Narrative:

This report is about the cockpit lighting on the newer air carrier A320 aircraft abc and later). Specifically, regarding the removal of the map lights. The map lights were replaced by 1) an under glare shield light that shines down on the tray/table, and 2) a light in the side window frame that illuminates the entire lower frame of the window. In my opinion, the new lighting system is inadequate and distracts from the safe operation of the aircraft during night operations. The problem with the new lighting system is: neither of the lights are bright enough to easily read the small print on commercial charts, and they are 'area' lights that are incapable of being focused to a spot light. During night operations, pilots are forced to turn the new lights to full bright to view the small print on the charts. And, since the lights cannot be focused (like a map light), the glare off the tray/table or side window frame is very distracting. The lighting and the glare reflected in the windscreen at times prevents a clear view outside the cockpit, reduces a pilot's night vision, and is very distracting cross-cockpit. Also, since the lights are not quite bright enough to read the small commercial chart prints, pilots spend more time staring at the charts (rather than monitoring the approach), just to simply make out details on the chart. Assuming the overhead lights are not used at night, the tray/table lighting presents some other problems as well. Depending on the type of paper a flight plan or release is printed on (shiny versus matte), light reflected off of the paper can make the print unreadable. If a pilot uses plastic covers to protect commercial chart pages, then the prints also become unreadable on the table at night. Without a map light it is even difficult for a pilot to hold the aircraft logbook in his lap and fill it out. Pilots also use the map light to illuminate the forward part of the center pedestal. There is no other lighting in this area, and this is where most pilots keep the printouts for ATIS, weight data, and ATC clrncs. From both a pilot and human factors point of view, it is apparent to me that airbus did very little testing of this new lighting system before they incorporated it into production aircraft. The new lighting system can present many different problems that individually may seem minute, but tied together do indeed make a pilot's job more difficult and may also have an impact on the safe operation of the aircraft. For example, pilots may be more apt to review an approach plate once and attempt to memorize crossing altitudes/DME's, rather than to continually turn the new lighting bright to dim during an approach. The solution to this problem is simple. Airbus industries should reinstall the 'old' map lights on the side window frame, and the lighting under the glare shield should be retained. The map light is brighter and can focus to small specific areas, like the profile view or minimums on a commercial chart. It is likely this applies to the entire A318-A340 family of transports. If airbus can't be persuaded to make this change, I believe air carrier should buy map lights and make the conversion in- house.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEWER FLEET OF AIRBUS 320 ACFT HAVE THE COCKPIT MAP LIGHTS REMOVED AND REPLACEMENT LIGHTING IS INADEQUATE AND MAY BE A SAFETY OF FLT ITEM.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS ABOUT THE COCKPIT LIGHTING ON THE NEWER ACR A320 ACFT ABC AND LATER). SPECIFICALLY, REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF THE MAP LIGHTS. THE MAP LIGHTS WERE REPLACED BY 1) AN UNDER GLARE SHIELD LIGHT THAT SHINES DOWN ON THE TRAY/TABLE, AND 2) A LIGHT IN THE SIDE WINDOW FRAME THAT ILLUMINATES THE ENTIRE LOWER FRAME OF THE WINDOW. IN MY OPINION, THE NEW LIGHTING SYS IS INADEQUATE AND DISTRACTS FROM THE SAFE OP OF THE ACFT DURING NIGHT OPS. THE PROB WITH THE NEW LIGHTING SYS IS: NEITHER OF THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT ENOUGH TO EASILY READ THE SMALL PRINT ON COMMERCIAL CHARTS, AND THEY ARE 'AREA' LIGHTS THAT ARE INCAPABLE OF BEING FOCUSED TO A SPOT LIGHT. DURING NIGHT OPS, PLTS ARE FORCED TO TURN THE NEW LIGHTS TO FULL BRIGHT TO VIEW THE SMALL PRINT ON THE CHARTS. AND, SINCE THE LIGHTS CANNOT BE FOCUSED (LIKE A MAP LIGHT), THE GLARE OFF THE TRAY/TABLE OR SIDE WINDOW FRAME IS VERY DISTRACTING. THE LIGHTING AND THE GLARE REFLECTED IN THE WINDSCREEN AT TIMES PREVENTS A CLR VIEW OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT, REDUCES A PLT'S NIGHT VISION, AND IS VERY DISTRACTING CROSS-COCKPIT. ALSO, SINCE THE LIGHTS ARE NOT QUITE BRIGHT ENOUGH TO READ THE SMALL COMMERCIAL CHART PRINTS, PLTS SPEND MORE TIME STARING AT THE CHARTS (RATHER THAN MONITORING THE APCH), JUST TO SIMPLY MAKE OUT DETAILS ON THE CHART. ASSUMING THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS ARE NOT USED AT NIGHT, THE TRAY/TABLE LIGHTING PRESENTS SOME OTHER PROBS AS WELL. DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF PAPER A FLT PLAN OR RELEASE IS PRINTED ON (SHINY VERSUS MATTE), LIGHT REFLECTED OFF OF THE PAPER CAN MAKE THE PRINT UNREADABLE. IF A PLT USES PLASTIC COVERS TO PROTECT COMMERCIAL CHART PAGES, THEN THE PRINTS ALSO BECOME UNREADABLE ON THE TABLE AT NIGHT. WITHOUT A MAP LIGHT IT IS EVEN DIFFICULT FOR A PLT TO HOLD THE ACFT LOGBOOK IN HIS LAP AND FILL IT OUT. PLTS ALSO USE THE MAP LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE THE FORWARD PART OF THE CTR PEDESTAL. THERE IS NO OTHER LIGHTING IN THIS AREA, AND THIS IS WHERE MOST PLTS KEEP THE PRINTOUTS FOR ATIS, WT DATA, AND ATC CLRNCS. FROM BOTH A PLT AND HUMAN FACTORS POINT OF VIEW, IT IS APPARENT TO ME THAT AIRBUS DID VERY LITTLE TESTING OF THIS NEW LIGHTING SYS BEFORE THEY INCORPORATED IT INTO PRODUCTION ACFT. THE NEW LIGHTING SYS CAN PRESENT MANY DIFFERENT PROBS THAT INDIVIDUALLY MAY SEEM MINUTE, BUT TIED TOGETHER DO INDEED MAKE A PLT'S JOB MORE DIFFICULT AND MAY ALSO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE SAFE OP OF THE ACFT. FOR EXAMPLE, PLTS MAY BE MORE APT TO REVIEW AN APCH PLATE ONCE AND ATTEMPT TO MEMORIZE XING ALTS/DME'S, RATHER THAN TO CONTINUALLY TURN THE NEW LIGHTING BRIGHT TO DIM DURING AN APCH. THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROB IS SIMPLE. AIRBUS INDUSTRIES SHOULD REINSTALL THE 'OLD' MAP LIGHTS ON THE SIDE WINDOW FRAME, AND THE LIGHTING UNDER THE GLARE SHIELD SHOULD BE RETAINED. THE MAP LIGHT IS BRIGHTER AND CAN FOCUS TO SMALL SPECIFIC AREAS, LIKE THE PROFILE VIEW OR MINIMUMS ON A COMMERCIAL CHART. IT IS LIKELY THIS APPLIES TO THE ENTIRE A318-A340 FAMILY OF TRANSPORTS. IF AIRBUS CAN'T BE PERSUADED TO MAKE THIS CHANGE, I BELIEVE ACR SHOULD BUY MAP LIGHTS AND MAKE THE CONVERSION IN- HOUSE.

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.