 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An air carrier medium large transport crew man complains about the design and placement of the communication radio changeover switch.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 246710 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199307 |
| Day | Thu |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 246710 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Twice in one week, we (same captain and myself) have taken the runway, this time at dfw, and somehow after being instructed to 'position and hold,' we've tuned in approach. It is embarrassing. We both are convinced it is 'not me' -- that is hitting the toggle switch to approach. He says, and it could be, that when I push the confign check button prior to takeoff, which is located adjacent to the #1 VHF, I could be bumping that toggle switch. I think that his normal positioning of the radio frequencys (and that toggle switch) in the box is exactly opposite my habit pattern, so when he looks down and expects the switch and small green annunciator light to be on the left frequency, when I put tower in the right 'window,' he in confusion, 'fixes' it. We've talked about it. This has never happened to me on tower like this and it's happened twice in a week. I will be watching that switch a lot more closely.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR MLG CREW MAN COMPLAINS ABOUT THE DESIGN AND PLACEMENT OF THE COM RADIO CHANGEOVER SWITCH.
Narrative: TWICE IN ONE WK, WE (SAME CAPT AND MYSELF) HAVE TAKEN THE RWY, THIS TIME AT DFW, AND SOMEHOW AFTER BEING INSTRUCTED TO 'POS AND HOLD,' WE'VE TUNED IN APCH. IT IS EMBARRASSING. WE BOTH ARE CONVINCED IT IS 'NOT ME' -- THAT IS HITTING THE TOGGLE SWITCH TO APCH. HE SAYS, AND IT COULD BE, THAT WHEN I PUSH THE CONFIGN CHK BUTTON PRIOR TO TKOF, WHICH IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE #1 VHF, I COULD BE BUMPING THAT TOGGLE SWITCH. I THINK THAT HIS NORMAL POSITIONING OF THE RADIO FREQS (AND THAT TOGGLE SWITCH) IN THE BOX IS EXACTLY OPPOSITE MY HABIT PATTERN, SO WHEN HE LOOKS DOWN AND EXPECTS THE SWITCH AND SMALL GREEN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT TO BE ON THE L FREQ, WHEN I PUT TWR IN THE R 'WINDOW,' HE IN CONFUSION, 'FIXES' IT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME ON TWR LIKE THIS AND IT'S HAPPENED TWICE IN A WK. I WILL BE WATCHING THAT SWITCH A LOT MORE CLOSELY.
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.