 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An embraer 135 on climb out had the first officer, in reaching for the APU stop button, inadvertently push the fire detector test button. 2 buttons are identical side-by-side and unguarded.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 595758 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200310 |
| Day | Sat |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Embraer Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 595758 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| 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 |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Environmental Factor FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During climb flow, the first officer momentarily pushed the fire detent test button instead of the APU stop button. This occurred at night time, and after closely looking at the 2 panels I can see how this could happen. The 2 buttons look exactly alike and are located right next to each other and perform 2 totally different functions this resulted in the bag extinguisher button remaining illuminated. I then asked the flight attendant to visually check the cargo comparator for smoke or fire and called moc for assist. Moc advised to momentarily press the fire test button again. This procedure extinguished the bag extinguisher light and we continued with no further problems. Maybe the fire test button should have a spring loaded guard installed over it.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMBRAER 135 ON CLBOUT HAD THE FO, IN REACHING FOR THE APU STOP BUTTON, INADVERTENTLY PUSH THE FIRE DETECTOR TEST BUTTON. 2 BUTTONS ARE IDENTICAL SIDE-BY-SIDE AND UNGUARDED.
Narrative: DURING CLB FLOW, THE FO MOMENTARILY PUSHED THE FIRE DETENT TEST BUTTON INSTEAD OF THE APU STOP BUTTON. THIS OCCURRED AT NIGHT TIME, AND AFTER CLOSELY LOOKING AT THE 2 PANELS I CAN SEE HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN. THE 2 BUTTONS LOOK EXACTLY ALIKE AND ARE LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND PERFORM 2 TOTALLY DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS THIS RESULTED IN THE BAG EXTINGUISHER BUTTON REMAINING ILLUMINATED. I THEN ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO VISUALLY CHK THE CARGO COMPARATOR FOR SMOKE OR FIRE AND CALLED MOC FOR ASSIST. MOC ADVISED TO MOMENTARILY PRESS THE FIRE TEST BUTTON AGAIN. THIS PROC EXTINGUISHED THE BAG EXTINGUISHER LIGHT AND WE CONTINUED WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. MAYBE THE FIRE TEST BUTTON SHOULD HAVE A SPRING LOADED GUARD INSTALLED OVER IT.
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.