Narrative:

I had been aware of prior incidents where a flight engineer was unable to locate/use the main gear viewing ports located just aft of the window exits. During heavy/maintenance checks; new carpet had been placed over the ports with no distinguishable markings letting pilots know where the ports were located. Previously; the viewing ports had a 6 inch round section of carpet; with a small streamer (like a 'remove before flight' material) attached; and the 'cover' was secured by velcro. The new carpet had been solidly placed down to such a point a person would need pliers or a screwdriver to assist lifting the carpet. After company safety meetings; it was determined that future checks would have the carpet easy to pull back; and some sort of marking/placard placed on the overhead bin indicating the viewing port locations. Our communication is in the process of being changed also. On jun/xa/06; we were parked at a ramp getting fueled to proceed with a ferry flight. My flight engineer is also one of our flight engineer check airmen. We had discussed the carpet issue; and since the aircraft we were flying had just completed a heavy check 3 weeks prior; we decided to see how the viewing port issue had been addressed. It took both of us about 5 mins to locate where the ports should be. We found the carpet installed very nicely; but no indications of where the ports were; except a small silver 'snap' near a lateral seam under a seat. This location would be impossible to locate on a night flight with passenger occupying the 2 seats at the ports. My flight engineer tried pulling up the carpet on the right/starboard side; and found it very difficult to get a hold of it to be able to pry it up. We found the carpet on the left/port side next to impossible. It took us about 10 mins of tugging at a seam to work the carpet up in order to use the viewing ports. In a real situation at night; with a newer flight engineer; it is highly probably that the ports would not be found; considering the stress of a serious situation with limited time available.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FO RPTS MAIN LNDG GEAR VIEW PORTS ARE COVERED WITH CARPETING AND CANNOT BE READILY LOCATED.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN AWARE OF PRIOR INCIDENTS WHERE A FE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE/USE THE MAIN GEAR VIEWING PORTS LOCATED JUST AFT OF THE WINDOW EXITS. DURING HVY/MAINT CHKS; NEW CARPET HAD BEEN PLACED OVER THE PORTS WITH NO DISTINGUISHABLE MARKINGS LETTING PLTS KNOW WHERE THE PORTS WERE LOCATED. PREVIOUSLY; THE VIEWING PORTS HAD A 6 INCH ROUND SECTION OF CARPET; WITH A SMALL STREAMER (LIKE A 'REMOVE BEFORE FLT' MATERIAL) ATTACHED; AND THE 'COVER' WAS SECURED BY VELCRO. THE NEW CARPET HAD BEEN SOLIDLY PLACED DOWN TO SUCH A POINT A PERSON WOULD NEED PLIERS OR A SCREWDRIVER TO ASSIST LIFTING THE CARPET. AFTER COMPANY SAFETY MEETINGS; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT FUTURE CHKS WOULD HAVE THE CARPET EASY TO PULL BACK; AND SOME SORT OF MARKING/PLACARD PLACED ON THE OVERHEAD BIN INDICATING THE VIEWING PORT LOCATIONS. OUR COM IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CHANGED ALSO. ON JUN/XA/06; WE WERE PARKED AT A RAMP GETTING FUELED TO PROCEED WITH A FERRY FLT. MY FE IS ALSO ONE OF OUR FE CHK AIRMEN. WE HAD DISCUSSED THE CARPET ISSUE; AND SINCE THE ACFT WE WERE FLYING HAD JUST COMPLETED A HVY CHK 3 WKS PRIOR; WE DECIDED TO SEE HOW THE VIEWING PORT ISSUE HAD BEEN ADDRESSED. IT TOOK BOTH OF US ABOUT 5 MINS TO LOCATE WHERE THE PORTS SHOULD BE. WE FOUND THE CARPET INSTALLED VERY NICELY; BUT NO INDICATIONS OF WHERE THE PORTS WERE; EXCEPT A SMALL SILVER 'SNAP' NEAR A LATERAL SEAM UNDER A SEAT. THIS LOCATION WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCATE ON A NIGHT FLT WITH PAX OCCUPYING THE 2 SEATS AT THE PORTS. MY FE TRIED PULLING UP THE CARPET ON THE R/STARBOARD SIDE; AND FOUND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A HOLD OF IT TO BE ABLE TO PRY IT UP. WE FOUND THE CARPET ON THE L/PORT SIDE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. IT TOOK US ABOUT 10 MINS OF TUGGING AT A SEAM TO WORK THE CARPET UP IN ORDER TO USE THE VIEWING PORTS. IN A REAL SITUATION AT NIGHT; WITH A NEWER FE; IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLY THAT THE PORTS WOULD NOT BE FOUND; CONSIDERING THE STRESS OF A SERIOUS SITUATION WITH LIMITED TIME AVAILABLE.

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.