Narrative:

Just one more in a long line of dim crts signed off by maintenance in the hours of darkness. I wrote up 2 screens for being too dim and they were 'operations ck good' at night. I'm not sure how many internal reports I've submitted for the same problem; but it continues on a weekly basis. Most times I don't take the time to check up on maintenance because I know I'll find the same. I did have the opportunity to discuss the situation with a chief pilot to see how I could talk with the FAA without jeopardy; but he wants to try to nail this down before we reach that step. I would too; but our air carrier is still dragging feet. It seems our thinking is 'no one else complains about it so it must be one overzealous pilot causing the problem.' my hope with being persistent on this matter is to avoid an accident -- or poorly handled emergency -- caused by a crew's inability to see required information. I think I'm wasting my time and effort with the internal report routine. The last internal report I have out there on this one is 'still in work' -- guess it will remain a problem until the feds believe it to be one. We certainly have won the risk reward on this issue so far; and continue to stick our heads in the sand hoping that remains so. I've asked around maintenance control tech groups for a few years and this is what I've gathered -- very little on paper -- not even sure what factoid is or is not true; maybe this will give you a start. We know the original screen manufacturer and the company who bought them out. We have 'detuned' the brightness of the screens in order to increase service life and reduce burn in; but no one knows what the candle power is supposed to be. We have no instrument to measure candle power output; that is why some replacement screens are too dim; and why several screens are signed off as 'checks ok on ground.' boeing screens are changed on time instead of condition (got that from a mechanic; but had another mechanic say it isn't so) most pilots have been told from day one - even by line check airman -- don't worry about it -- it's just a bus thing. And finally (with a straight face now) when we get new airbus deliveries we'll get new LCD screens. All well and good; but that doesn't solve the problem today.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he has been dealing with dim CRT's in the airbus A319/320's as a chronic condition for over three years. When maintenance checks the CRT's light intensity at night; the screens seem to be adequate and they sign-off the write-up as checks ok. But maintenance sign-offs never seem to reference any specific tool that was used to measure the candle power output (light intensity) or maintenance chapter. Airbus does have a maintenance tip to clean any lint or dust from the CRT's light sensing 'eyes' and screen. This maintenance tip is also used as a sign-off. But; airbus does not seem to have any minimum standard required for CRT candle power output. Reporter stated the ECAM screens are the primary display for emergencies and pilots should not have to shade their pfd's or ecams to be able to see or read messages on their ecams. The dim CRT displays become a very real problem whenever sunlight enters the cockpit. Reporter stated this dim CRT issue does not appear to be a problem on boeing pfd's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS A319/320 PILOT REPORTS ON A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH DIM COCKPIT CRT'S THAT CONTINUE TO BE SIGNED-OFF BY MAINT AS 'OPS CHECK GOOD' AT NIGHT. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO APPLY TO LCD SCREENS.

Narrative: JUST ONE MORE IN A LONG LINE OF DIM CRTS SIGNED OFF BY MAINT IN THE HOURS OF DARKNESS. I WROTE UP 2 SCREENS FOR BEING TOO DIM AND THEY WERE 'OPS CK GOOD' AT NIGHT. I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY INTERNAL REPORTS I'VE SUBMITTED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM; BUT IT CONTINUES ON A WEEKLY BASIS. MOST TIMES I DON'T TAKE THE TIME TO CHECK UP ON MAINT BECAUSE I KNOW I'LL FIND THE SAME. I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION WITH A CHIEF PILOT TO SEE HOW I COULD TALK WITH THE FAA WITHOUT JEOPARDY; BUT HE WANTS TO TRY TO NAIL THIS DOWN BEFORE WE REACH THAT STEP. I WOULD TOO; BUT OUR ACR IS STILL DRAGGING FEET. IT SEEMS OUR THINKING IS 'NO ONE ELSE COMPLAINS ABOUT IT SO IT MUST BE ONE OVERZEALOUS PILOT CAUSING THE PROBLEM.' MY HOPE WITH BEING PERSISTENT ON THIS MATTER IS TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT -- OR POORLY HANDLED EMERGENCY -- CAUSED BY A CREW'S INABILITY TO SEE REQUIRED INFORMATION. I THINK I'M WASTING MY TIME AND EFFORT WITH THE INTERNAL REPORT ROUTINE. THE LAST INTERNAL REPORT I HAVE OUT THERE ON THIS ONE IS 'STILL IN WORK' -- GUESS IT WILL REMAIN A PROBLEM UNTIL THE FEDS BELIEVE IT TO BE ONE. WE CERTAINLY HAVE WON THE RISK REWARD ON THIS ISSUE SO FAR; AND CONTINUE TO STICK OUR HEADS IN THE SAND HOPING THAT REMAINS SO. I'VE ASKED AROUND MAINT CONTROL TECH GROUPS FOR A FEW YEARS AND THIS IS WHAT I'VE GATHERED -- VERY LITTLE ON PAPER -- NOT EVEN SURE WHAT FACTOID IS OR IS NOT TRUE; MAYBE THIS WILL GIVE YOU A START. WE KNOW THE ORIGINAL SCREEN MANUFACTURER AND THE COMPANY WHO BOUGHT THEM OUT. WE HAVE 'DETUNED' THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SCREENS IN ORDER TO INCREASE SERVICE LIFE AND REDUCE BURN IN; BUT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE CANDLE POWER IS SUPPOSED TO BE. WE HAVE NO INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE CANDLE POWER OUTPUT; THAT IS WHY SOME REPLACEMENT SCREENS ARE TOO DIM; AND WHY SEVERAL SCREENS ARE SIGNED OFF AS 'CHKS OK ON GROUND.' BOEING SCREENS ARE CHANGED ON TIME INSTEAD OF CONDITION (GOT THAT FROM A MECH; BUT HAD ANOTHER MECH SAY IT ISN'T SO) MOST PILOTS HAVE BEEN TOLD FROM DAY ONE - EVEN BY LINE CHECK AIRMAN -- DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT -- IT'S JUST A BUS THING. AND FINALLY (WITH A STRAIGHT FACE NOW) WHEN WE GET NEW AIRBUS DELIVERIES WE'LL GET NEW LCD SCREENS. ALL WELL AND GOOD; BUT THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM TODAY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH DIM CRT'S IN THE AIRBUS A319/320'S AS A CHRONIC CONDITION FOR OVER THREE YEARS. WHEN MAINT CHECKS THE CRT'S LIGHT INTENSITY AT NIGHT; THE SCREENS SEEM TO BE ADEQUATE AND THEY SIGN-OFF THE WRITE-UP AS CHECKS OK. BUT MAINT SIGN-OFFS NEVER SEEM TO REFERENCE ANY SPECIFIC TOOL THAT WAS USED TO MEASURE THE CANDLE POWER OUTPUT (LIGHT INTENSITY) OR MAINT CHAPTER. AIRBUS DOES HAVE A MAINT TIP TO CLEAN ANY LINT OR DUST FROM THE CRT'S LIGHT SENSING 'EYES' AND SCREEN. THIS MAINT TIP IS ALSO USED AS A SIGN-OFF. BUT; AIRBUS DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY MINIMUM STANDARD REQUIRED FOR CRT CANDLE POWER OUTPUT. REPORTER STATED THE ECAM SCREENS ARE THE PRIMARY DISPLAY FOR EMERGENCIES AND PILOTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SHADE THEIR PFD'S OR ECAMS TO BE ABLE TO SEE OR READ MESSAGES ON THEIR ECAMS. THE DIM CRT DISPLAYS BECOME A VERY REAL PROBLEM WHENEVER SUNLIGHT ENTERS THE COCKPIT. REPORTER STATED THIS DIM CRT ISSUE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A PROBLEM ON BOEING PFD'S.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.