Narrative:

I'm writing with feedback on the raas. I flew with a captain from the training center. He picked up the trip with the specific intent of observing the raas in action; particularly since there had been some pilot reports regarding the system. The trip was a round trip and we were lucky to have an aircraft with raas for both legs. The captain was hoping to hear specific advisories during taxi operations; including taking and exiting the runway. The raas does work as advertised. I take issue with the system as it operates in the real world; however. I believe there is a safety problem here; a problem where the medicine may be worse than the disease. The raas issues advisories at the time you are most likely to receive a call from ATC. The raas and ATC instructions are most likely to both include runway numbers. When these instructions are issued on top of each other; I feel confusion is a likely outcome. As an example; let me use our first landing. The captain requested of ATC and was cleared to land on 9L; exiting at runway 3L. He was hoping to have raas inform him of both remaining runway for 9L; turning onto 3L; and remaining runway on 3L. Raas performed admirably. Problem was; as raas was advising us; ATC was issuing the instructions to turn left on 3L; turn left on kilo; contact ground 121.9. My job was to listen; understand; and read this ATC instruction back to the controller while at the same time register what raas is telling me. The captain said he processed it all just fine. I can multi-task as well as anyone; but I remarked that as the pilot talking on the radio I have one more thing to do; namely the readback; and that saturates me a little more. We had a discussion about this and he brought up one alternative that involves turning down the volume. I offered; halfway in jest that we turn it down all the way. Arrival on the return leg brought a similar issue. Landing on xxl. As we exited xxl at H on a slow night; ATC issued the instruction 'taxi via hotel and tango; cross runway xxr; contact ground 121.xx'. At the same time raas was squawking at us; and as it's taken me awhile to write this report; I don't remember if it was a runway remaining call or a xxr call. Either way it interfered and even the captain agreed it was too loud. We again had a discussion at the gate regarding raas; the issues we had seen; and fom guidance and SOP. The thought was that once you got used to it; or if it was quiet enough; the calls would not interfere with ATC. That may be so; maybe reducing volume would help. I have a problem with that because I believe crews will just learn to ignore the system; and it's negative learning to teach flight crews to ignore the airplane when it is talking to you. In a way; the aircraft talking to you about normal operations feels like a breach of sterile cockpit. I was very aware on final during our return flight of the aircraft giving us the 2500; 50; 30; and 10 foot call outs. Same breach. It's just that the raas advises when approaching; entering or exiting(as above) a runway; a time of likely ATC contact. As further example I'll give you an international flight. I was a relief officer on that flight and as we lined up for takeoff on runway 27L we simultaneously got the raas 'runway 27L' and runway 27 takeoff clearance from ATC. Even the other relief officer remarked that something 'has to be done' about raas. So those are my thoughts and experiences. I've had 3 flights on raas aircraft; and have had similar issues on each flight. I think it is a safety issue. I think raas as currently enabled is a breech of sterile cockpit at the worst time; and can cause more confusion than it clears up. If we are asked to push the advisory to the back of our skulls; then we will learn to ignore that aircraft system. I don't know the answer here. I can see a fom rule saying if ATC steps on raas; we have to reconfirm with ATC. In the real world that just wouldn't work; because this will happen allthe time and there are not enough radio waves for pilots to continually clog them up with such requests. Too bad the raas couldn't give us a non-aural clue; like a white or blue light in the warning/caution cluster; with both pilots needing to push simultaneously to cancel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 pilot reported that the RAAS auditory alert volume and advisories are too loud; inappropriately vocalized causing interference with ATC instructions; and violate the Sterile Cockpit concept.

Narrative: I'm writing with feedback on the RAAS. I flew with a Captain from the training center. He picked up the trip with the specific intent of observing the RAAS in action; particularly since there had been some pilot reports regarding the system. The trip was a round trip and we were lucky to have an aircraft with RAAS for both legs. The Captain was hoping to hear specific advisories during taxi operations; including taking and exiting the runway. The RAAS does work as advertised. I take issue with the system as it operates in the real world; however. I believe there is a safety problem here; a problem where the medicine may be worse than the disease. The RAAS issues advisories at the time you are MOST LIKELY to receive a call from ATC. The RAAS and ATC instructions are MOST LIKELY to both include runway numbers. When these instructions are issued on top of each other; I feel confusion is a likely outcome. As an example; let me use our first landing. The Captain requested of ATC and was cleared to land on 9L; exiting at Runway 3L. He was hoping to have RAAS inform him of both remaining runway for 9L; turning onto 3L; and remaining runway on 3L. RAAS performed admirably. Problem was; as RAAS was advising us; ATC was issuing the instructions to turn left on 3L; turn left on Kilo; contact ground 121.9. My job was to listen; understand; and read this ATC instruction back to the controller while at the same time register what RAAS is telling me. The Captain said he processed it all just fine. I can multi-task as well as anyone; but I remarked that as the pilot talking on the radio I have one more thing to do; namely the readback; and that saturates me a little more. We had a discussion about this and he brought up one alternative that involves turning down the volume. I offered; halfway in jest that we turn it down all the way. Arrival on the return leg brought a similar issue. Landing on XXL. As we exited XXL at H on a slow night; ATC issued the instruction 'taxi via hotel and Tango; cross Runway XXR; contact Ground 121.XX'. At the same time RAAS was squawking at us; and as it's taken me awhile to write this report; I don't remember if it was a runway remaining call or a XXR call. Either way it interfered and even the Captain agreed it was too loud. We again had a discussion at the gate regarding RAAS; the issues we had seen; and FOM guidance and SOP. The thought was that once you got used to it; or if it was quiet enough; the calls would not interfere with ATC. That may be so; maybe reducing volume would help. I have a problem with that because I believe crews will just learn to ignore the system; and it's negative learning to teach flight crews to ignore the airplane when it is talking to you. In a way; the aircraft talking to you about normal operations feels like a breach of sterile cockpit. I was very aware on final during our return flight of the aircraft giving us the 2500; 50; 30; and 10 foot call outs. Same breach. It's just that the RAAS advises when approaching; entering or exiting(as above) a runway; a time of likely ATC contact. As further example I'll give you an international flight. I was a Relief Officer on that flight and as we lined up for takeoff on Runway 27L we simultaneously got the RAAS 'Runway 27L' and Runway 27 takeoff clearance from ATC. Even the other Relief Officer remarked that something 'has to be done' about RAAS. So those are my thoughts and experiences. I've had 3 flights on RAAS aircraft; and have had similar issues on each flight. I think it is a safety issue. I think RAAS as currently enabled is a breech of sterile cockpit at the worst time; and can cause more confusion than it clears up. If we are asked to push the advisory to the back of our skulls; then we will learn to ignore that aircraft system. I don't know the answer here. I can see a FOM rule saying if ATC steps on RAAS; we have to reconfirm with ATC. In the real world that just wouldn't work; because this will happen allthe time and there are not enough radio waves for pilots to continually clog them up with such requests. Too bad the RAAS couldn't give us a non-aural clue; like a white or blue light in the warning/caution cluster; with both pilots needing to push simultaneously to cancel.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.