Narrative:

On climb out of bur; we anticipated conditions for engine icing so we turned on engine anti-ice. Soon after (about 1 min) around 14000 ft MSL we anticipated light airframe icing and turned on airfoil anti-ice. We immediately got the 'supply temperature high' lights for both sides simultaneously. The first officer ran the checklist and I flew the aircraft. After the light went out I switched and the first officer flew and I ran the checklist as I had never had both lights come on at the same time. We then contacted maintenance control through a patch and were trying to explain that the checklist was ambiguous and confusing as it did not address this specific problem. Maintenance control came on the radio during the second phone patch and he said that we did not read the note per the checklist. If you read the note it states the left/right can come on erroneously; etc. If I read the note nowhere did it address the word 'both' it used the slash sign left/right; which means to me -- left or right. He insisted that this was an erroneous problem and we can use airfoil anti-ice again once the lights went out. I have never seen the 'left/right' used to describe both. Left/right meant to us in the flight deck (3) crew members 'or.' if left/right means both; then it should say 'both.' my problem arises when we do a checklist and then it says we really did not have a problem. I personally am confused; does that mean we can run a checklist get the lights out and once the lights are out use that system again. Also how do we know as flight crew members that it is an erroneous light. Do we now troubleshoot a system! The checklist as you read it is dealing with one system temperature light. If it meant both lights then why at the end of the checklist does it not say avoid icing conditions. Again how do we know except by trying the system again we had an erroneous problem. Do we do the same with an engine fire light? Once out shove the handle in and start the engine to see if it was an erroneous light. This is a little long in the tooth but somewhat the same idea. It is because someone threw the 'note' in there that boeing put out about this problem and it seems like no one thought this through as to what it might look like to the crews. The note is confusing and we should as crew members; not mechanics; write these problems up and maintenance can sign them off as they see fit. As the checklist stands now; we are asking our crews to troubleshoot the problem and use a system we just finished accomplishing a checklist for. Preventive measures: redo the checklist and use the term 'both' and have a better explanation for the problem and when you would get it. Take out the word simultaneously. Also if 'both' lights come on again somewhere in the checklist it should say 'avoid icing conditions.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REFERRING TO THEIR 'AIR CONDITIONING SUPPLY TEMP HIGH' CHKLIST AN MD80 CREW FINDS THAT IT DOES NOT APPLY TO THEIR SIT WITH BOTH L AND R LIGHTS ON.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT OF BUR; WE ANTICIPATED CONDITIONS FOR ENG ICING SO WE TURNED ON ENG ANTI-ICE. SOON AFTER (ABOUT 1 MIN) AROUND 14000 FT MSL WE ANTICIPATED LIGHT AIRFRAME ICING AND TURNED ON AIRFOIL ANTI-ICE. WE IMMEDIATELY GOT THE 'SUPPLY TEMP HIGH' LIGHTS FOR BOTH SIDES SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE FO RAN THE CHKLIST AND I FLEW THE ACFT. AFTER THE LIGHT WENT OUT I SWITCHED AND THE FO FLEW AND I RAN THE CHKLIST AS I HAD NEVER HAD BOTH LIGHTS COME ON AT THE SAME TIME. WE THEN CONTACTED MAINT CTL THROUGH A PATCH AND WERE TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT THE CHKLIST WAS AMBIGUOUS AND CONFUSING AS IT DID NOT ADDRESS THIS SPECIFIC PROB. MAINT CTL CAME ON THE RADIO DURING THE SECOND PHONE PATCH AND HE SAID THAT WE DID NOT READ THE NOTE PER THE CHKLIST. IF YOU READ THE NOTE IT STATES THE L/R CAN COME ON ERRONEOUSLY; ETC. IF I READ THE NOTE NOWHERE DID IT ADDRESS THE WORD 'BOTH' IT USED THE SLASH SIGN L/R; WHICH MEANS TO ME -- L OR R. HE INSISTED THAT THIS WAS AN ERRONEOUS PROB AND WE CAN USE AIRFOIL ANTI-ICE AGAIN ONCE THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE 'L/R' USED TO DESCRIBE BOTH. L/R MEANT TO US IN THE FLT DECK (3) CREW MEMBERS 'OR.' IF L/R MEANS BOTH; THEN IT SHOULD SAY 'BOTH.' MY PROB ARISES WHEN WE DO A CHKLIST AND THEN IT SAYS WE REALLY DID NOT HAVE A PROB. I PERSONALLY AM CONFUSED; DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN RUN A CHKLIST GET THE LIGHTS OUT AND ONCE THE LIGHTS ARE OUT USE THAT SYS AGAIN. ALSO HOW DO WE KNOW AS FLT CREW MEMBERS THAT IT IS AN ERRONEOUS LIGHT. DO WE NOW TROUBLESHOOT A SYS! THE CHKLIST AS YOU READ IT IS DEALING WITH ONE SYS TEMP LIGHT. IF IT MEANT BOTH LIGHTS THEN WHY AT THE END OF THE CHKLIST DOES IT NOT SAY AVOID ICING CONDITIONS. AGAIN HOW DO WE KNOW EXCEPT BY TRYING THE SYS AGAIN WE HAD AN ERRONEOUS PROB. DO WE DO THE SAME WITH AN ENG FIRE LIGHT? ONCE OUT SHOVE THE HANDLE IN AND START THE ENG TO SEE IF IT WAS AN ERRONEOUS LIGHT. THIS IS A LITTLE LONG IN THE TOOTH BUT SOMEWHAT THE SAME IDEA. IT IS BECAUSE SOMEONE THREW THE 'NOTE' IN THERE THAT BOEING PUT OUT ABOUT THIS PROB AND IT SEEMS LIKE NO ONE THOUGHT THIS THROUGH AS TO WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE TO THE CREWS. THE NOTE IS CONFUSING AND WE SHOULD AS CREW MEMBERS; NOT MECHS; WRITE THESE PROBS UP AND MAINT CAN SIGN THEM OFF AS THEY SEE FIT. AS THE CHKLIST STANDS NOW; WE ARE ASKING OUR CREWS TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB AND USE A SYS WE JUST FINISHED ACCOMPLISHING A CHKLIST FOR. PREVENTIVE MEASURES: REDO THE CHKLIST AND USE THE TERM 'BOTH' AND HAVE A BETTER EXPLANATION FOR THE PROB AND WHEN YOU WOULD GET IT. TAKE OUT THE WORD SIMULTANEOUSLY. ALSO IF 'BOTH' LIGHTS COME ON AGAIN SOMEWHERE IN THE CHKLIST IT SHOULD SAY 'AVOID ICING CONDITIONS.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.