Replacement glareshield obstructs forward vision and the use of the 'wet' compass.

Attributes
ACN	319180
Time
Date	199510
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	319180
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Reduced outside visibility by glareshield. Same complaint about the new cover that has been added above the flight guidance panel on S80 aircraft. As this new part seems to virtually void the use of wet compass mirrors and maintenance has done nothing to correct the problem, maybe you can help from a safety standpoint. Since yrs have passed with the loss of a third set of eyes in cockpit, how can we allow our aircraft to be flown with at least a 15 percent loss of forward visibility from inside cockpit. Our only forward means of looking out is between the overhead panel and the glareshield cover. This averages about 7 inches of unobstructed area between the 2 on aircraft with the old cover over the flight guidance panel. On the few aircraft with this new part, it is only 6 inches. You work it out and it's a lot of forward visibility lost. Compare this aircraft a with only 6.1 inches of clear visibility and the one we flew in aircraft B which has 7.3 inches of spacing between overhead and glareshield cover or aircraft C with 7 inches and you can hopefully see the dilemma of trying to find an intruder aircraft below your field of vision. This is not the safest operation with this part. This part should situation on top of flight guidance panel like before instead of 0.5 to 0.75 inches of gap. Aircraft D is like this also. Asking the pilot to raise his seat higher allows use of wet compass mirrors, however it further reduces your outside forward visibility. Can someone look into this a little deeper before there is a larger safety problem related to this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has won his crusade! His air carrier has agreed to replace all of the offending glareshield panels, 'there were only 50 or 60 of them,' as soon as possible. Several pilots had joined the fight and were threatening to refuse to fly the aircraft from outlying stations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPLACEMENT GLARESHIELD OBSTRUCTS FORWARD VISION AND THE USE OF THE 'WET' COMPASS.

Narrative: REDUCED OUTSIDE VISIBILITY BY GLARESHIELD. SAME COMPLAINT ABOUT THE NEW COVER THAT HAS BEEN ADDED ABOVE THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL ON S80 ACFT. AS THIS NEW PART SEEMS TO VIRTUALLY VOID THE USE OF WET COMPASS MIRRORS AND MAINT HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROB, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT. SINCE YRS HAVE PASSED WITH THE LOSS OF A THIRD SET OF EYES IN COCKPIT, HOW CAN WE ALLOW OUR ACFT TO BE FLOWN WITH AT LEAST A 15 PERCENT LOSS OF FORWARD VISIBILITY FROM INSIDE COCKPIT. OUR ONLY FORWARD MEANS OF LOOKING OUT IS BTWN THE OVERHEAD PANEL AND THE GLARESHIELD COVER. THIS AVERAGES ABOUT 7 INCHES OF UNOBSTRUCTED AREA BTWN THE 2 ON ACFT WITH THE OLD COVER OVER THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL. ON THE FEW ACFT WITH THIS NEW PART, IT IS ONLY 6 INCHES. YOU WORK IT OUT AND IT'S A LOT OF FORWARD VISIBILITY LOST. COMPARE THIS ACFT A WITH ONLY 6.1 INCHES OF CLR VISIBILITY AND THE ONE WE FLEW IN ACFT B WHICH HAS 7.3 INCHES OF SPACING BTWN OVERHEAD AND GLARESHIELD COVER OR ACFT C WITH 7 INCHES AND YOU CAN HOPEFULLY SEE THE DILEMMA OF TRYING TO FIND AN INTRUDER ACFT BELOW YOUR FIELD OF VISION. THIS IS NOT THE SAFEST OP WITH THIS PART. THIS PART SHOULD SIT ON TOP OF FLT GUIDANCE PANEL LIKE BEFORE INSTEAD OF 0.5 TO 0.75 INCHES OF GAP. ACFT D IS LIKE THIS ALSO. ASKING THE PLT TO RAISE HIS SEAT HIGHER ALLOWS USE OF WET COMPASS MIRRORS, HOWEVER IT FURTHER REDUCES YOUR OUTSIDE FORWARD VISIBILITY. CAN SOMEONE LOOK INTO THIS A LITTLE DEEPER BEFORE THERE IS A LARGER SAFETY PROB RELATED TO THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS WON HIS CRUSADE! HIS ACR HAS AGREED TO REPLACE ALL OF THE OFFENDING GLARESHIELD PANELS, 'THERE WERE ONLY 50 OR 60 OF THEM,' AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SEVERAL PLTS HAD JOINED THE FIGHT AND WERE THREATENING TO REFUSE TO FLY THE ACFT FROM OUTLYING STATIONS.

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.