Originally Posted by
Hugedouche
Not enough room in the life rafts, so says the riddle kids.. who knows if it true but sounds possible
This is a rumor I hear often regarding the single jumpseat on the 320 that really needs to be put to bed!
It's only partially based in fact, but I don't believe it's the reason for a single jumpseat. It has 4 slide rafts with a 44 people capacity each, and a single remote raft with a 13 people capacity, for a total capacity of 189. Clearly enough room for 178 people, a crew of 6 and 2 jumpseats. However, FAR 25 requires a sufficient overload capacity to accomodate all occupants with the loss of a raft of the highest capacity. With the loss of a single slide raft, and 3 remaining rated for 55 overloaded, and the remote capacity is 20 overloaded, for a total of 185. 178+6 crew is 184, leaving room for 1 jumpseater. But that alone doesn't keep them from installing a second jumpseat, you just couldn't have someone occupy the seat, if full in the back, going beyond 50 miles offshore with the current raft compliment in use.
How do we know that? The 321 has the same 4 slide rafts, and 2 remote rafts capable of 25 each, for a total capacity of 226. Subtract the 218 seats, and a crew of 7, leaves you room for 1 jumpseater, yet it has 2 jumpseats installed. Oddly enough, it's 2 remote rafts are rated for 38 overloaded each, giving the 321 a loss/overload capacity of 241. Simply exchanging the 320's remote raft for one like the 321 carries would solve the problem, if the raft truly was the reason for a single jumpseat. Either way, raft capacity doesn't define seating capacity or configuration, simply how many people you can carry going beyond the 50 nm range from shore. The FAR's overwater required equipment references total occupants, not total seating capacity.
At the end of the day, we work for Spirit, the single jumpseat is a cost savings measure, nothing more.
Btw, I did hear of a flight where a captain called dispatch to reroute them inland to accomodate a second jumpseater on a full 321 flight from LGA to FLL. Not sure if it's true, but if so, great thinking on the captain's part to help a guy get where he needed to go. That's truly a "no pilot left behind" mentality we should all hope to offer!