Narrative:

Approaching hold line for runway tower cleared us for takeoff. After we were on runway the raas system annunciated 'approaching runway'. At the exact same time; air carrier Y flight abac which was next in sequence behind us was 'cleared into position and hold' by tower. The raas annunciation only allowed the last digit of the air carrier Y flight to be heard on our radios and we stopped on the runway to clarify with tower that our flight was cleared for takeoff. The tower responded but at the exact same time the tower cleared us for takeoff again; the raas annunciated 'on runway'. Both times I explained to the tower that we had a flight deck system do a verbal annunciation; that it covered their clearance for takeoff and to please repeat the clearance. (All of this would be on the ATC tape if reviewed.) the tower cleared us for takeoff; we acknowledged the clearance and proceeded with an uneventful departure. Immediately remove the raas system from all aircraft and replace it with a moving map display. The raas system is an active system; instead of passive; has on numerous occasions interrupted critical radio communications and provides bogus/false runway alerts at random including unusable runway remaining lengths; false runway numbering; ie... The opposite runway number (34R vs. 16L as an example) and volume is intrusive during critical operations. Raas verbal annunciation conflict with ATC clearance. Raas annunciated 'approaching runway' after entering runway and annunciated 'on runway' blocking ATC transmission. Both annunciations blocked ATC takeoff clearance and required multiple radio transmissions from crew to confirm cleared for takeoff clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT NOTES THAT THE GND RAAS ANNUNCIATIONS ARE EXCESSIVELY LOUD AND INTERFERE WITH TOWER COM.

Narrative: APCHING HOLD LINE FOR RWY TOWER CLEARED US FOR TAKEOFF. AFTER WE WERE ON RWY THE RAAS SYSTEM ANNUNCIATED 'APCHING RWY'. AT THE EXACT SAME TIME; ACR Y FLT ABAC WHICH WAS NEXT IN SEQUENCE BEHIND US WAS 'CLEARED INTO POSITION AND HOLD' BY TOWER. THE RAAS ANNUNCIATION ONLY ALLOWED THE LAST DIGIT OF THE ACR Y FLT TO BE HEARD ON OUR RADIOS AND WE STOPPED ON THE RWY TO CLARIFY WITH TOWER THAT OUR FLT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF. THE TOWER RESPONDED BUT AT THE EXACT SAME TIME THE TOWER CLEARED US FOR TAKEOFF AGAIN; THE RAAS ANNUNCIATED 'ON RWY'. BOTH TIMES I EXPLAINED TO THE TOWER THAT WE HAD A FLT DECK SYSTEM DO A VERBAL ANNUNCIATION; THAT IT COVERED THEIR CLRNC FOR TAKEOFF AND TO PLEASE REPEAT THE CLRNC. (ALL OF THIS WOULD BE ON THE ATC TAPE IF REVIEWED.) THE TOWER CLEARED US FOR TAKEOFF; WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE AND PROCEEDED WITH AN UNEVENTFUL DEP. IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE RAAS SYSTEM FROM ALL ACFT AND REPLACE IT WITH A MOVING MAP DISPLAY. THE RAAS SYSTEM IS AN ACTIVE SYSTEM; INSTEAD OF PASSIVE; HAS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS INTERRUPTED CRITICAL RADIO COMS AND PROVIDES BOGUS/FALSE RWY ALERTS AT RANDOM INCLUDING UNUSABLE RWY REMAINING LENGTHS; FALSE RWY NUMBERING; IE... THE OPPOSITE RWY NUMBER (34R VS. 16L AS AN EXAMPLE) AND VOLUME IS INTRUSIVE DURING CRITICAL OPERATIONS. RAAS VERBAL ANNUNCIATION CONFLICT WITH ATC CLRNC. RAAS ANNUNCIATED 'APCHING RWY' AFTER ENTERING RWY AND ANNUNCIATED 'ON RWY' BLOCKING ATC TRANSMISSION. BOTH ANNUNCIATIONS BLOCKED ATC TAKEOFF CLRNC AND REQUIRED MULTIPLE RADIO TRANSMISSIONS FROM CREW TO CONFIRM CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF CLRNC.

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.