Narrative:

Departed on revenue part 135 flight with FAA inspector onboard performing a line check. Upon reaching 400 ft AGL visually cleared area to left as we departed the uncontrolled field (eat) with a left crosswind departure. To back up my visual scan I glanced down at our tcasi unit and discovered it was not on. We had not turned it on before takeoff. The tcasi unit is not wired to the avionics master. I have gotten in the habit of manually shutting it down to avoid damage to the unit during engine starts and electrical system checks and also to save battery power. Our company has only recently installed these units and we have no mention of them on aircraft checklists, other than as a first flight of the day item, 'tcasi test.' our company's tcasi training program consisted of a manual and a self study test that did not include any training on how to use the unit in line operations, or what procedures to follow on the use of the unit such as when to leave it on or shut it off. Our tcasi units (bfg TCAS 791) do not integrate targets when our aircraft is on the ground. They are useless to look at on the ground since screen is blank. It would just be nice to get some real training for a change instead of 'read the manual, here's a self study test.' the same thing was done for GPWS, our new company operations manual and the company flight manual. New checklists and emergency procedures are adopted without training the crews. They just show up in the aircraft. All of this was approved by our poi.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CAPT OF A BE02 FORGOT TO TURN ON THE TCASI UNIT BEFORE TKOF DURING AN FAA LINE CHK. THE RPTING CAPT STATES THAT THE EQUIP IS NEW ON THE ACFT AND THAT HIS COMPANY DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY TRAINING OR CHKLIST PROC ON HOW TO USE THE UNIT DURING LINE OPS.

Narrative: DEPARTED ON REVENUE PART 135 FLT WITH FAA INSPECTOR ONBOARD PERFORMING A LINE CHK. UPON REACHING 400 FT AGL VISUALLY CLRED AREA TO L AS WE DEPARTED THE UNCTLED FIELD (EAT) WITH A L XWIND DEP. TO BACK UP MY VISUAL SCAN I GLANCED DOWN AT OUR TCASI UNIT AND DISCOVERED IT WAS NOT ON. WE HAD NOT TURNED IT ON BEFORE TKOF. THE TCASI UNIT IS NOT WIRED TO THE AVIONICS MASTER. I HAVE GOTTEN IN THE HABIT OF MANUALLY SHUTTING IT DOWN TO AVOID DAMAGE TO THE UNIT DURING ENG STARTS AND ELECTRICAL SYS CHKS AND ALSO TO SAVE BATTERY PWR. OUR COMPANY HAS ONLY RECENTLY INSTALLED THESE UNITS AND WE HAVE NO MENTION OF THEM ON ACFT CHKLISTS, OTHER THAN AS A FIRST FLT OF THE DAY ITEM, 'TCASI TEST.' OUR COMPANY'S TCASI TRAINING PROGRAM CONSISTED OF A MANUAL AND A SELF STUDY TEST THAT DID NOT INCLUDE ANY TRAINING ON HOW TO USE THE UNIT IN LINE OPS, OR WHAT PROCS TO FOLLOW ON THE USE OF THE UNIT SUCH AS WHEN TO LEAVE IT ON OR SHUT IT OFF. OUR TCASI UNITS (BFG TCAS 791) DO NOT INTEGRATE TARGETS WHEN OUR ACFT IS ON THE GND. THEY ARE USELESS TO LOOK AT ON THE GND SINCE SCREEN IS BLANK. IT WOULD JUST BE NICE TO GET SOME REAL TRAINING FOR A CHANGE INSTEAD OF 'READ THE MANUAL, HERE'S A SELF STUDY TEST.' THE SAME THING WAS DONE FOR GPWS, OUR NEW COMPANY OPS MANUAL AND THE COMPANY FLT MANUAL. NEW CHKLISTS AND EMER PROCS ARE ADOPTED WITHOUT TRAINING THE CREWS. THEY JUST SHOW UP IN THE ACFT. ALL OF THIS WAS APPROVED BY OUR POI.

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.