Air carrier captain questions policy of carrying a briefing item for extended time on flight plans w...

Attributes
ACN	478230
Time
Date	200007
Day	Wed
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	478230
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Briefing message -- stabilizer trim red box. This message has appeared on MD80 flight plans for at least 5 months, if not 6 months. This is supposedly a critical emergency procedure that is to be committed to memory, yet there has been no change whatsoever to the MD80 operating manual on the subject. No revisions. No change bulletin. Nothing. During the last 6 months, there have been several bulletins issued, yet nothing on this critical red box change. Is the caution text supposed to be memorized? Is the note at the bottom supposed to be memorized? The lack of consistent publication of this red box item is only bound to cause problems for the airline and crew if there is an actual problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT QUESTIONS POLICY OF CARRYING A BRIEFING ITEM FOR EXTENDED TIME ON FLT PLANS WHEN IT MIGHT BE MORE PROPERLY BE XFERRED TO THE OPERATING MANUAL FOR THE ACFT.

Narrative: BRIEFING MESSAGE -- STABILIZER TRIM RED BOX. THIS MESSAGE HAS APPEARED ON MD80 FLT PLANS FOR AT LEAST 5 MONTHS, IF NOT 6 MONTHS. THIS IS SUPPOSEDLY A CRITICAL EMER PROC THAT IS TO BE COMMITTED TO MEMORY, YET THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE WHATSOEVER TO THE MD80 OPERATING MANUAL ON THE SUBJECT. NO REVISIONS. NO CHANGE BULLETIN. NOTHING. DURING THE LAST 6 MONTHS, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL BULLETINS ISSUED, YET NOTHING ON THIS CRITICAL RED BOX CHANGE. IS THE CAUTION TEXT SUPPOSED TO BE MEMORIZED? IS THE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM SUPPOSED TO BE MEMORIZED? THE LACK OF CONSISTENT PUB OF THIS RED BOX ITEM IS ONLY BOUND TO CAUSE PROBS FOR THE AIRLINE AND CREW IF THERE IS AN ACTUAL PROB.

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.

Air carrier captain questions policy of carrying a briefing item for extended time on flight plans when it might be more properly be xferred to the operating manual for the aircraft.