<< >> NASA ASRS Report 609373, February 2004

A cessna 650 captain reports discovering the emergency exits of two airplanes blocked and unusable by overhead panel overlap.

Attributes
ACN	609373
Time
Date	200402
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sts.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Citation III, VI, VII
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	609373
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft FAA Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

I performed a normal pre flight inspection and found nothing amiss. The next day I was assigned a new sic and he showed me where his crew grounded an identical plane earlier in the week. A cabin overhead panel overlapped the emergency window exit by approximately 1/4 inch. Had it become necessary to use the emergency exit, it is possible that the overhead panel may have impinged on its operation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after being shown the overhead panel overlap interference with the emergency exit and the difficulty removing the exit, all of the fleet was inspected. The reporter said of the airplanes in the fleet, another two were found with the exits blocked. The reporter stated that during routine maintenance, the technician must have encountered some difficulty removing the exit and should have taken corrective action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA 650 CAPT RPTS DISCOVERING THE EMER EXITS OF TWO AIRPLANES BLOCKED AND UNUSABLE BY OVERHEAD PANEL OVERLAP.

Narrative: I PERFORMED A NORMAL PRE FLT INSPECTION AND FOUND NOTHING AMISS. THE NEXT DAY I WAS ASSIGNED A NEW SIC AND HE SHOWED ME WHERE HIS CREW GNDED AN IDENTICAL PLANE EARLIER IN THE WEEK. A CABIN OVERHEAD PANEL OVERLAPPED THE EMER WINDOW EXIT BY APPROX 1/4 INCH. HAD IT BECOME NECESSARY TO USE THE EMER EXIT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE OVERHEAD PANEL MAY HAVE IMPINGED ON ITS OPERATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER BEING SHOWN THE OVERHEAD PANEL OVERLAP INTERFERENCE WITH THE EMER EXIT AND THE DIFFICULTY REMOVING THE EXIT, ALL OF THE FLEET WAS INSPECTED. THE RPTR SAID OF THE AIRPLANES IN THE FLEET, ANOTHER TWO WERE FOUND WITH THE EXITS BLOCKED. THE RPTR STATED THAT DURING ROUTINE MAINT, THE TECHNICIAN MUST HAVE ENCOUNTERED SOME DIFFICULTY REMOVING THE EXIT AND SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION.

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.