Narrative:

Looking at the SID now, in the light of day and after a good night's sleep, it's hard to believe that two very experienced pilots missed a 'large boldface type' 250 KT airspeed restr twice. After giving it some thought, however, I do believe there are two possible problems, both associated with the restr's present location. First, if you place the plate on the yoke clipboard, it gets covered up by the clip (no problem if you frequent the airport regularly and the restr becomes 'common knowledge,' but a potential problem otherwise). Secondly, the restr, due to its large type boldface print does tend to 'blend in' with the SID's title, even if you are holding it in your hand when you review/brief it. In all honesty, 1/2 hour shows (25 mins at the gate) are a bit hectic with a 2 man crew (particularly when one of the pilots is relatively inexperienced in that environment) and the tendency is to look at the title to pick out the correct SID, stick it on the yoke clipboard until you're ready to brief, and then only brief the departure procedure as it relates to specific runway. Not catching the 250 KT restr at that point, means the FMS doesn't get reprogrammed to maintain 250 KT above 10000 ft (econ climb above 10000 ft is the default program), and when VNAV gets selected after clean-up, the airspeed exceedence becomes 'preordained.' I would suggest moving the restr away from the SID's title so it doesn't 'blend in' or 'get lost' under the yoke clip. Some place near the runway takeoff descriptions might be more appropriate. Although the SID is pretty busy for a vector departure on a '1 page' SID, some place closer to the middle of the page might make a better 'eye catcher.' keep the 'boldface' (I would guess that they've had some on-going problems with this or it wouldn't be in large print boldface in the first place), but move it to a more obvious position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC EXCEEDS 250 KIAS ON THE RIVR5.PDX SID OUT OF PDX WITHOUT PERMISSION. THE RPTR HAS MADE THE ERROR TWICE NOW AND SAYS THAT THE BOLD PRINT NOTICE OF THE SPD RESTR SHOULD BE RELOCATED AS THE CLIP ON THE CTL WHEEL COVERS THE PRINT WHILE THE CHART IS IN USE. PERHAPS LOCATING THE RESTR'S BOLD PRINT BELOW THE OTHER INSTRUCTIONS WOULD BE HELPFUL.

Narrative: LOOKING AT THE SID NOW, IN THE LIGHT OF DAY AND AFTER A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT TWO VERY EXPERIENCED PLTS MISSED A 'LARGE BOLDFACE TYPE' 250 KT AIRSPD RESTR TWICE. AFTER GIVING IT SOME THOUGHT, HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE TWO POSSIBLE PROBS, BOTH ASSOCIATED WITH THE RESTR'S PRESENT LOCATION. FIRST, IF YOU PLACE THE PLATE ON THE YOKE CLIPBOARD, IT GETS COVERED UP BY THE CLIP (NO PROB IF YOU FREQUENT THE ARPT REGULARLY AND THE RESTR BECOMES 'COMMON KNOWLEDGE,' BUT A POTENTIAL PROB OTHERWISE). SECONDLY, THE RESTR, DUE TO ITS LARGE TYPE BOLDFACE PRINT DOES TEND TO 'BLEND IN' WITH THE SID'S TITLE, EVEN IF YOU ARE HOLDING IT IN YOUR HAND WHEN YOU REVIEW/BRIEF IT. IN ALL HONESTY, 1/2 HR SHOWS (25 MINS AT THE GATE) ARE A BIT HECTIC WITH A 2 MAN CREW (PARTICULARLY WHEN ONE OF THE PLTS IS RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED IN THAT ENVIRONMENT) AND THE TENDENCY IS TO LOOK AT THE TITLE TO PICK OUT THE CORRECT SID, STICK IT ON THE YOKE CLIPBOARD UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO BRIEF, AND THEN ONLY BRIEF THE DEP PROC AS IT RELATES TO SPECIFIC RWY. NOT CATCHING THE 250 KT RESTR AT THAT POINT, MEANS THE FMS DOESN'T GET REPROGRAMMED TO MAINTAIN 250 KT ABOVE 10000 FT (ECON CLB ABOVE 10000 FT IS THE DEFAULT PROGRAM), AND WHEN VNAV GETS SELECTED AFTER CLEAN-UP, THE AIRSPD EXCEEDENCE BECOMES 'PREORDAINED.' I WOULD SUGGEST MOVING THE RESTR AWAY FROM THE SID'S TITLE SO IT DOESN'T 'BLEND IN' OR 'GET LOST' UNDER THE YOKE CLIP. SOME PLACE NEAR THE RWY TKOF DESCRIPTIONS MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE. ALTHOUGH THE SID IS PRETTY BUSY FOR A VECTOR DEP ON A '1 PAGE' SID, SOME PLACE CLOSER TO THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE MIGHT MAKE A BETTER 'EYE CATCHER.' KEEP THE 'BOLDFACE' (I WOULD GUESS THAT THEY'VE HAD SOME ON-GOING PROBS WITH THIS OR IT WOULDN'T BE IN LARGE PRINT BOLDFACE IN THE FIRST PLACE), BUT MOVE IT TO A MORE OBVIOUS POS.

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.