Narrative:

This report is of a general nature and not just for a specific flight. The problem detailed below concerns mainly the readability of air carrier X releases. Our air carrier X flight releases are printed at the station and come jumbled in order. The problem is that important apg data is cut in half with a notation reading; 'will continue as part 3.' so when the pilot looks for 'part 3' it usually precedes the original apg data in order and may even be the first page of the release. The problem with this is that when one looks for the continuation of the apg data it is usually spread over several different pages and the runway subject headings are no longer above the weight data. This requires the pilot to look at the first part of the apg data and count the columns for the desired runway and then refer back to the continued page to then count again the number of corresponding columns to find the correct data. It's cumbersome and distracting. There are too many chances for human error. Consider these: 1) flipping through pages of data and seeing just 'part 3 continued' and seeing columns of numbers with no reference to the type of takeoff (alternate takeoff 1; or takeoff) and having to infer that it is the correct number. 2) counting columns on one page and then referencing another is not very scientific. 3) searching for this data is inefficient and distracting to the flight crew whose time can be better spent preparing for departure. The history of aviation incidents and accidents has taught us that there is a clear benefit to doing anything possible to reduce the chance for pilot error. After dealing with this problem for some time; I am convinced that it would be quite conceivable that a crew could easily make the mistake of taking the wrong runway or power setting for their weight. I have spoken to dispatch and apparently the problem lies with the air carrier X computers not being able to translate the releases correctly. The strange thing is that; occasionally; the releases come out correctly so maybe there is a way that the gate agent or operations people can manually put it in the proper order.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT ADVISES THAT COMPUTERS USED BY A CONTRACTED ACR TO PRODUCE ACFT PERFORMANCE MESSAGE FAILS TO COLLATE THE DATA IN A LOGICAL MANNER; MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE ACFT LEGALITY FOR TKOFS.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS OF A GENERAL NATURE AND NOT JUST FOR A SPECIFIC FLT. THE PROB DETAILED BELOW CONCERNS MAINLY THE READABILITY OF ACR X RELEASES. OUR ACR X FLT RELEASES ARE PRINTED AT THE STATION AND COME JUMBLED IN ORDER. THE PROB IS THAT IMPORTANT APG DATA IS CUT IN HALF WITH A NOTATION READING; 'WILL CONTINUE AS PART 3.' SO WHEN THE PLT LOOKS FOR 'PART 3' IT USUALLY PRECEDES THE ORIGINAL APG DATA IN ORDER AND MAY EVEN BE THE FIRST PAGE OF THE RELEASE. THE PROB WITH THIS IS THAT WHEN ONE LOOKS FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE APG DATA IT IS USUALLY SPREAD OVER SEVERAL DIFFERENT PAGES AND THE RWY SUBJECT HDGS ARE NO LONGER ABOVE THE WT DATA. THIS REQUIRES THE PLT TO LOOK AT THE FIRST PART OF THE APG DATA AND COUNT THE COLUMNS FOR THE DESIRED RWY AND THEN REFER BACK TO THE CONTINUED PAGE TO THEN COUNT AGAIN THE NUMBER OF CORRESPONDING COLUMNS TO FIND THE CORRECT DATA. IT'S CUMBERSOME AND DISTRACTING. THERE ARE TOO MANY CHANCES FOR HUMAN ERROR. CONSIDER THESE: 1) FLIPPING THROUGH PAGES OF DATA AND SEEING JUST 'PART 3 CONTINUED' AND SEEING COLUMNS OF NUMBERS WITH NO REF TO THE TYPE OF TKOF (ALTERNATE TKOF 1; OR TKOF) AND HAVING TO INFER THAT IT IS THE CORRECT NUMBER. 2) COUNTING COLUMNS ON ONE PAGE AND THEN REFING ANOTHER IS NOT VERY SCIENTIFIC. 3) SEARCHING FOR THIS DATA IS INEFFICIENT AND DISTRACTING TO THE FLT CREW WHOSE TIME CAN BE BETTER SPENT PREPARING FOR DEP. THE HISTORY OF AVIATION INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS HAS TAUGHT US THAT THERE IS A CLR BENEFIT TO DOING ANYTHING POSSIBLE TO REDUCE THE CHANCE FOR PLT ERROR. AFTER DEALING WITH THIS PROB FOR SOME TIME; I AM CONVINCED THAT IT WOULD BE QUITE CONCEIVABLE THAT A CREW COULD EASILY MAKE THE MISTAKE OF TAKING THE WRONG RWY OR PWR SETTING FOR THEIR WT. I HAVE SPOKEN TO DISPATCH AND APPARENTLY THE PROB LIES WITH THE ACR X COMPUTERS NOT BEING ABLE TO TRANSLATE THE RELEASES CORRECTLY. THE STRANGE THING IS THAT; OCCASIONALLY; THE RELEASES COME OUT CORRECTLY SO MAYBE THERE IS A WAY THAT THE GATE AGENT OR OPS PEOPLE CAN MANUALLY PUT IT IN THE PROPER ORDER.

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.