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An A320 captain reports confusion and lack of information on the predictive windshear system. Some airplanes have the system and some do not. Airplanes not having the system are not properly placarded.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 726791 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200702 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lga.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 726791 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : system placecard other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Aircraft Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Publication | Minimum Equipment List |
Narrative:
Bad maintenance procedures. I wrote up a predictive windshear system as inoperative due to no indication that it was deactivated 'no inoperative sticker.' maintenance control wanted it put on a list of aircraft that system is installed. What is this list? We have had no memo nor is it in our operations manual. It is not in the MEL book yet I as a captain am supposed to take their word that this program exists. I feel I was fooled into taking this aircraft. It is my belief that if we have a system that is deactivated; inoperative; working we as a crew should have the proper written information what its status is. I now in the last 2 days had 3 aircraft with no inoperative stickers indicating whether the pws (predictive windshear system) is working. Some of our pws aircraft work some don't. Whoever is in charge of this program is doing it wrong. The company is leaving its pilots hanging out there with a faulty system. I will continue to write up aircraft every time I have a pws that is not activated without a proper inoperative sticker; I will cover my backside.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 CAPT RPTS CONFUSION AND LACK OF INFO ON THE PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR SYS. SOME AIRPLANES HAVE THE SYS AND SOME DO NOT. AIRPLANES NOT HAVING THE SYS ARE NOT PROPERLY PLACARDED.
Narrative: BAD MAINT PROCS. I WROTE UP A PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR SYS AS INOP DUE TO NO INDICATION THAT IT WAS DEACTIVATED 'NO INOP STICKER.' MAINT CTL WANTED IT PUT ON A LIST OF ACFT THAT SYS IS INSTALLED. WHAT IS THIS LIST? WE HAVE HAD NO MEMO NOR IS IT IN OUR OPS MANUAL. IT IS NOT IN THE MEL BOOK YET I AS A CAPT AM SUPPOSED TO TAKE THEIR WORD THAT THIS PROGRAM EXISTS. I FEEL I WAS FOOLED INTO TAKING THIS ACFT. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT IF WE HAVE A SYS THAT IS DEACTIVATED; INOP; WORKING WE AS A CREW SHOULD HAVE THE PROPER WRITTEN INFO WHAT ITS STATUS IS. I NOW IN THE LAST 2 DAYS HAD 3 ACFT WITH NO INOP STICKERS INDICATING WHETHER THE PWS (PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR SYS) IS WORKING. SOME OF OUR PWS ACFT WORK SOME DON'T. WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE OF THIS PROGRAM IS DOING IT WRONG. THE COMPANY IS LEAVING ITS PLTS HANGING OUT THERE WITH A FAULTY SYS. I WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE UP ACFT EVERY TIME I HAVE A PWS THAT IS NOT ACTIVATED WITHOUT A PROPER INOP STICKER; I WILL COVER MY BACKSIDE.
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.