Narrative:

1) while preparing for an upcoming loft, I donned the crew member's oxygen mask (expandable harness type) and attempted to use it while flying. This was a very enlightening experience, one that I hope I will never have to do for real. As with most pilots over the age of 45, I require corrective lenses for near vision. This used to mean just to read charts, but now includes the instrument panel. 2) I removed my headset, went on the overhead speaker, and tried to put the mask on over my glasses. When I released the levers to collapse the harness around my head, the harness squeezed against the glass frame, forcing them away from my face and up out of my field view. They could not be forced down into position and were useless. I tried it again, but with my glasses going on after the harness was in position around my head. The glasses rested on top of the nose bridge of the mask. In this position I was able to see through them to the instrument panel, but only by lowering my chin to my chest. It was a very abnormal position from which to fly, and clearly not acceptable. 3) I have not yet tried the same procedure with the older style masks that hang from the strap. If I have to use smoke goggles with the expandable harness style mask, I doubt I would be able to wear glasses. Surely boeing, the mask manufacturer, and the FAA tested the mask on someone wearing glasses. Am I the only person who has had this problem? Am I doing something wrong? 4) with the recent concern over smoke in the cockpit, I think a full facemask makes a lot of sense. It would be much quicker to don a full facemask than trying to put on a mask and goggles, as we do now, much less have to deal with positive pressure to keep the goggles clear. It also seems feasible that a full facemask could be designed that would readily accommodate glasses. The crew oxygen system should be designed for the worse case scenario. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has sent this report to his air carrier safety office. This office has not yet responded. Its policy is to respond in writing to all safety items. The reporter does not know the name of the mask manufacturer. He finds that after a few mins wearing the mask, he feels as if his brains are coming out his mouth. He wishes that the manufacturer would have to wear the mask continuously for an extended period of time. The reporter will phone this incident to the FAA safety hotline. The reporter would like to have a full facemask as provided in the MD11. He also would like 2 personal breathing equipment hoods in his 2 man cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 PLT FINDS THAT HE CANNOT EFFECTIVELY WEAR HIS GLASSES AND THE OXYGEN MASK AT THE SAME TIME. ADDING SMOKE GOGGLES REALLY COMPLICATES THE SIT.

Narrative: 1) WHILE PREPARING FOR AN UPCOMING LOFT, I DONNED THE CREW MEMBER'S OXYGEN MASK (EXPANDABLE HARNESS TYPE) AND ATTEMPTED TO USE IT WHILE FLYING. THIS WAS A VERY ENLIGHTENING EXPERIENCE, ONE THAT I HOPE I WILL NEVER HAVE TO DO FOR REAL. AS WITH MOST PLTS OVER THE AGE OF 45, I REQUIRE CORRECTIVE LENSES FOR NEAR VISION. THIS USED TO MEAN JUST TO READ CHARTS, BUT NOW INCLUDES THE INST PANEL. 2) I REMOVED MY HEADSET, WENT ON THE OVERHEAD SPEAKER, AND TRIED TO PUT THE MASK ON OVER MY GLASSES. WHEN I RELEASED THE LEVERS TO COLLAPSE THE HARNESS AROUND MY HEAD, THE HARNESS SQUEEZED AGAINST THE GLASS FRAME, FORCING THEM AWAY FROM MY FACE AND UP OUT OF MY FIELD VIEW. THEY COULD NOT BE FORCED DOWN INTO POS AND WERE USELESS. I TRIED IT AGAIN, BUT WITH MY GLASSES GOING ON AFTER THE HARNESS WAS IN POS AROUND MY HEAD. THE GLASSES RESTED ON TOP OF THE NOSE BRIDGE OF THE MASK. IN THIS POS I WAS ABLE TO SEE THROUGH THEM TO THE INST PANEL, BUT ONLY BY LOWERING MY CHIN TO MY CHEST. IT WAS A VERY ABNORMAL POS FROM WHICH TO FLY, AND CLRLY NOT ACCEPTABLE. 3) I HAVE NOT YET TRIED THE SAME PROC WITH THE OLDER STYLE MASKS THAT HANG FROM THE STRAP. IF I HAVE TO USE SMOKE GOGGLES WITH THE EXPANDABLE HARNESS STYLE MASK, I DOUBT I WOULD BE ABLE TO WEAR GLASSES. SURELY BOEING, THE MASK MANUFACTURER, AND THE FAA TESTED THE MASK ON SOMEONE WEARING GLASSES. AM I THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS HAD THIS PROB? AM I DOING SOMETHING WRONG? 4) WITH THE RECENT CONCERN OVER SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, I THINK A FULL FACEMASK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. IT WOULD BE MUCH QUICKER TO DON A FULL FACEMASK THAN TRYING TO PUT ON A MASK AND GOGGLES, AS WE DO NOW, MUCH LESS HAVE TO DEAL WITH POSITIVE PRESSURE TO KEEP THE GOGGLES CLR. IT ALSO SEEMS FEASIBLE THAT A FULL FACEMASK COULD BE DESIGNED THAT WOULD READILY ACCOMMODATE GLASSES. THE CREW OXYGEN SYS SHOULD BE DESIGNED FOR THE WORSE CASE SCENARIO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS SENT THIS RPT TO HIS ACR SAFETY OFFICE. THIS OFFICE HAS NOT YET RESPONDED. ITS POLICY IS TO RESPOND IN WRITING TO ALL SAFETY ITEMS. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW THE NAME OF THE MASK MANUFACTURER. HE FINDS THAT AFTER A FEW MINS WEARING THE MASK, HE FEELS AS IF HIS BRAINS ARE COMING OUT HIS MOUTH. HE WISHES THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD HAVE TO WEAR THE MASK CONTINUOUSLY FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THE RPTR WILL PHONE THIS INCIDENT TO THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE. THE RPTR WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FULL FACEMASK AS PROVIDED IN THE MD11. HE ALSO WOULD LIKE 2 PERSONAL BREATHING EQUIP HOODS IN HIS 2 MAN COCKPIT.

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.