 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B737 flight crew concern regarding termination of the use of rain repellent and resulting problem when landing with heavy rain conditions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 394571 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199802 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cle |
| State Reference | OH |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : cle |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 |
| ASRS Report | 394571 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Very heavy rain, turbulence, and windshear on short final to runway 5R at cle. Had to use rain repellent with windshield wipers on high to see runway at touchdown. Problem: memo from director of flight operations at our airline states epa has declared rain repellent fluid can no longer be used and air carrier's B737's will no longer have rain repellent when supplies run out. We could not have completed landing today without rain repellent. This ridiculous bureaucratic decision will ultimately contribute to an airline crash with resulting loss of life. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he is in captain upgrade school currently and the instructor indicates there is a new fluid in the making which will not be toxic. As soon as it is tested they will begin using that. The newer 700 and 800 models have no rain repellent system at all. Reporter's main concern is that at times the wipers -- even at full action -- cannot clear the windshield enough to make vision acceptable. Depth perception is greatly impaired. The hotline was recommended.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 FLC CONCERN REGARDING TERMINATION OF THE USE OF RAIN REPELLENT AND RESULTING PROB WHEN LNDG WITH HVY RAIN CONDITIONS.
Narrative: VERY HVY RAIN, TURB, AND WINDSHEAR ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 5R AT CLE. HAD TO USE RAIN REPELLENT WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON HIGH TO SEE RWY AT TOUCHDOWN. PROB: MEMO FROM DIRECTOR OF FLT OPS AT OUR AIRLINE STATES EPA HAS DECLARED RAIN REPELLENT FLUID CAN NO LONGER BE USED AND ACR'S B737'S WILL NO LONGER HAVE RAIN REPELLENT WHEN SUPPLIES RUN OUT. WE COULD NOT HAVE COMPLETED LNDG TODAY WITHOUT RAIN REPELLENT. THIS RIDICULOUS BUREAUCRATIC DECISION WILL ULTIMATELY CONTRIBUTE TO AN AIRLINE CRASH WITH RESULTING LOSS OF LIFE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE IS IN CAPT UPGRADE SCHOOL CURRENTLY AND THE INSTRUCTOR INDICATES THERE IS A NEW FLUID IN THE MAKING WHICH WILL NOT BE TOXIC. AS SOON AS IT IS TESTED THEY WILL BEGIN USING THAT. THE NEWER 700 AND 800 MODELS HAVE NO RAIN REPELLENT SYS AT ALL. RPTR'S MAIN CONCERN IS THAT AT TIMES THE WIPERS -- EVEN AT FULL ACTION -- CANNOT CLR THE WINDSHIELD ENOUGH TO MAKE VISION ACCEPTABLE. DEPTH PERCEPTION IS GREATLY IMPAIRED. THE HOTLINE WAS RECOMMENDED.
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.