THE CAPT OF A BE02 FORGOT TO TURN ON THE TCASI UNIT BEFORE TKOF DURING AN FAA LINE CHK. THE RPTING CAPT STATES THAT THE EQUIP IS NEW ON THE ACFT AND THAT HIS COMPANY DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY TRAINING OR CHKLIST PROC ON HOW TO USE THE UNIT DURING LINE OPS.

Narrative

DEPARTED ON REVENUE PART 135 FLT WITH FAA INSPECTOR ONBOARD PERFORMING A LINE CHK. UPON REACHING 400 FT AGL VISUALLY CLRED AREA TO L AS WE DEPARTED THE UNCTLED FIELD (EAT) WITH A L XWIND DEP. TO BACK UP MY VISUAL SCAN I GLANCED DOWN AT OUR TCASI UNIT AND DISCOVERED IT WAS NOT ON. WE HAD NOT TURNED IT ON BEFORE TKOF. THE TCASI UNIT IS NOT WIRED TO THE AVIONICS MASTER. I HAVE GOTTEN IN THE HABIT OF MANUALLY SHUTTING IT DOWN TO AVOID DAMAGE TO THE UNIT DURING ENG STARTS AND ELECTRICAL SYS CHKS AND ALSO TO SAVE BATTERY PWR. OUR COMPANY HAS ONLY RECENTLY INSTALLED THESE UNITS AND WE HAVE NO MENTION OF THEM ON ACFT CHKLISTS; OTHER THAN AS A FIRST FLT OF THE DAY ITEM; 'TCASI TEST.' OUR COMPANY'S TCASI TRAINING PROGRAM CONSISTED OF A MANUAL AND A SELF STUDY TEST THAT DID NOT INCLUDE ANY TRAINING ON HOW TO USE THE UNIT IN LINE OPS; OR WHAT PROCS TO FOLLOW ON THE USE OF THE UNIT SUCH AS WHEN TO LEAVE IT ON OR SHUT IT OFF. OUR TCASI UNITS (BFG TCAS 791) DO NOT INTEGRATE TARGETS WHEN OUR ACFT IS ON THE GND. THEY ARE USELESS TO LOOK AT ON THE GND SINCE SCREEN IS BLANK. IT WOULD JUST BE NICE TO GET SOME REAL TRAINING FOR A CHANGE INSTEAD OF 'READ THE MANUAL; HERE'S A SELF STUDY TEST.' THE SAME THING WAS DONE FOR GPWS; OUR NEW COMPANY OPS MANUAL AND THE COMPANY FLT MANUAL. NEW CHKLISTS AND EMER PROCS ARE ADOPTED WITHOUT TRAINING THE CREWS. THEY JUST SHOW UP IN THE ACFT. ALL OF THIS WAS APPROVED BY OUR POI.