Narrative:

On aug/mon/99, at approximately XA30 I was the PF on a commercial flight from ord to den. About 80-100 NM east of onl VOR at cruise flight the plane left the shadow of clouds and the cockpit was facing into the setting sun. I put on my sunglasses and put up 1 sun visor to block the bright light. The captain put up 2 sun visors (1 behind the other) and then put a sectional chart from the dashboard up to the sun visors. The chart was approximately 10 inches wide and 10 inches high which was held up by the 2 sun visors. Right after the captain did that an FAA air carrier inspector who was giving us a line check and was riding in the first observer's seat said something to the effect of -- 'captain I don't think putting that up like that is a good idea.' the captain responded by saying to the FAA inspector, 'we are at cruise altitude, we have ATC and TCASII and I can see around both sides well. I don't want to go blind by looking into the sun.' no action was taken on the part of the captain to remove the sectional. After a couple of mins the FAA inspector said, 'captain I feel you need to take that down.' the captain turned to him and said, 'you're going to make me take that down?' the inspector said, 'yes.' the captain then whipped down the sectional and proceeded to put up a 3RD sun visor in its spot. Nothing more was said about the issue. After the sun set, all the sun visors were removed and the flight continued uneventfully. Supplemental information from acn 445667: the FAA jump seater, however, expressed his feelings that this was an unsafe situation, and that if I did not remove the chart he would consider this a violation. In response to this warning I removed the chart and used sun visors in the same spot to block the sun and glare. After parking at the gate and before deplaning I was informed by the FAA jump seater that he considered the visors to be also unsafe and that a violation would be filed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA ACI OBJECTED TO THE WAY THE CAPT BLOCKED THE SUN.

Narrative: ON AUG/MON/99, AT APPROX XA30 I WAS THE PF ON A COMMERCIAL FLT FROM ORD TO DEN. ABOUT 80-100 NM E OF ONL VOR AT CRUISE FLT THE PLANE LEFT THE SHADOW OF CLOUDS AND THE COCKPIT WAS FACING INTO THE SETTING SUN. I PUT ON MY SUNGLASSES AND PUT UP 1 SUN VISOR TO BLOCK THE BRIGHT LIGHT. THE CAPT PUT UP 2 SUN VISORS (1 BEHIND THE OTHER) AND THEN PUT A SECTIONAL CHART FROM THE DASHBOARD UP TO THE SUN VISORS. THE CHART WAS APPROX 10 INCHES WIDE AND 10 INCHES HIGH WHICH WAS HELD UP BY THE 2 SUN VISORS. RIGHT AFTER THE CAPT DID THAT AN FAA ACR INSPECTOR WHO WAS GIVING US A LINE CHK AND WAS RIDING IN THE FIRST OBSERVER'S SEAT SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF -- 'CAPT I DON'T THINK PUTTING THAT UP LIKE THAT IS A GOOD IDEA.' THE CAPT RESPONDED BY SAYING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, 'WE ARE AT CRUISE ALT, WE HAVE ATC AND TCASII AND I CAN SEE AROUND BOTH SIDES WELL. I DON'T WANT TO GO BLIND BY LOOKING INTO THE SUN.' NO ACTION WAS TAKEN ON THE PART OF THE CAPT TO REMOVE THE SECTIONAL. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS THE FAA INSPECTOR SAID, 'CAPT I FEEL YOU NEED TO TAKE THAT DOWN.' THE CAPT TURNED TO HIM AND SAID, 'YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME TAKE THAT DOWN?' THE INSPECTOR SAID, 'YES.' THE CAPT THEN WHIPPED DOWN THE SECTIONAL AND PROCEEDED TO PUT UP A 3RD SUN VISOR IN ITS SPOT. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID ABOUT THE ISSUE. AFTER THE SUN SET, ALL THE SUN VISORS WERE REMOVED AND THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 445667: THE FAA JUMP SEATER, HOWEVER, EXPRESSED HIS FEELINGS THAT THIS WAS AN UNSAFE SIT, AND THAT IF I DID NOT REMOVE THE CHART HE WOULD CONSIDER THIS A VIOLATION. IN RESPONSE TO THIS WARNING I REMOVED THE CHART AND USED SUN VISORS IN THE SAME SPOT TO BLOCK THE SUN AND GLARE. AFTER PARKING AT THE GATE AND BEFORE DEPLANING I WAS INFORMED BY THE FAA JUMP SEATER THAT HE CONSIDERED THE VISORS TO BE ALSO UNSAFE AND THAT A VIOLATION WOULD BE FILED.

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.