FAA limitations were exceeded during B777 pre- certification flight test.

Attributes
ACN	315876
Time
Date	199509
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bfl
State Reference	WA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bfl
Operator	other
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 9700 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	315876
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The aircraft is a boeing 777 with ge CF90 engines. It is in pre- certification flight testing. It is operating with numerous boeing, ge, or FAA imposed limitations. The aircraft had been preflted and released for an engineering test flight which was canceled. It was then rescheduled for a training flight requiring multiple lndgs. The release form stated that the airplane, due to borescope requirements, had 6 cycles remaining and 1 flight. Before the flight departed, new operating limitations dated sep/wed/95 were received allowing 24 flts. The crew assumed that the change applied to the 6 cycles limit also. During the training flight 5 touch and go lndgs and 4 full stop lndgs were accomplished. After the flight, the aircraft was grounded in order to accomplish the borescope inspection. The remaining flts were canceled. In retrospect, there were 2 different inspection requirements. Only 1 was addressed by the experimental operating limitations dated sep/wed/95. In addition, given the day's planned activities, the aircraft should not have been released to the flight crew.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA LIMITATIONS WERE EXCEEDED DURING B777 PRE- CERTIFICATION FLT TEST.

Narrative: THE ACFT IS A BOEING 777 WITH GE CF90 ENGS. IT IS IN PRE- CERTIFICATION FLT TESTING. IT IS OPERATING WITH NUMEROUS BOEING, GE, OR FAA IMPOSED LIMITATIONS. THE ACFT HAD BEEN PREFLTED AND RELEASED FOR AN ENGINEERING TEST FLT WHICH WAS CANCELED. IT WAS THEN RESCHEDULED FOR A TRAINING FLT REQUIRING MULTIPLE LNDGS. THE RELEASE FORM STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE, DUE TO BORESCOPE REQUIREMENTS, HAD 6 CYCLES REMAINING AND 1 FLT. BEFORE THE FLT DEPARTED, NEW OPERATING LIMITATIONS DATED SEP/WED/95 WERE RECEIVED ALLOWING 24 FLTS. THE CREW ASSUMED THAT THE CHANGE APPLIED TO THE 6 CYCLES LIMIT ALSO. DURING THE TRAINING FLT 5 TOUCH AND GO LNDGS AND 4 FULL STOP LNDGS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. AFTER THE FLT, THE ACFT WAS GNDED IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THE BORESCOPE INSPECTION. THE REMAINING FLTS WERE CANCELED. IN RETROSPECT, THERE WERE 2 DIFFERENT INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS. ONLY 1 WAS ADDRESSED BY THE EXPERIMENTAL OPERATING LIMITATIONS DATED SEP/WED/95. IN ADDITION, GIVEN THE DAY'S PLANNED ACTIVITIES, THE ACFT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RELEASED TO THE FLC.

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.