Narrative:

DC9 fleet has a reactive windshear warning/caution system with annunciator lights mounted under the glare shield. These lights and brackets, in some cases, interfere with the pilot's hand when making extreme control movements. I have notified the company several times, but little has been done to correct the problem. DC9-50 has a bracket that in my opinion could interfere with the pilot's hand when making an extreme control movement such as a crosswind landing or windshear recovery or wake turbulence recovery. Please be sure the company addresses this safety issue. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he has complained to the company each time an incident happens and they assure him that they are 'trying to work out a fix.' however, he sees no action. He had an first officer who cut his knuckles with some sharp edges. Placement is not consistent within the fleet so one does not always expect the unit to be where it is. The DC9-50 series seems to have more frequent problems. The unit is placed so that it will not allow full control movement and could hamper the very thing it is there to alert one about. This seems like a small item but it is definitely a safety factor. In conversations with company personnel he is informed that 'they' went to the simulator to determine the best placement for the unit and while it may be ok in the simulator, it does not work well in many aircraft in the fleet. Reporter feels a movement of just a few inches one way or the other would make a difference. He also has concerns about whether there is non compliance with aircraft certification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT RPT REGARDING PLACEMENT OF WINDSHEAR WARNING SYS WHICH INTERFERES WITH COMPLETE EXTREME CTL MOVEMENT ON DC9-50 ACFT. IT ALSO HAS CAUSED CUTS TO KNUCKLES DURING PREFLT PROCS.

Narrative: DC9 FLEET HAS A REACTIVE WINDSHEAR WARNING/CAUTION SYS WITH ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS MOUNTED UNDER THE GLARE SHIELD. THESE LIGHTS AND BRACKETS, IN SOME CASES, INTERFERE WITH THE PLT'S HAND WHEN MAKING EXTREME CTL MOVEMENTS. I HAVE NOTIFIED THE COMPANY SEVERAL TIMES, BUT LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROB. DC9-50 HAS A BRACKET THAT IN MY OPINION COULD INTERFERE WITH THE PLT'S HAND WHEN MAKING AN EXTREME CTL MOVEMENT SUCH AS A XWIND LNDG OR WINDSHEAR RECOVERY OR WAKE TURB RECOVERY. PLEASE BE SURE THE COMPANY ADDRESSES THIS SAFETY ISSUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS COMPLAINED TO THE COMPANY EACH TIME AN INCIDENT HAPPENS AND THEY ASSURE HIM THAT THEY ARE 'TRYING TO WORK OUT A FIX.' HOWEVER, HE SEES NO ACTION. HE HAD AN FO WHO CUT HIS KNUCKLES WITH SOME SHARP EDGES. PLACEMENT IS NOT CONSISTENT WITHIN THE FLEET SO ONE DOES NOT ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNIT TO BE WHERE IT IS. THE DC9-50 SERIES SEEMS TO HAVE MORE FREQUENT PROBS. THE UNIT IS PLACED SO THAT IT WILL NOT ALLOW FULL CTL MOVEMENT AND COULD HAMPER THE VERY THING IT IS THERE TO ALERT ONE ABOUT. THIS SEEMS LIKE A SMALL ITEM BUT IT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY FACTOR. IN CONVERSATIONS WITH COMPANY PERSONNEL HE IS INFORMED THAT 'THEY' WENT TO THE SIMULATOR TO DETERMINE THE BEST PLACEMENT FOR THE UNIT AND WHILE IT MAY BE OK IN THE SIMULATOR, IT DOES NOT WORK WELL IN MANY ACFT IN THE FLEET. RPTR FEELS A MOVEMENT OF JUST A FEW INCHES ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. HE ALSO HAS CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER THERE IS NON COMPLIANCE WITH ACFT CERTIFICATION.

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.