Narrative:

There was nothing going on WX wise that would have made us use extra caution. It was the first officer's leg and right around V1 we got an amber light with small letters on the glare shield. I did what I've been trained to do at speeds approaching V1 -- I ignored it. I thought it was the FMS message light or the indicating light. On climb out, around 200 ft, the first officer said 'hey, we got a windshear warning light.' I looked down and the tri indicated GA thrust, the FMA annunciated windshear, and the amber windshear light was illuminated. I think the windshear was a false warning. The reason I'm submitting this form is because we got an important warning light that I ignored. The reason I ignored the warning light is because the font, color, and the location of all 3 lights are the same. The frequency of the FMS message light and the indicating light are also a factor. The FMS message light and the indicating light come on all the time, but the windshear amber light almost never comes on. The problem is that an important light is in the same location as common lights -- the same color as the common lights, and all 3 lights are impossible to read on the ground at 135 KTS. If I had recognized the windshear amber light at msy, I would have had the first officer delay vr, keeping the aircraft on the ground until V2 or beyond. At our weight, this would have been possible that day because of msy's long runway 27. The extra speed would have helped us escape the windshear conditions, if there truly was a windshear present. Here are several ideas: change the colors of the FMS message and indicating lights. It would be the fastest, easiest, and cheapest fix. More complex and more expensive is to tie the lights into the squat switch, the radar altimeter, and ground speed readout from the FMS. When on the ground or radar altitude less than 100 ft AGL with a ground speed greater than 30 KTS, the FMS message and the indicating lights would be inhibited. This would also fix the problem of getting an amber light glaring in your eyes at 50 ft landing. When landing at night, the amber light illuminates at 50 ft during the flare telling me that I'm over the end of the runway. The last thing that I want on a 700 ft RVR landing at night is some amber light trying to get my attention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW IGNORES A WARNING LIGHT DURING TKOF ASSUMING IT IS A NUISANCE LIGHT THAT FREQUENTLY LIGHTS WHEN NOT NEEDED. DISCOVERING THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT, THE RPTR MAKES SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGES IN THE LIGHT DISPLAY.

Narrative: THERE WAS NOTHING GOING ON WX WISE THAT WOULD HAVE MADE US USE EXTRA CAUTION. IT WAS THE FO'S LEG AND RIGHT AROUND V1 WE GOT AN AMBER LIGHT WITH SMALL LETTERS ON THE GLARE SHIELD. I DID WHAT I'VE BEEN TRAINED TO DO AT SPDS APCHING V1 -- I IGNORED IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE FMS MESSAGE LIGHT OR THE INDICATING LIGHT. ON CLBOUT, AROUND 200 FT, THE FO SAID 'HEY, WE GOT A WINDSHEAR WARNING LIGHT.' I LOOKED DOWN AND THE TRI INDICATED GA THRUST, THE FMA ANNUNCIATED WINDSHEAR, AND THE AMBER WINDSHEAR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. I THINK THE WINDSHEAR WAS A FALSE WARNING. THE REASON I'M SUBMITTING THIS FORM IS BECAUSE WE GOT AN IMPORTANT WARNING LIGHT THAT I IGNORED. THE REASON I IGNORED THE WARNING LIGHT IS BECAUSE THE FONT, COLOR, AND THE LOCATION OF ALL 3 LIGHTS ARE THE SAME. THE FREQ OF THE FMS MESSAGE LIGHT AND THE INDICATING LIGHT ARE ALSO A FACTOR. THE FMS MESSAGE LIGHT AND THE INDICATING LIGHT COME ON ALL THE TIME, BUT THE WINDSHEAR AMBER LIGHT ALMOST NEVER COMES ON. THE PROB IS THAT AN IMPORTANT LIGHT IS IN THE SAME LOCATION AS COMMON LIGHTS -- THE SAME COLOR AS THE COMMON LIGHTS, AND ALL 3 LIGHTS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO READ ON THE GND AT 135 KTS. IF I HAD RECOGNIZED THE WINDSHEAR AMBER LIGHT AT MSY, I WOULD HAVE HAD THE FO DELAY VR, KEEPING THE ACFT ON THE GND UNTIL V2 OR BEYOND. AT OUR WT, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE THAT DAY BECAUSE OF MSY'S LONG RWY 27. THE EXTRA SPD WOULD HAVE HELPED US ESCAPE THE WINDSHEAR CONDITIONS, IF THERE TRULY WAS A WINDSHEAR PRESENT. HERE ARE SEVERAL IDEAS: CHANGE THE COLORS OF THE FMS MESSAGE AND INDICATING LIGHTS. IT WOULD BE THE FASTEST, EASIEST, AND CHEAPEST FIX. MORE COMPLEX AND MORE EXPENSIVE IS TO TIE THE LIGHTS INTO THE SQUAT SWITCH, THE RADAR ALTIMETER, AND GND SPD READOUT FROM THE FMS. WHEN ON THE GND OR RADAR ALT LESS THAN 100 FT AGL WITH A GND SPD GREATER THAN 30 KTS, THE FMS MESSAGE AND THE INDICATING LIGHTS WOULD BE INHIBITED. THIS WOULD ALSO FIX THE PROB OF GETTING AN AMBER LIGHT GLARING IN YOUR EYES AT 50 FT LNDG. WHEN LNDG AT NIGHT, THE AMBER LIGHT ILLUMINATES AT 50 FT DURING THE FLARE TELLING ME THAT I'M OVER THE END OF THE RWY. THE LAST THING THAT I WANT ON A 700 FT RVR LNDG AT NIGHT IS SOME AMBER LIGHT TRYING TO GET MY ATTN.

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.