Narrative:

I reported for my trip. I tried to obtain the flight operations manual revision that was due to be available then. There was no revision in my mailbox and no extras to the revision drawer. There did not appear to be revisions in my fellow pilots' mailboxes either. I obtained a written authorization from the duty manager authorizing me to fly the trip without the revision; in accordance with the operations manual procedure. What I did not know at the time was that there was a critical safety of flight change in that revision. Refer to the operations manual section entitled 'taxi and ground movement operations.' the changed text states in part that 'note: ATC no longer issues 'taxi to' clrncs. Instead; they will issue a hold short or a runway crossing clearance anytime a runway will be crossed during taxi. A clearance to taxi to a runway does not authorize the airplane to cross any other runways. ATC must specifically authorize crossing any other runway.' there is no longer an implied clearance to cross any intervening runway when cleared to taxi for takeoff to the departure runway. I do not know if the duty manager was aware of it when I requested the written authorization to fly without the revision and there was no posted bulletin alerting pilots to this change. My ignorance of this change put me at some risk when the ground controller cleared us to taxi for runway 27 via A9; M1; left; D; C4; C. This routing crosses runway 19L on taxiway D. No hold short instructions were included with the taxi clearance. As we approached runway 19L; the captain asked me to obtain clearance cross it. I complied; but noted we did not need permission as it was already implied in our taxi clearance. Fortunately; he had read the revision on a previous trip and alerted me to the change in the rule on taxi clrncs. When we had time later in the flight to discuss it; he also noted his surprise that no posted bulletin had been issued alerting pilots to this critical change and that even the information briefing sheet included with the revision did not mention it. The operations manual stated; 'due to normal shipping and distribution times; changes that are critical to safety of flight are issued via NOTAMS or posted bulletin and remain active for 14 days after the applicable revision date.' the described change would seem to require a posted bulletin if a pilot could potentially not get the revision until I reported; or as in my case; even later. (There was still no revision in my mailbox; nor in the revision drawer; at the end of my trip.) I will certainly no longer accept a written authorization authorizing me to fly without a revision without a thorough briefing from the duty manager on any critical changes contained in the revision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER FIRST OFFICER IS UNABLE TO OBTAIN A FLIGHT BULLETIN FROM HIS COMPANY IN A TIMELY MANNER WHICH CONTAINS PERTINENT SAFETY AND RUNWAY INCURSION INFORMATION.

Narrative: I RPTED FOR MY TRIP. I TRIED TO OBTAIN THE FLT OPS MANUAL REVISION THAT WAS DUE TO BE AVAILABLE THEN. THERE WAS NO REVISION IN MY MAILBOX AND NO EXTRAS TO THE REVISION DRAWER. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE REVISIONS IN MY FELLOW PLTS' MAILBOXES EITHER. I OBTAINED A WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION FROM THE DUTY MGR AUTHORIZING ME TO FLY THE TRIP WITHOUT THE REVISION; IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OPS MANUAL PROC. WHAT I DID NOT KNOW AT THE TIME WAS THAT THERE WAS A CRITICAL SAFETY OF FLT CHANGE IN THAT REVISION. REFER TO THE OPS MANUAL SECTION ENTITLED 'TAXI AND GND MOVEMENT OPS.' THE CHANGED TEXT STATES IN PART THAT 'NOTE: ATC NO LONGER ISSUES 'TAXI TO' CLRNCS. INSTEAD; THEY WILL ISSUE A HOLD SHORT OR A RWY XING CLRNC ANYTIME A RWY WILL BE CROSSED DURING TAXI. A CLRNC TO TAXI TO A RWY DOES NOT AUTHORIZE THE AIRPLANE TO CROSS ANY OTHER RWYS. ATC MUST SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZE XING ANY OTHER RWY.' THERE IS NO LONGER AN IMPLIED CLRNC TO CROSS ANY INTERVENING RWY WHEN CLRED TO TAXI FOR TKOF TO THE DEP RWY. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE DUTY MGR WAS AWARE OF IT WHEN I REQUESTED THE WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION TO FLY WITHOUT THE REVISION AND THERE WAS NO POSTED BULLETIN ALERTING PLTS TO THIS CHANGE. MY IGNORANCE OF THIS CHANGE PUT ME AT SOME RISK WHEN THE GND CTLR CLRED US TO TAXI FOR RWY 27 VIA A9; M1; L; D; C4; C. THIS ROUTING CROSSES RWY 19L ON TXWY D. NO HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS WERE INCLUDED WITH THE TAXI CLRNC. AS WE APCHED RWY 19L; THE CAPT ASKED ME TO OBTAIN CLRNC CROSS IT. I COMPLIED; BUT NOTED WE DID NOT NEED PERMISSION AS IT WAS ALREADY IMPLIED IN OUR TAXI CLRNC. FORTUNATELY; HE HAD READ THE REVISION ON A PREVIOUS TRIP AND ALERTED ME TO THE CHANGE IN THE RULE ON TAXI CLRNCS. WHEN WE HAD TIME LATER IN THE FLT TO DISCUSS IT; HE ALSO NOTED HIS SURPRISE THAT NO POSTED BULLETIN HAD BEEN ISSUED ALERTING PLTS TO THIS CRITICAL CHANGE AND THAT EVEN THE INFORMATION BRIEFING SHEET INCLUDED WITH THE REVISION DID NOT MENTION IT. THE OPS MANUAL STATED; 'DUE TO NORMAL SHIPPING AND DISTRIBUTION TIMES; CHANGES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO SAFETY OF FLT ARE ISSUED VIA NOTAMS OR POSTED BULLETIN AND REMAIN ACTIVE FOR 14 DAYS AFTER THE APPLICABLE REVISION DATE.' THE DESCRIBED CHANGE WOULD SEEM TO REQUIRE A POSTED BULLETIN IF A PLT COULD POTENTIALLY NOT GET THE REVISION UNTIL I RPTED; OR AS IN MY CASE; EVEN LATER. (THERE WAS STILL NO REVISION IN MY MAILBOX; NOR IN THE REVISION DRAWER; AT THE END OF MY TRIP.) I WILL CERTAINLY NO LONGER ACCEPT A WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION AUTHORIZING ME TO FLY WITHOUT A REVISION WITHOUT A THOROUGH BRIEFING FROM THE DUTY MGR ON ANY CRITICAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN THE REVISION.

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.