Narrative:

MEL 25-20 says chart holder/clip board but never mentions its a B777 emergency evacuation checklist also. The left clip board kept falling off and the first officer was using all the actively advocating that it should be fixed because if he was incapacitated I couldn't read his and mine would be on the floor somewhere. Maintenance finally thought of taping the clip board in the aft position so that I could still operate the window lock but it wouldn't fall off so I and first officer finally agreed it was safe and maintenance and flight duty manager and everyone were telling us it was legal and safe. Our real questions are why wasn't the MEL updated to call it a clip board/chart holder/evacuation checklist which is what was glaringly absent on MEL and right away makes us question whether in all the changes this MEL allowance was not looked at adequately now that the emergency checklist was attached to it. Then before landing the next big problem presented itself when the sun went down and I turned the chart light on it illuminated where the evacuation checklist would be normally forward but in its taped position aft not a single word or letter was illuminated and that I wrote up. Another question; is the chart light on the hot battery bus? What I liked about the emergency evacuation checklist on paper in the center is that each pilot could access easily and move the card to any available light source and since we all have different eye strength the card could be moved closer or farther away to read easily and the card could be moved in the direction of the next switch to be moved instead of looking hard to the side to read the clip board checklist. The clipboard/checklist has none of the above advantages so should be moved back in my opinion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 Emergency Evacuation Checklist installed on a clip board which kept falling off its sidewall attachment next the Captain but maintenance's work around did not position it for use under all emergency lighting conditions.

Narrative: MEL 25-20 says chart holder/clip board BUT never mentions its a B777 Emergency Evacuation Checklist also. The left clip board kept falling off and the First Officer was using all the actively advocating that it should be fixed because if he was incapacitated I couldn't read his and mine would be on the floor somewhere. Maintenance finally thought of taping the clip board in the aft position so that I could still operate the window lock but it wouldn't fall off so I and First Officer finally agreed it was safe and maintenance and Flight Duty Manager and everyone were telling us it was legal and safe. Our real questions are WHY wasn't the MEL updated to call it a clip board/chart holder/Evacuation Checklist which is what was glaringly absent on MEL and right away makes us question whether in all the changes this MEL allowance was not looked at adequately now that the Emergency Checklist was attached to it. Then before landing the next big problem presented itself when the sun went down and I turned the chart light on it illuminated where the Evacuation Checklist would be normally forward BUT in its taped position aft NOT A SINGLE WORD OR LETTER WAS ILLUMINATED and that I wrote up. Another question; is the chart light on the hot battery bus? What I liked about the Emergency Evacuation Checklist on paper in the center is that each pilot could access easily and move the card to ANY available light source and since we all have different eye strength the card could be moved closer or farther away to read easily and the card could be moved in the direction of the next switch to be moved instead of looking hard to the side to read the clip board checklist. The clipboard/checklist HAS NONE of the above advantages so should be moved back in my opinion.

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.