Narrative:

We were on the 4TH leg of FAA observed line checks. This was the last IOE captain to be checked for the day. We were scheduled to fly from phl to rdg. The passenger were loaded several mins late. We were cleared to taxi to runway 35 at intersection kilo, which happened to be only a few short yards from our parking space. The captain select asked me to check the airport analysis for an intersection departure. We discovered that the airport analysis was missing from the center console. The manual containing the airport analysis also contains the MEL. We could not locate it in the cockpit at all and we had no choice but to return to the gate. It is required that this manual be checked on both the first flight of the day checklist and subsequently for every leg on the acceptable checklist. We did not have this aircraft as an original flight so we did not do the first flight of the day checklist. We picked up this aircraft in the middle of the day during a swap. Apparently, one of the other pilots, when he swapped out of the aircraft, had inadvertently taken the airport analysis manual instead of his company flight manual. My IOE captain select only made a cursory glance of the center console, during the acceptance check, and assumed that the company flight manual was the airport analysis manual. In fairness to him, they look very similar. I also mistakenly assumed that if the manual were missing, the captain select would have brought it to my attention before we departed. I realize that assuming that, is a classic example of complacency. There is really no need to check it otherwise as the 2 airports we were flying to had more than adequate runway lengths for all our operations. The other factors affecting the flight was the fact that we were running very late, and the pressure imposed by the nature of an observed flight. We also had a passenger that was so disruptive during the flight that she subsequently had to be almost forcibly removed from the aircraft after we had returned to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING LTT AFTER TAXI OUT FROM THE GATE RETURNED TO THE GATE DUE TO DISCOVERING THE ARPT ANALYSIS AND MEL MANUAL MISSING.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE 4TH LEG OF FAA OBSERVED LINE CHKS. THIS WAS THE LAST IOE CAPT TO BE CHKED FOR THE DAY. WE WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY FROM PHL TO RDG. THE PAX WERE LOADED SEVERAL MINS LATE. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 35 AT INTXN KILO, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE ONLY A FEW SHORT YARDS FROM OUR PARKING SPACE. THE CAPT SELECT ASKED ME TO CHK THE ARPT ANALYSIS FOR AN INTXN DEP. WE DISCOVERED THAT THE ARPT ANALYSIS WAS MISSING FROM THE CTR CONSOLE. THE MANUAL CONTAINING THE ARPT ANALYSIS ALSO CONTAINS THE MEL. WE COULD NOT LOCATE IT IN THE COCKPIT AT ALL AND WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO RETURN TO THE GATE. IT IS REQUIRED THAT THIS MANUAL BE CHKED ON BOTH THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY CHKLIST AND SUBSEQUENTLY FOR EVERY LEG ON THE ACCEPTABLE CHKLIST. WE DID NOT HAVE THIS ACFT AS AN ORIGINAL FLT SO WE DID NOT DO THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY CHKLIST. WE PICKED UP THIS ACFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY DURING A SWAP. APPARENTLY, ONE OF THE OTHER PLTS, WHEN HE SWAPPED OUT OF THE ACFT, HAD INADVERTENTLY TAKEN THE ARPT ANALYSIS MANUAL INSTEAD OF HIS COMPANY FLT MANUAL. MY IOE CAPT SELECT ONLY MADE A CURSORY GLANCE OF THE CTR CONSOLE, DURING THE ACCEPTANCE CHK, AND ASSUMED THAT THE COMPANY FLT MANUAL WAS THE ARPT ANALYSIS MANUAL. IN FAIRNESS TO HIM, THEY LOOK VERY SIMILAR. I ALSO MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THAT IF THE MANUAL WERE MISSING, THE CAPT SELECT WOULD HAVE BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTN BEFORE WE DEPARTED. I REALIZE THAT ASSUMING THAT, IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF COMPLACENCY. THERE IS REALLY NO NEED TO CHK IT OTHERWISE AS THE 2 ARPTS WE WERE FLYING TO HAD MORE THAN ADEQUATE RWY LENGTHS FOR ALL OUR OPS. THE OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING THE FLT WAS THE FACT THAT WE WERE RUNNING VERY LATE, AND THE PRESSURE IMPOSED BY THE NATURE OF AN OBSERVED FLT. WE ALSO HAD A PAX THAT WAS SO DISRUPTIVE DURING THE FLT THAT SHE SUBSEQUENTLY HAD TO BE ALMOST FORCIBLY REMOVED FROM THE ACFT AFTER WE HAD RETURNED TO THE GATE.

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.