Narrative:

After ATC slowdowns, holding, marginal destination WX and continual updating with dispatch, we proceeded to an uneventful approach and landing at pbi. Rain was still heavy at the airport with thunderstorms in the vicinity. Aircraft was cleared off the runway and taxied to the ramp. The captain was busy taxiing aircraft in reduced visibility. The first officer was busy manipulating the windshield wiper controls and looking for the gate directors, and the second officer was busy contacting operations. The after landing checklist was called for and completed. The aircraft was parked and the parking checklist completed. Upon arrival at layover hotel, operations informed me that maintenance had found the radar on and that one of the aircraft handlers had been exposed to radar energy and would be going to the hospital for a checkup. I interviewed the first officer and second officer re their challenge and response duties on the after landing checklist. The first officer remembered going through the motions of radar to standby, but can't definitely remember the exact radar mode switching, although he commented that the radar scope appeared dark. The second officer remembers that scope also appeared dark. This particular radar was a different layout and switchology than both the first officer and second officer were typically familiar with and may have led to incorrect radar mode switching. With all the cockpit crew members performing various duties during the aircraft movement and the relief that a long, demanding flight was over, the radar mode selector may have been misread or misselected on the after landing checklist. Factors involved: demanding, stressful flight and different cockpit radar layout and switchology than typically familiar with. Supplemental information from acn 86987: the windshield wipers in this aircraft type are notoriously loud and quite distracting. During the taxi, the first officer operated the wipers while he and I completed the after landing checklist. I saw him touch the radar mode selector. The screen looked dark and appeared to be in standby, however I cannot remember what the screen looked like in flight (the azimuth lines may have been dimmed out).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW FAILED TO TURN OFF ACFT RADAR AFTER ARR AT PBI. CGP COMPLAINED OF HEADACHE AND TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION, THEN RELEASED.

Narrative: AFTER ATC SLOWDOWNS, HOLDING, MARGINAL DEST WX AND CONTINUAL UPDATING WITH DISPATCH, WE PROCEEDED TO AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG AT PBI. RAIN WAS STILL HEAVY AT THE ARPT WITH TSTMS IN THE VICINITY. ACFT WAS CLRED OFF THE RWY AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. THE CAPT WAS BUSY TAXIING ACFT IN REDUCED VIS. THE F/O WAS BUSY MANIPULATING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CTLS AND LOOKING FOR THE GATE DIRECTORS, AND THE S/O WAS BUSY CONTACTING OPS. THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST WAS CALLED FOR AND COMPLETED. THE ACFT WAS PARKED AND THE PARKING CHKLIST COMPLETED. UPON ARR AT LAYOVER HOTEL, OPS INFORMED ME THAT MAINT HAD FOUND THE RADAR ON AND THAT ONE OF THE ACFT HANDLERS HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO RADAR ENERGY AND WOULD BE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL FOR A CHECKUP. I INTERVIEWED THE F/O AND S/O RE THEIR CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE DUTIES ON THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST. THE F/O REMEMBERED GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF RADAR TO STANDBY, BUT CAN'T DEFINITELY REMEMBER THE EXACT RADAR MODE SWITCHING, ALTHOUGH HE COMMENTED THAT THE RADAR SCOPE APPEARED DARK. THE S/O REMEMBERS THAT SCOPE ALSO APPEARED DARK. THIS PARTICULAR RADAR WAS A DIFFERENT LAYOUT AND SWITCHOLOGY THAN BOTH THE F/O AND S/O WERE TYPICALLY FAMILIAR WITH AND MAY HAVE LED TO INCORRECT RADAR MODE SWITCHING. WITH ALL THE COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS PERFORMING VARIOUS DUTIES DURING THE ACFT MOVEMENT AND THE RELIEF THAT A LONG, DEMANDING FLT WAS OVER, THE RADAR MODE SELECTOR MAY HAVE BEEN MISREAD OR MISSELECTED ON THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST. FACTORS INVOLVED: DEMANDING, STRESSFUL FLT AND DIFFERENT COCKPIT RADAR LAYOUT AND SWITCHOLOGY THAN TYPICALLY FAMILIAR WITH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 86987: THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN THIS ACFT TYPE ARE NOTORIOUSLY LOUD AND QUITE DISTRACTING. DURING THE TAXI, THE F/O OPERATED THE WIPERS WHILE HE AND I COMPLETED THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST. I SAW HIM TOUCH THE RADAR MODE SELECTOR. THE SCREEN LOOKED DARK AND APPEARED TO BE IN STANDBY, HOWEVER I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT THE SCREEN LOOKED LIKE IN FLT (THE AZIMUTH LINES MAY HAVE BEEN DIMMED OUT).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.