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An airbus A320 flight crew reports difficulty with obscured vision while wearing full face oxygen mask near dca.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 451118 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : ott.vor |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl single value : 29000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 14500 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 451118 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Full face smoke goggles on oxygen mask make pfd and other instruments hard to see on panel, especially with bright sun shining in cockpit. I (the captain) went to the bathroom so first officer donned oxygen mask per procedures. The difficulty created by having the oxygen mask on with integral goggles that made the panel hard to see nearly caused us to miss a crossing restr of 70 mi south of ott at FL290. The company might consider going to an oxygen mask with separate goggles like the B737-300 has. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: it has been the observation of the reporting pilot that the occurrence of this oxygen mask goggle film appears to be on the newer aircraft. It appears the film is to protect the lens but obscures vision in certain lighting conditions. The reporter questions whether the film was intended for use or to have protected the lens during manufacture and shipping processes.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIRBUS A320 FLC RPTS DIFFICULTY WITH OBSCURED VISION WHILE WEARING FULL FACE OXYGEN MASK NEAR DCA.
Narrative: FULL FACE SMOKE GOGGLES ON OXYGEN MASK MAKE PFD AND OTHER INSTS HARD TO SEE ON PANEL, ESPECIALLY WITH BRIGHT SUN SHINING IN COCKPIT. I (THE CAPT) WENT TO THE BATHROOM SO FO DONNED OXYGEN MASK PER PROCS. THE DIFFICULTY CREATED BY HAVING THE OXYGEN MASK ON WITH INTEGRAL GOGGLES THAT MADE THE PANEL HARD TO SEE NEARLY CAUSED US TO MISS A XING RESTR OF 70 MI S OF OTT AT FL290. THE COMPANY MIGHT CONSIDER GOING TO AN OXYGEN MASK WITH SEPARATE GOGGLES LIKE THE B737-300 HAS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IT HAS BEEN THE OBSERVATION OF THE RPTING PLT THAT THE OCCURRENCE OF THIS OXYGEN MASK GOGGLE FILM APPEARS TO BE ON THE NEWER ACFT. IT APPEARS THE FILM IS TO PROTECT THE LENS BUT OBSCURES VISION IN CERTAIN LIGHTING CONDITIONS. THE RPTR QUESTIONS WHETHER THE FILM WAS INTENDED FOR USE OR TO HAVE PROTECTED THE LENS DURING MANUFACTURE AND SHIPPING PROCESSES.
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.