Narrative:

When we first spoke of proper maintenance of the main landing gear viewing mirrors/portal and the nose gear viewing port, the FAA inspector recommended a weekly cleaning and inspection (ie, weekly service checks) especially during winter months. Our maintenance personnel responded with a 3 week (tri-weekly) check cleaning and inspection. This 3 week cleaning and inspection program is just not working or workable. We need the 1 week service check program to operate safely as the FAA inspector asked for and was not given. This is a no cost safety program to the company that would prevent possible delays and possible crew violations and passenger consternation. While we are on the subject of air safety, why did we reduce the minimum arrival fuel from 5500 pounds to 500 pounds of fuel? 45 mins at normal cruise speed (per FARS) is more like 4500 pounds than the 300 pounds we often see on our flight plans and even with the extra 25 mins for flts less than 2 hours we are still left with minimum fuel for arrival and no contingency. If we are delayed for arrival and then are forced into a go around due to either aircraft on the runway or abnormal aircraft sits, the missed approach and subsequent next approach can use us as much as 1500 pounds as per our manual. We are rapidly going below our minimum declared fuel requirement down to our emergency declared fuel and putting our crews in an uncomfortable and unsafe position where they could possibly make rushed, irrational decisions. In the interest of safety for this airline, we should have gone up by 500 pounds, not down. Don't compromise safety by going skinny on arrival fuel, that fuel doesn't evaporate, it is there for the next flight. A lot more fuel can be saved by an aggressive APU usage and single engine taxi programs that we are so slow in implementing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT'S COMMENTS ON SAFETY ISSUES AT HIS COMPANY RELATING TO GEAR INSPECTION PORT CLEANING AND MINIMUM ARR FUEL PLANNING POLICIES.

Narrative: WHEN WE FIRST SPOKE OF PROPER MAINT OF THE MAIN LNDG GEAR VIEWING MIRRORS/PORTAL AND THE NOSE GEAR VIEWING PORT, THE FAA INSPECTOR RECOMMENDED A WKLY CLEANING AND INSPECTION (IE, WKLY SVC CHKS) ESPECIALLY DURING WINTER MONTHS. OUR MAINT PERSONNEL RESPONDED WITH A 3 WK (TRI-WKLY) CHK CLEANING AND INSPECTION. THIS 3 WK CLEANING AND INSPECTION PROGRAM IS JUST NOT WORKING OR WORKABLE. WE NEED THE 1 WK SVC CHK PROGRAM TO OPERATE SAFELY AS THE FAA INSPECTOR ASKED FOR AND WAS NOT GIVEN. THIS IS A NO COST SAFETY PROGRAM TO THE COMPANY THAT WOULD PREVENT POSSIBLE DELAYS AND POSSIBLE CREW VIOLATIONS AND PAX CONSTERNATION. WHILE WE ARE ON THE SUBJECT OF AIR SAFETY, WHY DID WE REDUCE THE MINIMUM ARR FUEL FROM 5500 LBS TO 500 LBS OF FUEL? 45 MINS AT NORMAL CRUISE SPD (PER FARS) IS MORE LIKE 4500 LBS THAN THE 300 LBS WE OFTEN SEE ON OUR FLT PLANS AND EVEN WITH THE EXTRA 25 MINS FOR FLTS LESS THAN 2 HRS WE ARE STILL LEFT WITH MINIMUM FUEL FOR ARR AND NO CONTINGENCY. IF WE ARE DELAYED FOR ARR AND THEN ARE FORCED INTO A GAR DUE TO EITHER ACFT ON THE RWY OR ABNORMAL ACFT SITS, THE MISSED APCH AND SUBSEQUENT NEXT APCH CAN USE US AS MUCH AS 1500 LBS AS PER OUR MANUAL. WE ARE RAPIDLY GOING BELOW OUR MINIMUM DECLARED FUEL REQUIREMENT DOWN TO OUR EMER DECLARED FUEL AND PUTTING OUR CREWS IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNSAFE POS WHERE THEY COULD POSSIBLY MAKE RUSHED, IRRATIONAL DECISIONS. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY FOR THIS AIRLINE, WE SHOULD HAVE GONE UP BY 500 LBS, NOT DOWN. DON'T COMPROMISE SAFETY BY GOING SKINNY ON ARR FUEL, THAT FUEL DOESN'T EVAPORATE, IT IS THERE FOR THE NEXT FLT. A LOT MORE FUEL CAN BE SAVED BY AN AGGRESSIVE APU USAGE AND SINGLE ENG TAXI PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE SO SLOW IN IMPLEMENTING.

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.