this video below. Not sure what they mean.

[@GiddeonFox]

KZbin comments (especially ones about heated topics like this) tend to attract the nutters, don't worry too much about trying to decode them.

[@MaltaMcMurchy]

Thank you to Mentour and doggo 🐕💜 for another great episode!

[@dulaclancelot9528]

Very happy to see the way you react to a quite common and sometimes dramatic behavior in our society: simple "impressions", "sensations", without knowledge and reflexion, are more and more often becoming an "opinion", and then the "truth". Sad, and afraid, to see that medias, for example, tend to behave the same way in many many fields.

[@Scottish_TV_Gold]

Great video as always. Thanks for explaining this so well.

[@gungadinn]

The maintenance crew should have just removed the entire row of seating, not just the seat backs. It's 6 bolts in the floor track to remove instead of the seat backs and possible wiring. The seats are going to be replaced anyway, so just remove the seat row.

[@christianbarnay2499]

Not sure they need to completely replace the seats. Maybe replacing the backrests is enough. The backseats are 3 individual plastic plates with some foam that can easily be moved out by a couple of workers walking the narrow aisle. The seats themselves once you remove the 6 ground bolts are a single big metal piece that is much harder to handle. You would have to remove some more bolts to separate the seats and armrests into individual pieces that can be transported.

[@Dan-oj4iq]

For some reason Petter felt there was no need to point this out. In fact it is curious as to why anyone was allowed to sit there even for a minute or two. The airline is aware of cameras?

[@christianbarnay2499]

@@Dan-oj4iq The crew has no time to care about cameras during the chaos of boarding undisciplined passengers. They will always select the course of action that allows everyone to get to their seat with hand luggage stored as fast as possible. On almost every flight I've taken there was at least one passenger who had to change seat for some reason - including gathering families by asking a few other passengers if they would accept to swap. And the crew procedure has always been the same: "Please madam/mister wait at your assigned seat for now. Once everyone is seated we'll come back to you and find a solution." The a**hole with a camera and bad intentions will always find a way to take a picture that can be misinterpreted. Trying to prevent that is useless. At least this one didn't break something himself so he could report it.

[@ecclestonsangel]

Hi, Petter! Thanks for the info; that's good to know. You had every right to be annoyed. You know what's going on with aircraft. Many of these people are just ignoramuses who just think they know what's going on, and can only feel good when they're tearing somebody else down. Jerks. I'm a major avgeek, but I'm intelligent enough to know there's always more to learn. That's why I like your channel so much. Aw, no puppy update today? Bummer! They're so cute!

[@tonyw2808]

Thanks for the explanation. I was also fascinated by the magic disappearing (and reappearing) dog.

[@TheKatava]

Great explanation as usual! Great video

[@scottriehm3890]

I think the reason why people were questioning the safety of the airline is, for people who don't necessarily know what is going on, at first glance this is a very concerning thing to see

[@GiddeonFox]

Yes, and that's fine, it's good to be concerned about stuff that's not right on a plane, and to ask questions about it in case it's a real problem. But from what Mentour described, after he *explained* what was going on, people replied to *his explanation* with more fear-mongering and ignorance, which is... a pretty dumb thing to do.

[@MrZeroPage]

Frankly, I'm more worried about what is crawling on the red pillow at 8:20 !

[@Nilguiri]

No need to worry, it's just a _Musca domestica_

[@jackielinde7568]

Were you like me, trying to cover the "alledged insect" with your mouse pointer?

[@MrZeroPage]

Yes!! In fact, for a brief moment I thought I had a small critter on my laptop screen!!

[@bigdogs29]

Lol....thanks for the rewind

[@samuelchambers5]

Great job, Mentour Pilot, explaining not only the situation involving the seat backs; but, how the airlines handle such situations, and their reasoning and precautions. As one who have flown more times than I can count, I recognize the professionalism that some might take for granted as airplanes criss-cross the world every day of every year.

[@howardtenenbaum3537]

And this is why the social media are becoming increasingly dangerous in that the media spread false information and uninformed opinion without any restrictions or reasonable limits. Your commentary and explanation makes great sense and your overall contributions to the dissemination of knowledge in this area are appreciated greatly by me and I would imagine thousands of others!

[@maddoc68]

It’s the new easyJet business class footrest. 😂

[@nothandmade9686]

The United Kingdom creating paranoid headlines for everyone. Yours a UK ground engineer.

[@GiddeonFox]

Don't worry, America does that plenty too. Though then again the outlets that do tend to be owned by Rupert Murdoch so I guess it does all come back to the UK at the end of the day lol

[@rolandalfonso6954]

This was great. You teach...I learn... I love Spirit Airlines, a lower- cost carrier...but every time I would board with my two young sons, a flight attendant would ask me if I would swap seats next to the emergency exit...sure...and then got instructions on emergency procedure...why me? I have no idea... It's all good, and all for the safety and fun of flying. Luv your stuff...

[@colingrant321]

Another great video Mentor. As always, very professional approach to aviation topics. Interesting that in all your many years of experience, this is the first broken seat you have seen. I'd say that's good testimony to the level of engineering in Aviation.

[@geoffphuketInPhuket]

Don't defend something that is clearly dangerous! Look at the protruding hinge pins - do you think passengers sitting behind aren't at risk in the event of an accident?

[@pahom2]

A video on disabled passengers and bed patients harness would be interesting

[@Mrhullsie2]

Thanks for the video. My takeaway from this when I saw it in the media was that it was a none story. As regards comments questioning the safety of the engines because of the state of the seats, that is rather like finding a broken chair at home and getting the foundations checked. I do think the airline was ill advised in requesting the photo be taken down and I think many of the reposts of this story were on account of the airlines reaction, simply explaining the situation as you did would have been more productive.

[@mikoto7693]

A bit late but, wait what? One broken seat caused some people to question the safety of the engines? I don’t even know where to begin. One of those things is vital to the safety of the aircraft and is both regularly inspected by engineers every so often, as well as a brief inspection by the captain between each flight. The other is a trivial thing that can be taken out of the plane without harming the aircraft and simply requires the assigned passenger to be moved to a different seat or plane. I don’t know if the guy who fixes the engines is the same as the one that fits the seats but I sort of doubt it.

[@chriswareham3755]

Thanks for the great videos. You are a true professional. I appreciate and respect that very much!

[@jimmyshrimbe9361]

Sensationalism is disgusting. Especially when the mainstream media gets involved.

[@captaindasbomb6862]

Kinda curious to know what the European Rules say about flying with an unmanned exit door

[@andyowens5494]

Captain Dasbomb Not a problem - the passengers in the row behind will be briefed by cabin crew. As long as first to arrive at the exit is able to open it, then no issue. If a flight only had one passenger and they were ineligible to sit in the exit row, then any rule requiring occupation would be contradictory.

[@LeonardHein]

Excellent explanation! Well done

[@PhilippusCesena]

Great videos, continue to inform people. Thank you.

[@AviationNut]

That's Easy Jet if I am not mistaken, the orange headrests give it away.

[@jeffreyelite9595]

Aviation Nut yes it is I saw the tweet and it was easyjet beats Ryanair to backless seats in the tweet

[@mwbgaming28]

@@jeffreyelite9595 Ryanair isn't perusing backless seats, they are aiming for the pinnacle of cabin density by looking into seatless seats, everybody stands up, then you could easily get 500 people into a 737

[@jeffreyelite9595]

MWB Gaming I would believe it I was just saying what the tweet said but could you imagine how manny people could be on an A380 or 747-8 that would be insane

[@mwbgaming28]

@@jeffreyelite9595 Ryanair A380 isn't real, it can't hurt you

[@jeffreyelite9595]

MWB Gaming lol

[@nspctor7729]

That doggy is the coooooolest...83% of the show. Now what were you talking about?

[@robertbox5399]

Is the dog a nervous flier? I guess not😍😎

[@gonzalovalverde587]

Mentour Pilot, I really enjoy the way you approach issues and question. Possitive, factual and concise. Thank you. GV PPL - ATPL soon

[@sandramccusker5520]

A good reminder to consider the source and pay more attention to the person in the conversation who knows what he or she is talking about and not to the person wildly speculating and making assumptions about what they don’t know.

[@garmack12]

What about the implications for the brace position on the previous row?

[@Haleeoo]

Not a problem. They can take the brace position teached for row 1 seats.

[@HossainRonnie]

If anything, I think you can brace better without a seat's backrest in your way. Like other people in rows with no seat directly ahead of them.

[@EinfachLuap]

I'm a flight attendant and i don't quite get how this was ok tbh. Our Flight Safety Manual explicity states that row 12 and 13 abc and def (we operate a320's) have to occupied by at least 1 suitable person (abp's/able bodied persons) per row at all times. Very interesting stuff.

[@t5o7m]

Akaneosu | in this case, weren't there three ABP's in the exit row (def), --just one ABP needed to cross the aisle to operate / assist at port-side emergency exit

[@EinfachLuap]

@@t5o7m to be honest i don't know what exactly is stated in the MEL but i'm sure that it's not ok with the Flight Safety Manual. I would've thought the same but what i've learned lately is that there are some rules that don't really make sense at all, so i honestly don't think that your suggestion would be ok, at least in my company hahaha

[@beegood9395]

Great video. Great work.

[@inspectorgadget8234]

Tell them Mentour Pilot! Ps. Like your video's. Where do you find the time by the way?! Keep up the good work.

[@manthony1956]

This is so common for people with a negative agenda. Why would an airline put their customers, crew, and aircraft at risk? Low cost or not, the loss of life and property would probably bankrupt them.

[@Jehty_]

Isn't that exactly what Boeing did? So why wouldn't and airline do it? As long as they save a ton of money, corners get cut and the risk of an accident increases.

[@manthony1956]

@@Jehty_ If you listen to the media. But there are no absolutes in quality management. Your goal is to narrow the bell curve and reduce failures and risk to a minimum. The only absolute I know of is death.

[@xxDeRailxx]

I am more concerned about the bolts or studs being exposed as they could break the skin

[@johnh8268]

Exactly what I was thinking as well.

[@Markle2k]

I too was looking at those hinge pins with suspicion.

[@OlivierGabin]

Always ask a professional instead of a troll. Answers to such questions always boils down to something mundane. Thanks for the explanations !

[@stealthwarrior4870]

Good explanation. IMHO, social media often just an oppty for folks to be heard that otherwise rightfully wouldn't be given the time of day.