Narrative:

This makes multiple times I've written up CRT's that are unusable in daylight conditions because they are simply too dim and maintenance manual 'operations checks ok' after I leave the aircraft. This was signed off when it was dark outside -- no way to duplicate the conditions of failure. What makes it worse is that pilots have been told 'it's a bus thing' and they believe it. I do not want to be the guy who has an ECAM he can't read without holding up a checklist to see which engine is on fire and what the immediate procedures are. I have brought this to your attention several times before. As I have time; I will contact our fleet; FAA folks in the building; and FAA folks not connected to air carrier X if that is what it takes. Nobody is picking up this ball seemingly because it is a very expensive one and the CRT's have not yet been the cause of an accident. Once again -- maintenance manual has no way of measuring the candle power of a screen; so the fix is: 1) 'looks good to me;' 2) 'we don't have any in stock so it must be ok;' 3) 'looks as good as the one next to it;' 4) 'looks as good as this bad one from supply;' 5) 'captain -- why won't you take this? I can see it fine under the clouds here at the gate when the sun is no factor and I'm wearing a dark blue coat!' it takes a mechanic who understands the difference between night and day; bright sunshine and simple daylight; and the fact that the aircraft faces many different directions than the static look at the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 PILOT REPORTS THE ECAM CRT'S ARE UNREADABLE IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS DUE TO THEIR DIMNESS.

Narrative: THIS MAKES MULTIPLE TIMES I'VE WRITTEN UP CRT'S THAT ARE UNUSABLE IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE SIMPLY TOO DIM AND MAINT MANUAL 'OPS CHKS OK' AFTER I LEAVE THE ACFT. THIS WAS SIGNED OFF WHEN IT WAS DARK OUTSIDE -- NO WAY TO DUPLICATE THE CONDITIONS OF FAILURE. WHAT MAKES IT WORSE IS THAT PLTS HAVE BEEN TOLD 'IT'S A BUS THING' AND THEY BELIEVE IT. I DO NOT WANT TO BE THE GUY WHO HAS AN ECAM HE CAN'T READ WITHOUT HOLDING UP A CHKLIST TO SEE WHICH ENG IS ON FIRE AND WHAT THE IMMEDIATE PROCS ARE. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO YOUR ATTN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. AS I HAVE TIME; I WILL CONTACT OUR FLEET; FAA FOLKS IN THE BUILDING; AND FAA FOLKS NOT CONNECTED TO ACR X IF THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES. NOBODY IS PICKING UP THIS BALL SEEMINGLY BECAUSE IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE ONE AND THE CRT'S HAVE NOT YET BEEN THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT. ONCE AGAIN -- MAINT MANUAL HAS NO WAY OF MEASURING THE CANDLE PWR OF A SCREEN; SO THE FIX IS: 1) 'LOOKS GOOD TO ME;' 2) 'WE DON'T HAVE ANY IN STOCK SO IT MUST BE OK;' 3) 'LOOKS AS GOOD AS THE ONE NEXT TO IT;' 4) 'LOOKS AS GOOD AS THIS BAD ONE FROM SUPPLY;' 5) 'CAPT -- WHY WON'T YOU TAKE THIS? I CAN SEE IT FINE UNDER THE CLOUDS HERE AT THE GATE WHEN THE SUN IS NO FACTOR AND I'M WEARING A DARK BLUE COAT!' IT TAKES A MECH WHO UNDERSTANDS THE DIFFERENCE BTWN NIGHT AND DAY; BRIGHT SUNSHINE AND SIMPLE DAYLIGHT; AND THE FACT THAT THE ACFT FACES MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS THAN THE STATIC LOOK AT THE GATE.

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.