Narrative:

On my flight from ord to okc, I had a representative of the FAA point out to me on the ground before departure, that a diagram on a placard for the overwing emergency exit was drawn or printed incorrectly. To open the emergency overwing exit, you pull off a plastic cover, which covers a handle. Pulling the handle allows you to open the emergency overwing exit. The FAA representative pointed out to me that the problem with the placard is this. The diagram shows that to remove the plastic cover, you grab the cover with the palm of your hand facing down, when in reality, you grab the cover with the palm of your hand facing up. The FAA representative, who specializes in navaids, thought that this could be a problem, and technically I can understand why. I spoke with my dispatcher, the maintenance supervisor, the person in the company who is in charge of airplane manual revisions and aircraft certification, and the chief pilot. They all reminded me that the airplane and all of its placards are approved by the airplane manufacturer and more importantly, the FAA. Since I wrote up the discrepancy, our maintenance supervisor signed off the flight logbook stating that the placard was correct and properly installed. In addition, he showed me in the airplane's maintenance manual, the same exact placard and its location in the airplane. This implies to me that not only is the placard approved by the FAA, but its also required to be on the airplane for it to be legal to fly. In addition, the FAA representative tried to remove the cover as depicted in the 'incorrect diagram,' and the cover still came off. I decided to continue with the flight to okc for all of the previous reasons and because it didn't make sense to ground the airplane, or to ground the entire fleet of over 40 jet airplanes because of a placard the FAA had already approved. I have suggested that the plastic cover of the placard be changed in addition to requesting that the company find a way to resolve this discrepancy with the FAA and the aircraft manufacturer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65. FAA NAV REPRESENTATIVE DOES NOT CONSIDER FAA APPROVED AND CERTIFIED OVERWING EMER ESCAPE PLACARDS CORRECT.

Narrative: ON MY FLT FROM ORD TO OKC, I HAD A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FAA POINT OUT TO ME ON THE GND BEFORE DEP, THAT A DIAGRAM ON A PLACARD FOR THE OVERWING EMER EXIT WAS DRAWN OR PRINTED INCORRECTLY. TO OPEN THE EMER OVERWING EXIT, YOU PULL OFF A PLASTIC COVER, WHICH COVERS A HANDLE. PULLING THE HANDLE ALLOWS YOU TO OPEN THE EMER OVERWING EXIT. THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THE PROB WITH THE PLACARD IS THIS. THE DIAGRAM SHOWS THAT TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC COVER, YOU GRAB THE COVER WITH THE PALM OF YOUR HAND FACING DOWN, WHEN IN REALITY, YOU GRAB THE COVER WITH THE PALM OF YOUR HAND FACING UP. THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE, WHO SPECIALIZES IN NAVAIDS, THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD BE A PROB, AND TECHNICALLY I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY. I SPOKE WITH MY DISPATCHER, THE MAINT SUPVR, THE PERSON IN THE COMPANY WHO IS IN CHARGE OF AIRPLANE MANUAL REVISIONS AND ACFT CERTIFICATION, AND THE CHIEF PLT. THEY ALL REMINDED ME THAT THE AIRPLANE AND ALL OF ITS PLACARDS ARE APPROVED BY THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE FAA. SINCE I WROTE UP THE DISCREPANCY, OUR MAINT SUPVR SIGNED OFF THE FLT LOGBOOK STATING THAT THE PLACARD WAS CORRECT AND PROPERLY INSTALLED. IN ADDITION, HE SHOWED ME IN THE AIRPLANE'S MAINT MANUAL, THE SAME EXACT PLACARD AND ITS LOCATION IN THE AIRPLANE. THIS IMPLIES TO ME THAT NOT ONLY IS THE PLACARD APPROVED BY THE FAA, BUT ITS ALSO REQUIRED TO BE ON THE AIRPLANE FOR IT TO BE LEGAL TO FLY. IN ADDITION, THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE TRIED TO REMOVE THE COVER AS DEPICTED IN THE 'INCORRECT DIAGRAM,' AND THE COVER STILL CAME OFF. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH THE FLT TO OKC FOR ALL OF THE PREVIOUS REASONS AND BECAUSE IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO GND THE AIRPLANE, OR TO GND THE ENTIRE FLEET OF OVER 40 JET AIRPLANES BECAUSE OF A PLACARD THE FAA HAD ALREADY APPROVED. I HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE PLASTIC COVER OF THE PLACARD BE CHANGED IN ADDITION TO REQUESTING THAT THE COMPANY FIND A WAY TO RESOLVE THIS DISCREPANCY WITH THE FAA AND THE ACFT MANUFACTURER.

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.