Narrative:

A glass cockpit air carrier captain has sent the ASRS a letter that he wrote to his company and his union safety chairman regarding the company's newly established policy to reduce the number of reported altdevs. He included a letter to all pilots jointly published by the airline company and the pilot union establishing the new procedure. The current rate of reported altdevs is slightly more than 2 per month out of about 2000 flight segments per day. A little history: another carrier has instituted the same policy to reduce their altitude deviation rate down to where the reporting captain's airline is currently flying. The new procedure calls for the PNF to touch the altitude setting device on the mode control panel and keep his finger on the control until the PF both touches the MCP, or at least points to it, and verbally agrees that the correct new altitude has been set. The reporting captain believes that this is more than is necessary to reach an acceptable level of altdevs. The reporting captain further states that he has flown 'glass cockpit' aircraft for the past 3 yrs. He has found that many of the labor saving devices create much more work and many ways to foul up the operation. This is especially true when the aircraft is taken off of the 'magenta line.' the reporter states that, since the absolute number of deviations has remained the same over the yrs, the rate of deviations has dropped with the expansion that has taken place. The reporter's statement may be just the usual negative response to any new thinking and procedure from management.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR 'GLASS COCKPIT' CAPT WROTE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A NEW POLICY THAT HIS COMPANY IS INSTITUTING IN AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ALTDEVS IN THE 2 MAN COCKPIT ACFT.

Narrative: A GLASS COCKPIT ACR CAPT HAS SENT THE ASRS A LETTER THAT HE WROTE TO HIS COMPANY AND HIS UNION SAFETY CHAIRMAN REGARDING THE COMPANY'S NEWLY ESTABLISHED POLICY TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF RPTED ALTDEVS. HE INCLUDED A LETTER TO ALL PLTS JOINTLY PUBLISHED BY THE AIRLINE COMPANY AND THE PLT UNION ESTABLISHING THE NEW PROC. THE CURRENT RATE OF RPTED ALTDEVS IS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 2 PER MONTH OUT OF ABOUT 2000 FLT SEGMENTS PER DAY. A LITTLE HISTORY: ANOTHER CARRIER HAS INSTITUTED THE SAME POLICY TO REDUCE THEIR ALTDEV RATE DOWN TO WHERE THE RPTING CAPT'S AIRLINE IS CURRENTLY FLYING. THE NEW PROC CALLS FOR THE PNF TO TOUCH THE ALT SETTING DEVICE ON THE MODE CTL PANEL AND KEEP HIS FINGER ON THE CTL UNTIL THE PF BOTH TOUCHES THE MCP, OR AT LEAST POINTS TO IT, AND VERBALLY AGREES THAT THE CORRECT NEW ALT HAS BEEN SET. THE RPTING CAPT BELIEVES THAT THIS IS MORE THAN IS NECESSARY TO REACH AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF ALTDEVS. THE RPTING CAPT FURTHER STATES THAT HE HAS FLOWN 'GLASS COCKPIT' ACFT FOR THE PAST 3 YRS. HE HAS FOUND THAT MANY OF THE LABOR SAVING DEVICES CREATE MUCH MORE WORK AND MANY WAYS TO FOUL UP THE OP. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN THE ACFT IS TAKEN OFF OF THE 'MAGENTA LINE.' THE RPTR STATES THAT, SINCE THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER OF DEVS HAS REMAINED THE SAME OVER THE YRS, THE RATE OF DEVS HAS DROPPED WITH THE EXPANSION THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE. THE RPTR'S STATEMENT MAY BE JUST THE USUAL NEGATIVE RESPONSE TO ANY NEW THINKING AND PROC FROM MGMNT.

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.