Narrative:

I just flew my first trip after vacation and using our new procedure with the checklist and no speed FLIP cards. I'm sorry; but I have to object most vehemently to this. This is a huge step backwards in situational awareness and an accident waiting to happen. Make no mistake about this; we will bend metal or have an accident because we no longer have speed FLIP cards. I can't imagine how company can put this forward. Their answer is that the FLIP cards are too expensive; and fleet standardization. How much does an accident or investigation cost? All the other fleets have speed tapes on the ADI. The B767 fleet has been promising the ADI conversion to speed tape for over 12 yrs. We do not have a speed tape with flap maneuvering speeds of V speeds for take off. There is no other place to doublechk speeds. 1) there is no backup on speeds and final weights to verify the correct approach or takeoff speeds. As long as the FMC weights are correct; the FMC speeds should work; but there is no longer a way to xchk weight changes prior to takeoff. 2) major problems with additional heads down time. There is no way to quickly check the speeds on a weight change for final weights. I can't; as captain; verify the new speeds and weights without stopping the plane during taxi. I guess I can stop the plane right before takeoff and doublechk. 3) no good way to check maneuvering speeds for flap extensions. Again; no speed tape available. 4) we will have a crew fly too slow for a flap confign and approach to stall in the low altitude environment because of this change. I can't tell you how violently opposed I am to this change. This is a decrease in situational awareness and absolutely no training at all from the company on this new system. Their answer; 'it works on the other fleets;' is not adequate. They have speed tapes and you can check your speeds at a glance. Again; we do not have a speed tape! I still can't believe that the FAA reviewed and approved this. We don't have a F/east looking over our shoulder anymore. We need to make a few changes. 1) immediately get some sort of speed reference/FLIP card in the cockpit to eliminate the extra heads down time. 2) long term fix would be to get the ADI conversion for a speed tape presentation; as promised 12 yrs ago. 3) in the meantime; formalize some sort of technique or procedure for presentation or written down speeds on the center console. Currently; there is no standardization for this and it's all over the map. I can't count on finding the speeds written down anywhere the same place with any 2 different crew members. Company is the major culprit here in lack of training. I'm sorry for the strong language; but I think this is absolutely idiotic. We have a major push to eliminate crew caused ground collisions and company promotes this new heads down procedure. The fact that boeing has a different technique does not make it correct or our proven procedures wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CAPT IS DISDAINFUL OF REMOVAL OF AIRSPD FLIP CARDS FOR COST SAVINGS.

Narrative: I JUST FLEW MY FIRST TRIP AFTER VACATION AND USING OUR NEW PROC WITH THE CHKLIST AND NO SPD FLIP CARDS. I'M SORRY; BUT I HAVE TO OBJECT MOST VEHEMENTLY TO THIS. THIS IS A HUGE STEP BACKWARDS IN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT THIS; WE WILL BEND METAL OR HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE WE NO LONGER HAVE SPD FLIP CARDS. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW COMPANY CAN PUT THIS FORWARD. THEIR ANSWER IS THAT THE FLIP CARDS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE; AND FLEET STANDARDIZATION. HOW MUCH DOES AN ACCIDENT OR INVESTIGATION COST? ALL THE OTHER FLEETS HAVE SPD TAPES ON THE ADI. THE B767 FLEET HAS BEEN PROMISING THE ADI CONVERSION TO SPD TAPE FOR OVER 12 YRS. WE DO NOT HAVE A SPEED TAPE WITH FLAP MANEUVERING SPEEDS OF V SPEEDS FOR TAKE OFF. THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE TO DOUBLECHK SPDS. 1) THERE IS NO BACKUP ON SPDS AND FINAL WTS TO VERIFY THE CORRECT APCH OR TKOF SPDS. AS LONG AS THE FMC WTS ARE CORRECT; THE FMC SPDS SHOULD WORK; BUT THERE IS NO LONGER A WAY TO XCHK WT CHANGES PRIOR TO TKOF. 2) MAJOR PROBS WITH ADDITIONAL HEADS DOWN TIME. THERE IS NO WAY TO QUICKLY CHK THE SPDS ON A WT CHANGE FOR FINAL WTS. I CAN'T; AS CAPT; VERIFY THE NEW SPDS AND WTS WITHOUT STOPPING THE PLANE DURING TAXI. I GUESS I CAN STOP THE PLANE RIGHT BEFORE TKOF AND DOUBLECHK. 3) NO GOOD WAY TO CHK MANEUVERING SPDS FOR FLAP EXTENSIONS. AGAIN; NO SPD TAPE AVAILABLE. 4) WE WILL HAVE A CREW FLY TOO SLOW FOR A FLAP CONFIGN AND APCH TO STALL IN THE LOW ALT ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE OF THIS CHANGE. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW VIOLENTLY OPPOSED I AM TO THIS CHANGE. THIS IS A DECREASE IN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND ABSOLUTELY NO TRAINING AT ALL FROM THE COMPANY ON THIS NEW SYS. THEIR ANSWER; 'IT WORKS ON THE OTHER FLEETS;' IS NOT ADEQUATE. THEY HAVE SPD TAPES AND YOU CAN CHK YOUR SPDS AT A GLANCE. AGAIN; WE DO NOT HAVE A SPD TAPE! I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE FAA REVIEWED AND APPROVED THIS. WE DON'T HAVE A F/E LOOKING OVER OUR SHOULDER ANYMORE. WE NEED TO MAKE A FEW CHANGES. 1) IMMEDIATELY GET SOME SORT OF SPD REF/FLIP CARD IN THE COCKPIT TO ELIMINATE THE EXTRA HEADS DOWN TIME. 2) LONG TERM FIX WOULD BE TO GET THE ADI CONVERSION FOR A SPD TAPE PRESENTATION; AS PROMISED 12 YRS AGO. 3) IN THE MEANTIME; FORMALIZE SOME SORT OF TECHNIQUE OR PROC FOR PRESENTATION OR WRITTEN DOWN SPDS ON THE CTR CONSOLE. CURRENTLY; THERE IS NO STANDARDIZATION FOR THIS AND IT'S ALL OVER THE MAP. I CAN'T COUNT ON FINDING THE SPDS WRITTEN DOWN ANYWHERE THE SAME PLACE WITH ANY 2 DIFFERENT CREW MEMBERS. COMPANY IS THE MAJOR CULPRIT HERE IN LACK OF TRAINING. I'M SORRY FOR THE STRONG LANGUAGE; BUT I THINK THIS IS ABSOLUTELY IDIOTIC. WE HAVE A MAJOR PUSH TO ELIMINATE CREW CAUSED GND COLLISIONS AND COMPANY PROMOTES THIS NEW HEADS DOWN PROC. THE FACT THAT BOEING HAS A DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE DOES NOT MAKE IT CORRECT OR OUR PROVEN PROCS WRONG.

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.