A B767-200 crew member reports serious misconceptions on the airworthiness directive prohibiting ope...

Attributes
ACN	486845
Time
Date	200009
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	486845
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Situations
Publication	AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

Narrative:

There is a widespread misconception regarding the applicability of the alert bulletin, 'center tank fuel management for the B767' dated 99/11/tue. Most of the captains I fly with feel that this airworthiness directive (ad) applies only to those B767's that do not have the fuel scavenge system. This is incorrect, this ad applies to all B767's. This ad prohibits operation of the center tank fuel boost pumps on all B767's with less than 1000 pounds of fuel in the center tank. The introduction of the pink bulletin needs to be rewritten to emphasis this. An alert message needs to go out to all B767 crew members emphasizing this. Annual recurrence training needs to clarify this. I would also suggest all our alert bulletins start with an applicability paragraph explaining exactly which aircraft are effected. This is a format similar to how ads come from the FAA and is critical in a multi aircraft fleet such as the 757/767. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated most B767 captains believe that this airworthiness directive only applies to older B767 aircraft which is incorrect. The reporter said all B767 aircraft are affected by this airworthiness dierective. The reporter suggested another alert bulletin be sent out enforcing this effectivity.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-200 CREW MEMBER RPTS SERIOUS MISCONCEPTIONS ON THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE PROHIBITING OP OF CENTER TANK BOOST WITH LESS THEN 1000 POUNDS IN TANK.

Narrative: THERE IS A WIDESPREAD MISCONCEPTION REGARDING THE APPLICABILITY OF THE ALERT BULLETIN, 'CENTER TANK FUEL MGMNT FOR THE B767' DATED 99/11/TUE. MOST OF THE CAPTAINS I FLY WITH FEEL THAT THIS AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD) APPLIES ONLY TO THOSE B767'S THAT DO NOT HAVE THE FUEL SCAVENGE SYS. THIS IS INCORRECT, THIS AD APPLIES TO ALL B767'S. THIS AD PROHIBITS OP OF THE CENTER TANK FUEL BOOST PUMPS ON ALL B767'S WITH LESS THAN 1000 POUNDS OF FUEL IN THE CENTER TANK. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE PINK BULLETIN NEEDS TO BE REWRITTEN TO EMPHASIS THIS. AN ALERT MSG NEEDS TO GO OUT TO ALL B767 CREW MEMBERS EMPHASIZING THIS. ANNUAL RECURRENCE TRAINING NEEDS TO CLARIFY THIS. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST ALL OUR ALERT BULLETINS START WITH AN APPLICABILITY PARAGRAPH EXPLAINING EXACTLY WHICH ACFT ARE EFFECTED. THIS IS A FORMAT SIMILAR TO HOW ADS COME FROM THE FAA AND IS CRITICAL IN A MULTI ACFT FLEET SUCH AS THE 757/767. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED MOST B767 CAPTAINS BELIEVE THAT THIS AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ONLY APPLIES TO OLDER B767 ACFT WHICH IS INCORRECT. THE RPTR SAID ALL B767 ACFT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS AIRWORTHINESS DIERECTIVE. THE RPTR SUGGESTED ANOTHER ALERT BULLETIN BE SENT OUT ENFORCING THIS EFFECTIVITY.

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.

A B767-200 crew member reports serious misconceptions on the airworthiness directive prohibiting operation of center tank boost with less then 1000 pounds in tank.