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An air carrier light transport pilot complains that the newer models in this fleet have no inner side window allowing condensation to turn to frost restricting visibility.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 235681 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199303 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 235681 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
The light transport series X and Y have cockpit side windows with an outer pressure vessel window and an inner plastic panel. The light transport series Z has no inner panel. On cold days with a full load of passenger wearing wet clothing, the side cockpit windows fog up so badly you can't see out. Just a load of people breathing will fog them badly enough to impair vision -- and most of our passenger breathe! Yes, we could wipe the windows before the fog freezes, but we're usually a little busy flying the plane. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that he has talked both to his maintenance department and his chief pilot about this problem and the response is 'that's the way that they came.' this beloved analyst suggested that he or the company could buy and install 'temporary' cold WX shields that are sold for autos in the northern states. The reporter states that there is a groove in the structure for a factory built inner window as on the earlier models of this aircraft. Apparently, the air carrier is reluctant to spend the very few bucks to provide this vital safety feature.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR LTT PLT COMPLAINS THAT THE NEWER MODELS IN THIS FLEET HAVE NO INNER SIDE WINDOW ALLOWING CONDENSATION TO TURN TO FROST RESTRICTING VISIBILITY.
Narrative: THE LTT SERIES X AND Y HAVE COCKPIT SIDE WINDOWS WITH AN OUTER PRESSURE VESSEL WINDOW AND AN INNER PLASTIC PANEL. THE LTT SERIES Z HAS NO INNER PANEL. ON COLD DAYS WITH A FULL LOAD OF PAX WEARING WET CLOTHING, THE SIDE COCKPIT WINDOWS FOG UP SO BADLY YOU CAN'T SEE OUT. JUST A LOAD OF PEOPLE BREATHING WILL FOG THEM BADLY ENOUGH TO IMPAIR VISION -- AND MOST OF OUR PAX BREATHE! YES, WE COULD WIPE THE WINDOWS BEFORE THE FOG FREEZES, BUT WE'RE USUALLY A LITTLE BUSY FLYING THE PLANE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS TALKED BOTH TO HIS MAINT DEPT AND HIS CHIEF PLT ABOUT THIS PROB AND THE RESPONSE IS 'THAT'S THE WAY THAT THEY CAME.' THIS BELOVED ANALYST SUGGESTED THAT HE OR THE COMPANY COULD BUY AND INSTALL 'TEMPORARY' COLD WX SHIELDS THAT ARE SOLD FOR AUTOS IN THE NORTHERN STATES. THE RPTR STATES THAT THERE IS A GROOVE IN THE STRUCTURE FOR A FACTORY BUILT INNER WINDOW AS ON THE EARLIER MODELS OF THIS ACFT. APPARENTLY, THE ACR IS RELUCTANT TO SPEND THE VERY FEW BUCKS TO PROVIDE THIS VITAL SAFETY FEATURE.
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.