Narrative:

Please accept this unsolicited input in the spirit it was intended -- improved air safety. I believe some current commercial charts are too cluttered and confusing. Specifically, I would suggest that any chart that folds out has too much information on it. While this might be acceptable for an airway chart, I find it unmanageable for a 'hands off,' yoke mounted reference chart. Physically they are too large to be attached to the yoke without the ends folding over, thus blocking the necessary information. If fully unfolded, it is too wide for quick reference. At night, since vital information is not always concentrated on the chart, map lights must be repositioned or flood lights used. This distracts from hands on flying or reduces night vision. If the charts are refolded so the current phase of flight is centered on the yoke, the written navigation information may not be visible for quick reference. Information not pertinent to the current phase of flight (ie, communication out, engine out, satellite airports, etc) adds to the chart clutter. I realize some charts are complicated and confusing by design. A straight-in approach chart serving one runway is less 'busy' than a chart designed to serve several airports and runway configns. I am therefore forwarding a copy of this letter to the NASA ASRS. I hope this input can be used to encourage simplified procedures resulting in simplified charts. In the meantime, any improvement in the presentation would be appreciated. I hope consolidation of the information might be a solution instead of replacing an existing folding chart with numerous replacements. Too much information, during a too confusing procedure with too many charts, with a two place cockpit, while flying 'to-nite' is just too much. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he flew boeing 737S, he had 12000 hours total time, 240 hours in the last 90 days and 8000 hours flying the B737. He stated he was a captain who found foldout charts too complicated. (Example: analyst graphic the acton 4 arrival.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTS ARE TOO CLUTTERED AND PROCS ARE TOO COMPLICATED. FOLDOUT CHARTS ARE UNMANAGEABLE ON THE CHART HOLDERS, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.

Narrative: PLEASE ACCEPT THIS UNSOLICITED INPUT IN THE SPIRIT IT WAS INTENDED -- IMPROVED AIR SAFETY. I BELIEVE SOME CURRENT COMMERCIAL CHARTS ARE TOO CLUTTERED AND CONFUSING. SPECIFICALLY, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ANY CHART THAT FOLDS OUT HAS TOO MUCH INFO ON IT. WHILE THIS MIGHT BE ACCEPTABLE FOR AN AIRWAY CHART, I FIND IT UNMANAGEABLE FOR A 'HANDS OFF,' YOKE MOUNTED REF CHART. PHYSICALLY THEY ARE TOO LARGE TO BE ATTACHED TO THE YOKE WITHOUT THE ENDS FOLDING OVER, THUS BLOCKING THE NECESSARY INFO. IF FULLY UNFOLDED, IT IS TOO WIDE FOR QUICK REF. AT NIGHT, SINCE VITAL INFO IS NOT ALWAYS CONCENTRATED ON THE CHART, MAP LIGHTS MUST BE REPOSITIONED OR FLOOD LIGHTS USED. THIS DISTRACTS FROM HANDS ON FLYING OR REDUCES NIGHT VISION. IF THE CHARTS ARE REFOLDED SO THE CURRENT PHASE OF FLT IS CTRED ON THE YOKE, THE WRITTEN NAV INFO MAY NOT BE VISIBLE FOR QUICK REF. INFO NOT PERTINENT TO THE CURRENT PHASE OF FLT (IE, COM OUT, ENG OUT, SATELLITE ARPTS, ETC) ADDS TO THE CHART CLUTTER. I REALIZE SOME CHARTS ARE COMPLICATED AND CONFUSING BY DESIGN. A STRAIGHT-IN APCH CHART SERVING ONE RWY IS LESS 'BUSY' THAN A CHART DESIGNED TO SERVE SEVERAL ARPTS AND RWY CONFIGNS. I AM THEREFORE FORWARDING A COPY OF THIS LETTER TO THE NASA ASRS. I HOPE THIS INPUT CAN BE USED TO ENCOURAGE SIMPLIFIED PROCS RESULTING IN SIMPLIFIED CHARTS. IN THE MEANTIME, ANY IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRESENTATION WOULD BE APPRECIATED. I HOPE CONSOLIDATION OF THE INFO MIGHT BE A SOLUTION INSTEAD OF REPLACING AN EXISTING FOLDING CHART WITH NUMEROUS REPLACEMENTS. TOO MUCH INFO, DURING A TOO CONFUSING PROC WITH TOO MANY CHARTS, WITH A TWO PLACE COCKPIT, WHILE FLYING 'TO-NITE' IS JUST TOO MUCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE FLEW BOEING 737S, HE HAD 12000 HRS TOTAL TIME, 240 HRS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS AND 8000 HRS FLYING THE B737. HE STATED HE WAS A CAPT WHO FOUND FOLDOUT CHARTS TOO COMPLICATED. (EXAMPLE: ANALYST GRAPHIC THE ACTON 4 ARR.)

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.