Narrative:

Upon arriving in uio operation we discovered that we had a new FMC on the aircraft. Even with the pre-study of the new system we took extra care that resulted in a delay departing uio. Both the copilot and myself feel that we should have received a more formal type of training -- at least a video like the ones that air carrier has put out on even non safety items. This extra time consuming confusion could be a factor in an accident -- especially out of a high altitude terrain city. We had numerous problems such as the system locking up. Items did not work as published and software that was not user friendly. Don't get me wrong -- I think this new system is a step in the right direction, but I suggest the following: advise crews 1 day prior when possible. This will help decrease delays. Put out a 30 min video on normal operations. Keep the data updated and above all do not allow aircraft into high altitude terrain cities yet -- remember cali. The following software items need to be addressed ATIS still inoperative. How to acknowledge messages from dispatch. How to input altimeter when WX is more than 1 hour old. Procedure when CDU's lock up. A faster way to request WX. Faster way to turn off the ACARS message on EICAS. (Currently you need to go through to many pages.) how to turn off the FMC message on the EICAS. Still requires to select twice when putting in abeam fixes manually when more than 1 exists. Explain how to print items such as the 0001 page on the CDU. Crews utilize this at non-ACARS stations for reporting to the agent meeting the aircraft. Suggest that we display the altitudes from the aircraft database for the highest rock between the aircraft and what you place in the fix page -- this is not only possible but would be an invaluable addition to help in the event of an emergency. Some of the features that the crews use a lot should be on an easy to get to first page. Now simple ACARS functions require too much heads down. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter describes a new FMC computer program. (I assume that means an FMC software rewrite.) the new software incorporates new procedures with old ones and also incorporates ACARS functions. The result is a system with which reporter was unfamiliar. How inputs are made and how information is extracted are all different than in the past. He felt the training, a bulletin issued by his airline was inadequate. Reporter stated that, because the system is new and unfamiliar, it requires more 'heads down' activity to operate. He feels that increased 'heads down' activity is particularly inappropriate in a high altitude terrain city. Reporter stated that his airline has now published a 14 min video on the FMC's operation (one of his suggestions). The system is now being covered during proficiency checks, and that his pilots' union is reviewing how training on the new system can be enhanced. Reporter has flown a new FMC equipped aircraft since his report and states that he felt more comfortable with the system the second time around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE OF AND ABILITY TO UTILIZE NEW FMC SOFTWARE.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING IN UIO OP WE DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD A NEW FMC ON THE ACFT. EVEN WITH THE PRE-STUDY OF THE NEW SYS WE TOOK EXTRA CARE THAT RESULTED IN A DELAY DEPARTING UIO. BOTH THE COPLT AND MYSELF FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A MORE FORMAL TYPE OF TRAINING -- AT LEAST A VIDEO LIKE THE ONES THAT ACR HAS PUT OUT ON EVEN NON SAFETY ITEMS. THIS EXTRA TIME CONSUMING CONFUSION COULD BE A FACTOR IN AN ACCIDENT -- ESPECIALLY OUT OF A HIGH ALT TERRAIN CITY. WE HAD NUMEROUS PROBS SUCH AS THE SYS LOCKING UP. ITEMS DID NOT WORK AS PUBLISHED AND SOFTWARE THAT WAS NOT USER FRIENDLY. DON'T GET ME WRONG -- I THINK THIS NEW SYS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT I SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING: ADVISE CREWS 1 DAY PRIOR WHEN POSSIBLE. THIS WILL HELP DECREASE DELAYS. PUT OUT A 30 MIN VIDEO ON NORMAL OPS. KEEP THE DATA UPDATED AND ABOVE ALL DO NOT ALLOW ACFT INTO HIGH ALT TERRAIN CITIES YET -- REMEMBER CALI. THE FOLLOWING SOFTWARE ITEMS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED ATIS STILL INOP. HOW TO ACKNOWLEDGE MESSAGES FROM DISPATCH. HOW TO INPUT ALTIMETER WHEN WX IS MORE THAN 1 HR OLD. PROC WHEN CDU'S LOCK UP. A FASTER WAY TO REQUEST WX. FASTER WAY TO TURN OFF THE ACARS MESSAGE ON EICAS. (CURRENTLY YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH TO MANY PAGES.) HOW TO TURN OFF THE FMC MESSAGE ON THE EICAS. STILL REQUIRES TO SELECT TWICE WHEN PUTTING IN ABEAM FIXES MANUALLY WHEN MORE THAN 1 EXISTS. EXPLAIN HOW TO PRINT ITEMS SUCH AS THE 0001 PAGE ON THE CDU. CREWS UTILIZE THIS AT NON-ACARS STATIONS FOR RPTING TO THE AGENT MEETING THE ACFT. SUGGEST THAT WE DISPLAY THE ALTS FROM THE ACFT DATABASE FOR THE HIGHEST ROCK BTWN THE ACFT AND WHAT YOU PLACE IN THE FIX PAGE -- THIS IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE BUT WOULD BE AN INVALUABLE ADDITION TO HELP IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER. SOME OF THE FEATURES THAT THE CREWS USE A LOT SHOULD BE ON AN EASY TO GET TO FIRST PAGE. NOW SIMPLE ACARS FUNCTIONS REQUIRE TOO MUCH HEADS DOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR DESCRIBES A NEW FMC COMPUTER PROGRAM. (I ASSUME THAT MEANS AN FMC SOFTWARE REWRITE.) THE NEW SOFTWARE INCORPORATES NEW PROCS WITH OLD ONES AND ALSO INCORPORATES ACARS FUNCTIONS. THE RESULT IS A SYS WITH WHICH RPTR WAS UNFAMILIAR. HOW INPUTS ARE MADE AND HOW INFO IS EXTRACTED ARE ALL DIFFERENT THAN IN THE PAST. HE FELT THE TRAINING, A BULLETIN ISSUED BY HIS AIRLINE WAS INADEQUATE. RPTR STATED THAT, BECAUSE THE SYS IS NEW AND UNFAMILIAR, IT REQUIRES MORE 'HEADS DOWN' ACTIVITY TO OPERATE. HE FEELS THAT INCREASED 'HEADS DOWN' ACTIVITY IS PARTICULARLY INAPPROPRIATE IN A HIGH ALT TERRAIN CITY. RPTR STATED THAT HIS AIRLINE HAS NOW PUBLISHED A 14 MIN VIDEO ON THE FMC'S OP (ONE OF HIS SUGGESTIONS). THE SYS IS NOW BEING COVERED DURING PROFICIENCY CHKS, AND THAT HIS PLTS' UNION IS REVIEWING HOW TRAINING ON THE NEW SYS CAN BE ENHANCED. RPTR HAS FLOWN A NEW FMC EQUIPPED ACFT SINCE HIS RPT AND STATES THAT HE FELT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE SYS THE SECOND TIME AROUND.

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.