Narrative:

I had the opportunity to fly the same B737-800 on 2 days. That aircraft is equipped with the test version of the raas. I want to pass along the following observations and thoughts on this system. On departure/taxi out in sea; the raas was quite inaccurate in terms of announcing the aircraft's position in relation to the taxiway/runway. We were cleared for takeoff on runway 16L as we approached the departure end of the runway at taxiway C. We did not stop our taxi as we made the turn at taxiway C to line up on runway 16L. It was not until we were well onto the runway that the raas announced; very loudly; 'approaching runway 16L.' there are several problems here. First; the information is not timely; therefore; almost useless by virtue of being too late. Second; the announcement is an unwelcome distraction at a very critical juncture. The crew is preparing for takeoff; watching/listening for traffic; communicating with ATC; running a checklist; and weighing a number of variables; possibilities; and threats which may be encountered in the next couple of mins. This loud; near useless; raas announcement becomes just another safety threat. The sterile cockpit environment exists to minimize unnecessary distrs during critical phases of operations for a good reason. Raas seems to violate the intention of keeping the cockpit clear and uncluttered; and thereby reducing the threat level. Leaving mco; the positioning of the aircraft and subsequent announcement 'approaching runway 18L' were more timely in that the announcement occurred prior to crossing the hold short bars for the runway. I would still characterize the announcement as distracting unwanted/unneeded information at a critical time delivered at a louder than necessary volume level. On arrs; the announcement approaching the runway is; again; of questionable value and timing. It's also too loud. This announcement has the potential during CAT III operations to be a real problem. There is good reason why our procedures were developed to keep to an absolute minimum the amount of unnecessary activity; aural and otherwise. I would suggest the same concerns apply to all approach scenarios. I did; however; like the distance remaining calls. I could see an enhanced level of situational awareness and safety on a low visibility landing roll; particularly at an unfamiliar field. The raas could be improved with a simple change in system philosophy. The system should be quiet until it senses something wrong; at which point the announcement would be followed by the crew's immediate review of their situational awareness. This is similar to the current switch; warning light; and aural warnings used by boeing. Don't warn a crew about something normal. My family's automobile has a very accurate GPS based navigation system tied to a moving map display. This is relatively old technology available on most cars today. It works great. I would much prefer this kind of passive runway/taxiway awareness system which could be displayed on one of the cockpit display panels of all of our aircraft (du; ehsi; navigation display; or radar display). The technology exists; it works; and improves situational awareness without jeopardizing overall safety. It also does it in a non-invasive way. The current raas is not a good solution to enhancing situational awareness and; in my opinion; actually decreases the overall level of safety in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF B737-800 RPTS LIKES AND DISLIKES REGARDING THE TEST VERSION OF RAAS INSTALLED ON AN ACFT UNDER THEIR COMMAND.

Narrative: I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY THE SAME B737-800 ON 2 DAYS. THAT ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH THE TEST VERSION OF THE RAAS. I WANT TO PASS ALONG THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS AND THOUGHTS ON THIS SYS. ON DEP/TAXI OUT IN SEA; THE RAAS WAS QUITE INACCURATE IN TERMS OF ANNOUNCING THE ACFT'S POS IN RELATION TO THE TXWY/RWY. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 16L AS WE APCHED THE DEP END OF THE RWY AT TXWY C. WE DID NOT STOP OUR TAXI AS WE MADE THE TURN AT TXWY C TO LINE UP ON RWY 16L. IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE WERE WELL ONTO THE RWY THAT THE RAAS ANNOUNCED; VERY LOUDLY; 'APCHING RWY 16L.' THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBS HERE. FIRST; THE INFO IS NOT TIMELY; THEREFORE; ALMOST USELESS BY VIRTUE OF BEING TOO LATE. SECOND; THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS AN UNWELCOME DISTR AT A VERY CRITICAL JUNCTURE. THE CREW IS PREPARING FOR TKOF; WATCHING/LISTENING FOR TFC; COMMUNICATING WITH ATC; RUNNING A CHKLIST; AND WEIGHING A NUMBER OF VARIABLES; POSSIBILITIES; AND THREATS WHICH MAY BE ENCOUNTERED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MINS. THIS LOUD; NEAR USELESS; RAAS ANNOUNCEMENT BECOMES JUST ANOTHER SAFETY THREAT. THE STERILE COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT EXISTS TO MINIMIZE UNNECESSARY DISTRS DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF OPS FOR A GOOD REASON. RAAS SEEMS TO VIOLATE THE INTENTION OF KEEPING THE COCKPIT CLR AND UNCLUTTERED; AND THEREBY REDUCING THE THREAT LEVEL. LEAVING MCO; THE POSITIONING OF THE ACFT AND SUBSEQUENT ANNOUNCEMENT 'APCHING RWY 18L' WERE MORE TIMELY IN THAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OCCURRED PRIOR TO XING THE HOLD SHORT BARS FOR THE RWY. I WOULD STILL CHARACTERIZE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS DISTRACTING UNWANTED/UNNEEDED INFO AT A CRITICAL TIME DELIVERED AT A LOUDER THAN NECESSARY VOLUME LEVEL. ON ARRS; THE ANNOUNCEMENT APCHING THE RWY IS; AGAIN; OF QUESTIONABLE VALUE AND TIMING. IT'S ALSO TOO LOUD. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS THE POTENTIAL DURING CAT III OPS TO BE A REAL PROB. THERE IS GOOD REASON WHY OUR PROCS WERE DEVELOPED TO KEEP TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM THE AMOUNT OF UNNECESSARY ACTIVITY; AURAL AND OTHERWISE. I WOULD SUGGEST THE SAME CONCERNS APPLY TO ALL APCH SCENARIOS. I DID; HOWEVER; LIKE THE DISTANCE REMAINING CALLS. I COULD SEE AN ENHANCED LEVEL OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND SAFETY ON A LOW VISIBILITY LNDG ROLL; PARTICULARLY AT AN UNFAMILIAR FIELD. THE RAAS COULD BE IMPROVED WITH A SIMPLE CHANGE IN SYS PHILOSOPHY. THE SYS SHOULD BE QUIET UNTIL IT SENSES SOMETHING WRONG; AT WHICH POINT THE ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY THE CREW'S IMMEDIATE REVIEW OF THEIR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE CURRENT SWITCH; WARNING LIGHT; AND AURAL WARNINGS USED BY BOEING. DON'T WARN A CREW ABOUT SOMETHING NORMAL. MY FAMILY'S AUTOMOBILE HAS A VERY ACCURATE GPS BASED NAV SYS TIED TO A MOVING MAP DISPLAY. THIS IS RELATIVELY OLD TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE ON MOST CARS TODAY. IT WORKS GREAT. I WOULD MUCH PREFER THIS KIND OF PASSIVE RWY/TXWY AWARENESS SYS WHICH COULD BE DISPLAYED ON ONE OF THE COCKPIT DISPLAY PANELS OF ALL OF OUR ACFT (DU; EHSI; NAV DISPLAY; OR RADAR DISPLAY). THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS; IT WORKS; AND IMPROVES SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING OVERALL SAFETY. IT ALSO DOES IT IN A NON-INVASIVE WAY. THE CURRENT RAAS IS NOT A GOOD SOLUTION TO ENHANCING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND; IN MY OPINION; ACTUALLY DECREASES THE OVERALL LEVEL OF SAFETY IN THE COCKPIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.