Narrative:

We have a QRH that has all emergency and abnormal checklists as well as some operational information and checklists. Our aircraft typically have two aboard along with an aircraft company flight manual (cfm). Last evening both our QRH's were missing and put on an open item list; not really deferred under MEL authority/authorized; just listed to keep track of. This left us with the cfm. Quick thinking on my part allowed us to 'borrow' one from another aircraft on the ramp as they had two. Checklist critical to the operation of the aircraft should be required except for dire situations. Lack of planning or good headwork should not be grounds for permitting lack of this easy to use; vital information. Thumbing through 3 large cfm binders (over 1000 pages) to find critical information is not an acceptable safety situation in my view. This particular evening we had a hydraulic test fail that required a manual procedure and also the briefing of a monitored approach into mem with WX at 200/1 mi. Both of these items were easily accessible in the QRH.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB CAPT FEELS IT IS INAPPROPRIATE TO DISPATCH AN ACFT WITHOUT THE QUICK REF HANDBOOKS ABOARD.

Narrative: WE HAVE A QRH THAT HAS ALL EMER AND ABNORMAL CHKLISTS AS WELL AS SOME OPERATIONAL INFO AND CHKLISTS. OUR ACFT TYPICALLY HAVE TWO ABOARD ALONG WITH AN ACFT COMPANY FLT MANUAL (CFM). LAST EVENING BOTH OUR QRH'S WERE MISSING AND PUT ON AN OPEN ITEM LIST; NOT REALLY DEFERRED UNDER MEL AUTH; JUST LISTED TO KEEP TRACK OF. THIS LEFT US WITH THE CFM. QUICK THINKING ON MY PART ALLOWED US TO 'BORROW' ONE FROM ANOTHER ACFT ON THE RAMP AS THEY HAD TWO. CHKLIST CRITICAL TO THE OP OF THE ACFT SHOULD BE REQUIRED EXCEPT FOR DIRE SITUATIONS. LACK OF PLANNING OR GOOD HEADWORK SHOULD NOT BE GROUNDS FOR PERMITTING LACK OF THIS EASY TO USE; VITAL INFO. THUMBING THROUGH 3 LARGE CFM BINDERS (OVER 1000 PAGES) TO FIND CRITICAL INFO IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SAFETY SITUATION IN MY VIEW. THIS PARTICULAR EVENING WE HAD A HYD TEST FAIL THAT REQUIRED A MANUAL PROC AND ALSO THE BRIEFING OF A MONITORED APCH INTO MEM WITH WX AT 200/1 MI. BOTH OF THESE ITEMS WERE EASILY ACCESSIBLE IN THE QRH.

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.