Air carrier first officer reporter cites airline management policy of not issuing charts to captain ...

Attributes
ACN	169546
Time
Date	199102
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : day
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	169546
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

The reason for this report is not for a particular event, but a continuing problem. I am a first officer in an light transport for xyz airlines/dba/abc. The company is based in dayton, oh. On 1/mon/90 the company switched from issuing a set of navigation charts to each captain to one set per aircraft. Because several crews use the charts, the condition of the charts degrade very rapidly. It has been over a yr now using one set of charts per aircraft and the charts are continuously in poor condition. When a flight crew finds a chart in poor condition it is turned in to the chief pilot's office. The problem now is the company is not replacing the chart with a new one but taping them back together. And if a piece is missing they copy the missing piece from another chart and tape it in place. Keep in mind this copied piece of chart is no longer color coded like the rest of the chart. These taped together charts are hard to read because the places where the chart is taped together is seldom lined up properly. Because of this, we have had difficulty, been unable, or misread the arwys, radials, meas, VOR frequencys, etc. The instrument approach procedures are in similar condition. This is a potentially hazardous situation because not only could the flight crew use incorrect information but the now necessary added workload of discussing and studying the charts in order to get the hard to read or missing information, could add to, or start, a chain of events leading to an accident or incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO REPORTER CITES AIRLINE MANAGEMENT POLICY OF NOT ISSUING CHARTS TO CAPT BUT ONLY TO ACFT OFTEN RESULTS IN SUB-STANDARD CHARTS THAT ARE TORN A PATCHED, MAKING THEM DIFFICULT TO READ.

Narrative: THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS NOT FOR A PARTICULAR EVENT, BUT A CONTINUING PROBLEM. I AM A F/O IN AN LTT FOR XYZ AIRLINES/DBA/ABC. THE COMPANY IS BASED IN DAYTON, OH. ON 1/MON/90 THE COMPANY SWITCHED FROM ISSUING A SET OF NAV CHARTS TO EACH CAPT TO ONE SET PER ACFT. BECAUSE SEVERAL CREWS USE THE CHARTS, THE CONDITION OF THE CHARTS DEGRADE VERY RAPIDLY. IT HAS BEEN OVER A YR NOW USING ONE SET OF CHARTS PER ACFT AND THE CHARTS ARE CONTINUOUSLY IN POOR CONDITION. WHEN A FLT CREW FINDS A CHART IN POOR CONDITION IT IS TURNED IN TO THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE. THE PROB NOW IS THE COMPANY IS NOT REPLACING THE CHART WITH A NEW ONE BUT TAPING THEM BACK TOGETHER. AND IF A PIECE IS MISSING THEY COPY THE MISSING PIECE FROM ANOTHER CHART AND TAPE IT IN PLACE. KEEP IN MIND THIS COPIED PIECE OF CHART IS NO LONGER COLOR CODED LIKE THE REST OF THE CHART. THESE TAPED TOGETHER CHARTS ARE HARD TO READ BECAUSE THE PLACES WHERE THE CHART IS TAPED TOGETHER IS SELDOM LINED UP PROPERLY. BECAUSE OF THIS, WE HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY, BEEN UNABLE, OR MISREAD THE ARWYS, RADIALS, MEAS, VOR FREQS, ETC. THE INSTRUMENT APCH PROCS ARE IN SIMILAR CONDITION. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION BECAUSE NOT ONLY COULD THE FLT CREW USE INCORRECT INFO BUT THE NOW NECESSARY ADDED WORKLOAD OF DISCUSSING AND STUDYING THE CHARTS IN ORDER TO GET THE HARD TO READ OR MISSING INFO, COULD ADD TO, OR START, A CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Air carrier first officer reporter cites airline management policy of not issuing charts to captain but only to aircraft often results in sub-standard charts that are torn a patched, making them difficult to read.