Narrative:

The last several weeks I have found several aircraft with a new modified glareshield cover over the flight guidance panel. This new cover has been made incorrectly and reduces the pilot's forward field of vision as well as making the wet compass mirrors system unusable. I have called engineering several times and was told they were working on it. Today's aircraft had this new part installed. I called engineering to find out what was being done on it. My description of the problem is as follows: the cover on most S80's has a break or bend of approximately 25 degrees which makes it situation on top of the flight guidance control panel flush. This one has no bend, nor does it situation on top of FGS, but has a space of at least 1/2 inch. Someone has been so kind to paint this metal black with a brush. The problem is that this cover extends into pilot's vision since it has not been bent parallel with the horizon. We need to either situation higher in seat to use mirrors or have washers added to mirrors to make them taller. Engineering says that maybe it's a bad vendor on the part, but it's on more than this plane. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that the glareshield on his air carrier's MD80's have sagged over the yrs obstructing the view of the top of the instruments panel and the flight guidance panel. A new glareshield would cost $900 while a remanufactured one only costs $40, so the air carrier is using the remanufactured one. A stiffener was put on top of the old glareshield that raises it out of the way of the flight guidance panel but now restricts forward visibility to a great extent and makes the use of the 'wet compass' impossible. The MD80 has mirrors mounted on top of the glareshield that fold up to the view the 'wet compass' in normal and emergency sits. The air carrier has promised, in writing to the reporter, that this problem would be fixed with a new or modified glareshield on an overnight basis as the parts become available. The remanufactured glareshield does not have a foam bumper on it which quickly became unsightly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT COMPLAINS ABOUT A CHANGE THAT FIXES ONE MINOR PROB BUT CREATES A BIGGER ONE.

Narrative: THE LAST SEVERAL WKS I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL ACFT WITH A NEW MODIFIED GLARESHIELD COVER OVER THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL. THIS NEW COVER HAS BEEN MADE INCORRECTLY AND REDUCES THE PLT'S FORWARD FIELD OF VISION AS WELL AS MAKING THE WET COMPASS MIRRORS SYS UNUSABLE. I HAVE CALLED ENGINEERING SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE WORKING ON IT. TODAY'S ACFT HAD THIS NEW PART INSTALLED. I CALLED ENGINEERING TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS BEING DONE ON IT. MY DESCRIPTION OF THE PROB IS AS FOLLOWS: THE COVER ON MOST S80'S HAS A BREAK OR BEND OF APPROX 25 DEGS WHICH MAKES IT SIT ON TOP OF THE FLT GUIDANCE CTL PANEL FLUSH. THIS ONE HAS NO BEND, NOR DOES IT SIT ON TOP OF FGS, BUT HAS A SPACE OF AT LEAST 1/2 INCH. SOMEONE HAS BEEN SO KIND TO PAINT THIS METAL BLACK WITH A BRUSH. THE PROB IS THAT THIS COVER EXTENDS INTO PLT'S VISION SINCE IT HAS NOT BEEN BENT PARALLEL WITH THE HORIZON. WE NEED TO EITHER SIT HIGHER IN SEAT TO USE MIRRORS OR HAVE WASHERS ADDED TO MIRRORS TO MAKE THEM TALLER. ENGINEERING SAYS THAT MAYBE IT'S A BAD VENDOR ON THE PART, BUT IT'S ON MORE THAN THIS PLANE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT THE GLARESHIELD ON HIS ACR'S MD80'S HAVE SAGGED OVER THE YRS OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW OF THE TOP OF THE INSTS PANEL AND THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL. A NEW GLARESHIELD WOULD COST $900 WHILE A REMANUFACTURED ONE ONLY COSTS $40, SO THE ACR IS USING THE REMANUFACTURED ONE. A STIFFENER WAS PUT ON TOP OF THE OLD GLARESHIELD THAT RAISES IT OUT OF THE WAY OF THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL BUT NOW RESTRICTS FORWARD VISIBILITY TO A GREAT EXTENT AND MAKES THE USE OF THE 'WET COMPASS' IMPOSSIBLE. THE MD80 HAS MIRRORS MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE GLARESHIELD THAT FOLD UP TO THE VIEW THE 'WET COMPASS' IN NORMAL AND EMER SITS. THE ACR HAS PROMISED, IN WRITING TO THE RPTR, THAT THIS PROB WOULD BE FIXED WITH A NEW OR MODIFIED GLARESHIELD ON AN OVERNIGHT BASIS AS THE PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. THE REMANUFACTURED GLARESHIELD DOES NOT HAVE A FOAM BUMPER ON IT WHICH QUICKLY BECAME UNSIGHTLY.

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.