Narrative:

On all of our takeoffs, the FAA has mandated that the PNF raise the landing gear lever. This is an unsafe procedure for 2 reasons: 1) on both the B757 and B767 (but primarily the B767), when the captain reaches across for the gear handle, the shoulder harness often reaches its limit before the handle can be grasped. At this point, the captain has 2 choices. He can either release his harness or direct the first officer to lift the handle. 2) as the captain reaches for the handle, his arm is laid across the throttles. At this point, the throttles are in 'throttle hold' mode, which means that the servos are de-energized and they can easily be inadvertently moved back. Exactly at the wrong time for an unplanned reduction of power. I have demonstrated this to 5 FAA inspectors. To a man, they said it was a bad procedure. The gear handle is on the right side of the cockpit. The first officer should raise the handle on every takeoff. That's the way boeing designed the aircraft. I am keeping a copy of this report, because I think that at some point this foolish FAA procedure will cause an accident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that on several occasions, he has caused inadvertent power reductions while reaching across the throttle quadrant to raise or lower the landing gear lever from the left seat. He further states that he now realizes that the procedure is more a company policy than an FAA mandate and that air carrier FAA inspectors agree that the problem area exists, but have no idea how to go about resolving the problem. He states that he does not want to brief for nonstandard procedures before every takeoff and landing and feels that the current procedure is flawed and needs to be addressed and revised in the interest of safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR DISAGREES WITH COMPANY POLICY FOR THE PNF TO ALWAYS OPERATE THE GEAR LEVER HANDLE ON THE B757 AND B767.

Narrative: ON ALL OF OUR TKOFS, THE FAA HAS MANDATED THAT THE PNF RAISE THE LNDG GEAR LEVER. THIS IS AN UNSAFE PROC FOR 2 REASONS: 1) ON BOTH THE B757 AND B767 (BUT PRIMARILY THE B767), WHEN THE CAPT REACHES ACROSS FOR THE GEAR HANDLE, THE SHOULDER HARNESS OFTEN REACHES ITS LIMIT BEFORE THE HANDLE CAN BE GRASPED. AT THIS POINT, THE CAPT HAS 2 CHOICES. HE CAN EITHER RELEASE HIS HARNESS OR DIRECT THE FO TO LIFT THE HANDLE. 2) AS THE CAPT REACHES FOR THE HANDLE, HIS ARM IS LAID ACROSS THE THROTTLES. AT THIS POINT, THE THROTTLES ARE IN 'THROTTLE HOLD' MODE, WHICH MEANS THAT THE SERVOS ARE DE-ENERGIZED AND THEY CAN EASILY BE INADVERTENTLY MOVED BACK. EXACTLY AT THE WRONG TIME FOR AN UNPLANNED REDUCTION OF PWR. I HAVE DEMONSTRATED THIS TO 5 FAA INSPECTORS. TO A MAN, THEY SAID IT WAS A BAD PROC. THE GEAR HANDLE IS ON THE R SIDE OF THE COCKPIT. THE FO SHOULD RAISE THE HANDLE ON EVERY TKOF. THAT'S THE WAY BOEING DESIGNED THE ACFT. I AM KEEPING A COPY OF THIS RPT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT AT SOME POINT THIS FOOLISH FAA PROC WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, HE HAS CAUSED INADVERTENT PWR REDUCTIONS WHILE REACHING ACROSS THE THROTTLE QUADRANT TO RAISE OR LOWER THE LNDG GEAR LEVER FROM THE L SEAT. HE FURTHER STATES THAT HE NOW REALIZES THAT THE PROC IS MORE A COMPANY POLICY THAN AN FAA MANDATE AND THAT ACR FAA INSPECTORS AGREE THAT THE PROB AREA EXISTS, BUT HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GO ABOUT RESOLVING THE PROB. HE STATES THAT HE DOES NOT WANT TO BRIEF FOR NONSTANDARD PROCS BEFORE EVERY TKOF AND LNDG AND FEELS THAT THE CURRENT PROC IS FLAWED AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND REVISED IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY.

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.