Narrative:

My airline is operating with out of date publications/manuals for the flight crew members. 1) the capts of my aircraft are issued each a commercial approach book with revisions. First officer9's use commercials assigned to and kept in each individual aircraft. Each aircraft is assigned an first officer to keep that book up to date. Because of logistics, revisions are not incorporated at all, or at least not by the due dates. Upon confronting my chief pilot with this problem, he informed me that the placing of commercials in each aircraft for first officer's use was not an FAA requirement. He told me that the time being taken to get the revisions inserted was satisfactory to him. I voiced my concern for not only the confusion caused by inaccurate publications, and hence lack of safety, but that of first officer's possibly receiving violations for using the books, when they in fact may not be the ones responsible for revising them. My chief pilot explained to me that having the commercials for first officer's use was his doing (as stated in, that is requiring them, as per our operations manual). Further, he sees the captain's FAA required commercial book onboard and current as being sufficient for the crews. And in regard to whom would be violated for a lack F revision incorporated in the first officer's books, he claims it to be him (the chief pilot) only (as per our conversation 12/89). He also stated that I can be assured whoever was responsible for revising a violation concerning commercials would suffer an in-house penalty. In 12/89, I ran this problem past an FAA inspector, in a generic fashion so as not to be turning in my company. The inspector said that although he wasn't totally certain of the proper interpretation of this problem, that I could 'probably be certain it would be the captain...' doesn't the captain sign for the aircraft that everything on board is current and the aircraft is airworthy? Therefore, would the captain be violated? 2) there is a similar problem with flight crew operations manuals (fcom's) held by crew members. Again my chief pilot claims the FAA down not require him to supply pilots with current fcom's and revisions, therefore he hasn't. I began training in this aircraft 6/89 with an fcom last revised 12/88, 2 revisions behind. Even the fcom's in each aircraft are not totally up to date. As of 12/89, 8/89 revisions were still outstanding. How, therefore, can we pilots stay informed on up to date goings on with our aircraft. I've known many to assume the aircraft fcom's to be up to date and to therefore study them in cruise flight. I hope this information to be of service to NASA. I wish the FAA could see this shortfall and require, by regulation, updated publications and approach plates to immediate access to each flight crew member.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ISSUES CURRENT CHARTS TO CAPT AND ONE SET PER ACFT. ACFT CHARTS NOT ALWAYS UP TO DATE ON REVISIONS.

Narrative: MY AIRLINE IS OPERATING WITH OUT OF DATE PUBLICATIONS/MANUALS FOR THE FLT CREW MEMBERS. 1) THE CAPTS OF MY ACFT ARE ISSUED EACH A COMMERCIAL APCH BOOK WITH REVISIONS. F/O9'S USE COMMERCIALS ASSIGNED TO AND KEPT IN EACH INDIVIDUAL ACFT. EACH ACFT IS ASSIGNED AN F/O TO KEEP THAT BOOK UP TO DATE. BECAUSE OF LOGISTICS, REVISIONS ARE NOT INCORPORATED AT ALL, OR AT LEAST NOT BY THE DUE DATES. UPON CONFRONTING MY CHIEF PLT WITH THIS PROB, HE INFORMED ME THAT THE PLACING OF COMMERCIALS IN EACH ACFT FOR F/O'S USE WAS NOT AN FAA REQUIREMENT. HE TOLD ME THAT THE TIME BEING TAKEN TO GET THE REVISIONS INSERTED WAS SATISFACTORY TO HIM. I VOICED MY CONCERN FOR NOT ONLY THE CONFUSION CAUSED BY INACCURATE PUBLICATIONS, AND HENCE LACK OF SAFETY, BUT THAT OF F/O'S POSSIBLY RECEIVING VIOLATIONS FOR USING THE BOOKS, WHEN THEY IN FACT MAY NOT BE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR REVISING THEM. MY CHIEF PLT EXPLAINED TO ME THAT HAVING THE COMMERCIALS FOR F/O'S USE WAS HIS DOING (AS STATED IN, THAT IS REQUIRING THEM, AS PER OUR OPS MANUAL). FURTHER, HE SEES THE CAPT'S FAA REQUIRED COMMERCIAL BOOK ONBOARD AND CURRENT AS BEING SUFFICIENT FOR THE CREWS. AND IN REGARD TO WHOM WOULD BE VIOLATED FOR A LACK F REVISION INCORPORATED IN THE F/O'S BOOKS, HE CLAIMS IT TO BE HIM (THE CHIEF PLT) ONLY (AS PER OUR CONVERSATION 12/89). HE ALSO STATED THAT I CAN BE ASSURED WHOEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR REVISING A VIOLATION CONCERNING COMMERCIALS WOULD SUFFER AN IN-HOUSE PENALTY. IN 12/89, I RAN THIS PROB PAST AN FAA INSPECTOR, IN A GENERIC FASHION SO AS NOT TO BE TURNING IN MY COMPANY. THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HE WASN'T TOTALLY CERTAIN OF THE PROPER INTERP OF THIS PROB, THAT I COULD 'PROBABLY BE CERTAIN IT WOULD BE THE CAPT...' DOESN'T THE CAPT SIGN FOR THE ACFT THAT EVERYTHING ON BOARD IS CURRENT AND THE ACFT IS AIRWORTHY? THEREFORE, WOULD THE CAPT BE VIOLATED? 2) THERE IS A SIMILAR PROB WITH FLT CREW OPS MANUALS (FCOM'S) HELD BY CREW MEMBERS. AGAIN MY CHIEF PLT CLAIMS THE FAA DOWN NOT REQUIRE HIM TO SUPPLY PLTS WITH CURRENT FCOM'S AND REVISIONS, THEREFORE HE HASN'T. I BEGAN TRNING IN THIS ACFT 6/89 WITH AN FCOM LAST REVISED 12/88, 2 REVISIONS BEHIND. EVEN THE FCOM'S IN EACH ACFT ARE NOT TOTALLY UP TO DATE. AS OF 12/89, 8/89 REVISIONS WERE STILL OUTSTANDING. HOW, THEREFORE, CAN WE PLTS STAY INFORMED ON UP TO DATE GOINGS ON WITH OUR ACFT. I'VE KNOWN MANY TO ASSUME THE ACFT FCOM'S TO BE UP TO DATE AND TO THEREFORE STUDY THEM IN CRUISE FLT. I HOPE THIS INFO TO BE OF SVC TO NASA. I WISH THE FAA COULD SEE THIS SHORTFALL AND REQUIRE, BY REG, UPDATED PUBLICATIONS AND APCH PLATES TO IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EACH FLT CREW MEMBER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.