Narrative:

This was the last leg of the second day of a 3 day trip. The flight was scheduled for an aircraft change, my first officer and I picked up something to eat at the airport on the way to the new gate. We arrived at the gate approximately 40 mins prior to departure. The agent was waiting for us to inform us that an FAA air safety inspector was going to ride with us. The aircraft arrived with an inoperative APU. A mechanic came over to discuss the problem and to inform me that it was going to be deferred. A new checklist was installed containing some changes that were implemented having to do with standardizing the challenge and respond phraseology following a merger. The time needed to brief the inspector, review the new checklist, check the MEL for the limitations pertaining to the APU, briefing the ground crew on the procedure for using external air and electrical power, in addition to the normal duties of checking the flight release, fuel load, WX, NOTAMS, turbulence plots, etc, is overwhelming. The purpose of this report is to let you know that flts such as this one are becoming the norm. There is a great deal of pressure put on everyone involved in air carrier operations to get the flight out on time. Before the new on time reporting procedures took effect, most of us would spend a little more time checking things out. I believe all of us are becoming victims of the on time syndrome at the expense of safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONCERN REGARDING SAFETY COMPROMISES.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF THE SECOND DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP. THE FLT WAS SCHEDULED FOR AN ACFT CHANGE, MY F/O AND I PICKED UP SOMETHING TO EAT AT THE ARPT ON THE WAY TO THE NEW GATE. WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE APPROX 40 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. THE AGENT WAS WAITING FOR US TO INFORM US THAT AN FAA AIR SAFETY INSPECTOR WAS GOING TO RIDE WITH US. THE ACFT ARRIVED WITH AN INOP APU. A MECH CAME OVER TO DISCUSS THE PROB AND TO INFORM ME THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE DEFERRED. A NEW CHKLIST WAS INSTALLED CONTAINING SOME CHANGES THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED HAVING TO DO WITH STANDARDIZING THE CHALLENGE AND RESPOND PHRASEOLOGY FOLLOWING A MERGER. THE TIME NEEDED TO BRIEF THE INSPECTOR, REVIEW THE NEW CHKLIST, CHK THE MEL FOR THE LIMITATIONS PERTAINING TO THE APU, BRIEFING THE GND CREW ON THE PROC FOR USING EXTERNAL AIR AND ELECTRICAL PWR, IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL DUTIES OF CHKING THE FLT RELEASE, FUEL LOAD, WX, NOTAMS, TURB PLOTS, ETC, IS OVERWHELMING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT FLTS SUCH AS THIS ONE ARE BECOMING THE NORM. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE PUT ON EVERYONE INVOLVED IN ACR OPERATIONS TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME. BEFORE THE NEW ON TIME RPTING PROCS TOOK EFFECT, MOST OF US WOULD SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME CHKING THINGS OUT. I BELIEVE ALL OF US ARE BECOMING VICTIMS OF THE ON TIME SYNDROME AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY.

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.