Narrative:

I am attaching a copy of my report to the company and then response concerning how the cockpit window of the widebody transport type X can be disabled by an audio panel cover and/or the observer's seat and made useless as an emergency exit. Please pass this on to all other airlines operating air carrier widebody transport's type X and to the FAA for appropriate action. This is to let you know of a potential hazard of the widebody transport captain sliding cockpit window, which may prevent its use as an emergency exit. If the cover over the first observer's audio panel is open, the window roller will only move about 1/2 the distance backward on the track, so that the window will only be about 1/2 open and useless as an exit. The audio cover is normally held down by a spring, but if the spring is broken, as it was on a recent flight, the cover can remain open and prevent the window from opening completely. Additionally, I had discovered that if the first observer seat is not far forward, swiveled so that it faces the second officer's panel, and positioned fully back, the seat back will not allow the captain's sliding window to open more than about 1/2 because the back frame of the window will bump up against the seat back. Suggestion: 1) inspect all widebody transport type X for broken first observer audio panel cover springs and repair as necessary, or remove all of those covers completely. 2) add SOP to ensure that first observer seats are facing forward for all takeoffs and lndgs and ground taxi. Company response: I have reviewed the discussed with all staff captain X's report re interference between an open first observer's audio panel cover C(closure springs broken), first observer's seat and the opening of the left cockpit sliding window. The first observer's audio panel cover and its closure springs are inspected on a 250 day cycle. However, if a cover with a weal or broken spring is observed any time, an appropriate log book write-up should be made and maintenance will take corrective action. A check of the first observer's seat position has confirmed that captain X is correct; the seat will interfere with the operation of the left cockpit sliding window if it is positioned facing inboard, full back and full up. The following item and note will be added to the flight handbook, normal section, second officer cockpit setup: 'first observer's seat-facing forward. Note: the first observer's seat must be facing forward during taxi, takeoff and landing.' the widebody transport fleet would like to thank captain X for his keen observation and input to the widebody transport operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT DISCOVERS THAT THE LEFT COCKPIT WINDOW EXIT CAN BE DISABLED BY AN AUDIO PANEL COVER AND OR THE OBSERVER'S SEAT ON AN ACR WDB.

Narrative: I AM ATTACHING A COPY OF MY RPT TO THE COMPANY AND THEN RESPONSE CONCERNING HOW THE COCKPIT WINDOW OF THE WDB TYPE X CAN BE DISABLED BY AN AUDIO PANEL COVER AND/OR THE OBSERVER'S SEAT AND MADE USELESS AS AN EMER EXIT. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL OTHER AIRLINES OPERATING ACR WDB'S TYPE X AND TO THE FAA FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION. THIS IS TO LET YOU KNOW OF A POTENTIAL HAZARD OF THE WDB CAPT SLIDING COCKPIT WINDOW, WHICH MAY PREVENT ITS USE AS AN EMER EXIT. IF THE COVER OVER THE FIRST OBSERVER'S AUDIO PANEL IS OPEN, THE WINDOW ROLLER WILL ONLY MOVE ABOUT 1/2 THE DISTANCE BACKWARD ON THE TRACK, SO THAT THE WINDOW WILL ONLY BE ABOUT 1/2 OPEN AND USELESS AS AN EXIT. THE AUDIO COVER IS NORMALLY HELD DOWN BY A SPRING, BUT IF THE SPRING IS BROKEN, AS IT WAS ON A RECENT FLT, THE COVER CAN REMAIN OPEN AND PREVENT THE WINDOW FROM OPENING COMPLETELY. ADDITIONALLY, I HAD DISCOVERED THAT IF THE FIRST OBSERVER SEAT IS NOT FAR FORWARD, SWIVELED SO THAT IT FACES THE S/O'S PANEL, AND POSITIONED FULLY BACK, THE SEAT BACK WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAPT'S SLIDING WINDOW TO OPEN MORE THAN ABOUT 1/2 BECAUSE THE BACK FRAME OF THE WINDOW WILL BUMP UP AGAINST THE SEAT BACK. SUGGESTION: 1) INSPECT ALL WDB TYPE X FOR BROKEN FIRST OBSERVER AUDIO PANEL COVER SPRINGS AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY, OR REMOVE ALL OF THOSE COVERS COMPLETELY. 2) ADD SOP TO ENSURE THAT FIRST OBSERVER SEATS ARE FACING FORWARD FOR ALL TKOFS AND LNDGS AND GND TAXI. COMPANY RESPONSE: I HAVE REVIEWED THE DISCUSSED WITH ALL STAFF CAPT X'S RPT RE INTERFERENCE BTWN AN OPEN FIRST OBSERVER'S AUDIO PANEL COVER C(CLOSURE SPRINGS BROKEN), FIRST OBSERVER'S SEAT AND THE OPENING OF THE LEFT COCKPIT SLIDING WINDOW. THE FIRST OBSERVER'S AUDIO PANEL COVER AND ITS CLOSURE SPRINGS ARE INSPECTED ON A 250 DAY CYCLE. HOWEVER, IF A COVER WITH A WEAL OR BROKEN SPRING IS OBSERVED ANY TIME, AN APPROPRIATE LOG BOOK WRITE-UP SHOULD BE MADE AND MAINT WILL TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. A CHK OF THE FIRST OBSERVER'S SEAT POS HAS CONFIRMED THAT CAPT X IS CORRECT; THE SEAT WILL INTERFERE WITH THE OPERATION OF THE LEFT COCKPIT SLIDING WINDOW IF IT IS POSITIONED FACING INBOARD, FULL BACK AND FULL UP. THE FOLLOWING ITEM AND NOTE WILL BE ADDED TO THE FLT HANDBOOK, NORMAL SECTION, S/O COCKPIT SETUP: 'FIRST OBSERVER'S SEAT-FACING FORWARD. NOTE: THE FIRST OBSERVER'S SEAT MUST BE FACING FORWARD DURING TAXI, TKOF AND LNDG.' THE WDB FLEET WOULD LIKE TO THANK CAPT X FOR HIS KEEN OBSERVATION AND INPUT TO THE WDB OPERATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.