Narrative:

While troubleshooting a right engine rev fault; I entered the nose compartment to inspect the throttle switches. What I found was a little shocking. There was approximately 12 ft of ACARS paper in about 25 individual sheets laying in the throttle quadrant and linkages under the pedestal; on top of the radar transmitter/receiver and scattered around the radar transmitter/receiver on the compartment insulation. The paper is combustible and presents a fire danger around that transmitter/receiver. Enough of it could also restrict free movement of the throttle linkage. The 25 sheets were weight data; runway data; ATIS information and takeoff data for this aircraft dating back a few months. These sheets are tucked into the instrument panel crevices for ready visual access by the crews during the flight. Some of them are falling behind the instrument panels and getting into critical areas out of sight of the crews. 'Suggested resolution provided by the submitter.' the crews need to be alerted to the potential dangers of having these sheets of ACARS paper fall behind or below the instruments and pedestal. If sheets do fall behind the panels; maintenance should be called to extricate the missing paper.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that issue he raised is one of alerting flight crews about housekeeping and the potential effect of having the paper fall down onto electronic equipment. If cooling air is blocked; then a fire potential develops. The reporter understands the flight crew's reason for placing the ACARS paper where they have visual access to it. However; at the end of the day crews should inventory paper placed on the panel immediately in front of the throttle quadrant and if paper has disappeared have maintenance look for it on the fwd side of the access door in the forward electronics compartment forward of the nose landing gear. About one third of the paper that the reporter discovered was on top of the radar and was ACARS paper discolored to a dark brown color. The other two thirds of the paper was in the throttle quadrant area. The dates on the paper establish that it was several months old and very dry because of the exposure to the aircraft's environment.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757/B767 MECHANIC REPORTS DISCOVERING ACARS FLT PAPERS PLACED ON THE FWD CENTER PEDESTAL BY FLT CREWS HAD SLIPPED DOWN ONTO ELECTRONIC EQUIP IN THE NOSE ELECTRONIC COMPARTMENT.

Narrative: WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING A RIGHT ENG REV FAULT; I ENTERED THE NOSE COMPARTMENT TO INSPECT THE THROTTLE SWITCHES. WHAT I FOUND WAS A LITTLE SHOCKING. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12 FT OF ACARS PAPER IN ABOUT 25 INDIVIDUAL SHEETS LAYING IN THE THROTTLE QUADRANT AND LINKAGES UNDER THE PEDESTAL; ON TOP OF THE RADAR TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER AND SCATTERED AROUND THE RADAR TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER ON THE COMPARTMENT INSULATION. THE PAPER IS COMBUSTIBLE AND PRESENTS A FIRE DANGER AROUND THAT TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER. ENOUGH OF IT COULD ALSO RESTRICT FREE MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE LINKAGE. THE 25 SHEETS WERE WEIGHT DATA; RUNWAY DATA; ATIS INFO AND TAKEOFF DATA FOR THIS AIRCRAFT DATING BACK A FEW MONTHS. THESE SHEETS ARE TUCKED INTO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CREVICES FOR READY VISUAL ACCESS BY THE CREWS DURING THE FLIGHT. SOME OF THEM ARE FALLING BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANELS AND GETTING INTO CRITICAL AREAS OUT OF SIGHT OF THE CREWS. 'SUGGESTED RESOLUTION PROVIDED BY THE SUBMITTER.' THE CREWS NEED TO BE ALERTED TO THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF HAVING THESE SHEETS OF ACARS PAPER FALL BEHIND OR BELOW THE INSTRUMENTS AND PEDESTAL. IF SHEETS DO FALL BEHIND THE PANELS; MAINTENANCE SHOULD BE CALLED TO EXTRICATE THE MISSING PAPER.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT ISSUE HE RAISED IS ONE OF ALERTING FLT CREWS ABOUT HOUSEKEEPING AND THE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF HAVING THE PAPER FALL DOWN ONTO ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT. IF COOLING AIR IS BLOCKED; THEN A FIRE POTENTIAL DEVELOPS. THE REPORTER UNDERSTANDS THE FLT CREW'S REASON FOR PLACING THE ACARS PAPER WHERE THEY HAVE VISUAL ACCESS TO IT. HOWEVER; AT THE END OF THE DAY CREWS SHOULD INVENTORY PAPER PLACED ON THE PANEL IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE THROTTLE QUADRANT AND IF PAPER HAS DISAPPEARED HAVE MAINTENANCE LOOK FOR IT ON THE FWD SIDE OF THE ACCESS DOOR IN THE FORWARD ELECTRONICS COMPARTMENT FORWARD OF THE NOSE LNDG GEAR. ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE PAPER THAT THE RPTR DISCOVERED WAS ON TOP OF THE RADAR AND WAS ACARS PAPER DISCOLORED TO A DARK BROWN COLOR. THE OTHER TWO THIRDS OF THE PAPER WAS IN THE THROTTLE QUADRANT AREA. THE DATES ON THE PAPER ESTABLISH THAT IT WAS SEVERAL MONTHS OLD AND VERY DRY BECAUSE OF THE EXPOSURE TO THE ACFT'S ENVIRONMENT.

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.