Narrative:

Our air carrier has added a reactive windshear system to its DC9 fleet. The warning lights are located just under the glareshield, left and right side. On several aircraft I have flown the lights interfere with the pilot's hand when moving the control wheel to extreme position, ie, most likely found in a windshear condition, I feel the lights should be relocated. It would certainly be ironic if the system to help in windshear awareness would interfere with an actual windshear recovery. Please use your influence to have the FAA look into this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a DC9-50 at the time of this incident, but he said that this problem applies, in general, to the entire DC9 fleet of -10, -30, -40 and -50 aircraft. During the preflight his first officer cut his hand on the windshear warning lights that are attached to the instrument glareshield during his control check. As the first officer pushed the control column forward and rotated the wheel his hand struck the new light installation's sharp metal housing. The captain said that he has looked at the installation on other models of the DC9 that his company operates and he thinks that the lights could interfere with full control wheel movement on all of the DC9's. The lights are located just to the left of the centerline of the control wheel on the captain's side and just to the right on the first officer's side. The installation consists of 2 lights, side by side, and each rectangular light is about 3/4 by 1 1/4 inches. The reporter said that some glareshields hang down toward the wheel more than others so he thinks that some clrncs may vary from the ones that he has seen. The reporter's company acknowledged the problem and he said that the chief pilot and maintenance was going to tell him what they were doing to correct it, but he has not heard from them yet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FINDS THAT A NEW WINDSHEAR WARNING LIGHT INSTALLATION INTERFERED WITH FULL CTL WHEEL MOVEMENT WHEN THE FO CUTS HIS HAND ON THE LIGHT HOUSING DURING A CTL CHK. DC9-50.

Narrative: OUR ACR HAS ADDED A REACTIVE WINDSHEAR SYS TO ITS DC9 FLEET. THE WARNING LIGHTS ARE LOCATED JUST UNDER THE GLARESHIELD, L AND R SIDE. ON SEVERAL ACFT I HAVE FLOWN THE LIGHTS INTERFERE WITH THE PLT'S HAND WHEN MOVING THE CTL WHEEL TO EXTREME POS, IE, MOST LIKELY FOUND IN A WINDSHEAR CONDITION, I FEEL THE LIGHTS SHOULD BE RELOCATED. IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE IRONIC IF THE SYS TO HELP IN WINDSHEAR AWARENESS WOULD INTERFERE WITH AN ACTUAL WINDSHEAR RECOVERY. PLEASE USE YOUR INFLUENCE TO HAVE THE FAA LOOK INTO THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A DC9-50 AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT, BUT HE SAID THAT THIS PROB APPLIES, IN GENERAL, TO THE ENTIRE DC9 FLEET OF -10, -30, -40 AND -50 ACFT. DURING THE PREFLT HIS FO CUT HIS HAND ON THE WINDSHEAR WARNING LIGHTS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THE INST GLARESHIELD DURING HIS CTL CHK. AS THE FO PUSHED THE CTL COLUMN FORWARD AND ROTATED THE WHEEL HIS HAND STRUCK THE NEW LIGHT INSTALLATION'S SHARP METAL HOUSING. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE HAS LOOKED AT THE INSTALLATION ON OTHER MODELS OF THE DC9 THAT HIS COMPANY OPERATES AND HE THINKS THAT THE LIGHTS COULD INTERFERE WITH FULL CTL WHEEL MOVEMENT ON ALL OF THE DC9'S. THE LIGHTS ARE LOCATED JUST TO THE L OF THE CTRLINE OF THE CTL WHEEL ON THE CAPT'S SIDE AND JUST TO THE R ON THE FO'S SIDE. THE INSTALLATION CONSISTS OF 2 LIGHTS, SIDE BY SIDE, AND EACH RECTANGULAR LIGHT IS ABOUT 3/4 BY 1 1/4 INCHES. THE RPTR SAID THAT SOME GLARESHIELDS HANG DOWN TOWARD THE WHEEL MORE THAN OTHERS SO HE THINKS THAT SOME CLRNCS MAY VARY FROM THE ONES THAT HE HAS SEEN. THE RPTR'S COMPANY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROB AND HE SAID THAT THE CHIEF PLT AND MAINT WAS GOING TO TELL HIM WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO CORRECT IT, BUT HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THEM YET.

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.