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An air carrier B737 captain complains that the rain removal system are less effective since the rain repellent fluid was removed from the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 400207 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pvd |
| State Reference | RI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 400207 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Since the removal of rain repellent, we have been forced to operate with less than optimum visibility on lndgs and takeoffs. Those noisy, distracting windshield wipers on the B737 are unsatisfactory by themselves for rain removal. No matter how new the wiper blades, a thin film of water adheres to the windshield resulting in blurred vision for the most critical stages of flight. We fly 30 million dollar airplanes with 50 cent rain removal system. How many hard lndgs and missed approachs do we have to log before you mandate us to use everything available to maximize visibility? We need some sort of rain repellent back now!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR B737 CAPT COMPLAINS THAT THE RAIN REMOVAL SYS ARE LESS EFFECTIVE SINCE THE RAIN REPELLENT FLUID WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT.
Narrative: SINCE THE REMOVAL OF RAIN REPELLENT, WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO OPERATE WITH LESS THAN OPTIMUM VISIBILITY ON LNDGS AND TKOFS. THOSE NOISY, DISTRACTING WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THE B737 ARE UNSATISFACTORY BY THEMSELVES FOR RAIN REMOVAL. NO MATTER HOW NEW THE WIPER BLADES, A THIN FILM OF WATER ADHERES TO THE WINDSHIELD RESULTING IN BLURRED VISION FOR THE MOST CRITICAL STAGES OF FLT. WE FLY 30 MILLION DOLLAR AIRPLANES WITH 50 CENT RAIN REMOVAL SYS. HOW MANY HARD LNDGS AND MISSED APCHS DO WE HAVE TO LOG BEFORE YOU MANDATE US TO USE EVERYTHING AVAILABLE TO MAXIMIZE VISIBILITY? WE NEED SOME SORT OF RAIN REPELLENT BACK NOW!
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.