Narrative:

I performed a normal pre flight inspection and found nothing amiss. The next day I was assigned a new sic and he showed me where his crew grounded an identical plane earlier in the week. A cabin overhead panel overlapped the emergency window exit by approximately 1/4 inch. Had it become necessary to use the emergency exit, it is possible that the overhead panel may have impinged on its operation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after being shown the overhead panel overlap interference with the emergency exit and the difficulty removing the exit, all of the fleet was inspected. The reporter said of the airplanes in the fleet, another two were found with the exits blocked. The reporter stated that during routine maintenance, the technician must have encountered some difficulty removing the exit and should have taken corrective action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA 650 CAPT RPTS DISCOVERING THE EMER EXITS OF TWO AIRPLANES BLOCKED AND UNUSABLE BY OVERHEAD PANEL OVERLAP.

Narrative: I PERFORMED A NORMAL PRE FLT INSPECTION AND FOUND NOTHING AMISS. THE NEXT DAY I WAS ASSIGNED A NEW SIC AND HE SHOWED ME WHERE HIS CREW GNDED AN IDENTICAL PLANE EARLIER IN THE WEEK. A CABIN OVERHEAD PANEL OVERLAPPED THE EMER WINDOW EXIT BY APPROX 1/4 INCH. HAD IT BECOME NECESSARY TO USE THE EMER EXIT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE OVERHEAD PANEL MAY HAVE IMPINGED ON ITS OPERATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER BEING SHOWN THE OVERHEAD PANEL OVERLAP INTERFERENCE WITH THE EMER EXIT AND THE DIFFICULTY REMOVING THE EXIT, ALL OF THE FLEET WAS INSPECTED. THE RPTR SAID OF THE AIRPLANES IN THE FLEET, ANOTHER TWO WERE FOUND WITH THE EXITS BLOCKED. THE RPTR STATED THAT DURING ROUTINE MAINT, THE TECHNICIAN MUST HAVE ENCOUNTERED SOME DIFFICULTY REMOVING THE EXIT AND SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION.

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.