B757-200 FO WAS ASSIGNED TO CREW AN ACR TEST FLT AFTER MAINT.
Synopsis
B757-200 FO WAS ASSIGNED TO CREW AN ACR TEST FLT AFTER MAINT.
Narrative
ABORTED TKOF. HAVING JUST FINISHED MY IOE DURING THE SAME WEEK; MY FIRST ASSIGNMENT WAS TO DO A FUNCTIONAL CHK FLT AS AN FO AT ZZZ; ON A B757. THE ASSIGNMENT WAS DONE LATE AT NIGHT (IS THIS REALLY A GOOD TIME TO DO THIS). TESTS WOULD INCLUDE DEPLOYMENT OF THE 'RAT;' INFLT SHUTDOWNS; STALLS; ETC. I REALIZE I HAVE DONE ALL THESE THINGS IN THE SIMULATOR; AND DID REALLY WELL IN TRAINING TOO; BUT I DID NOT KNOW THIS WOULD BE PART OF THE DAILY EXPECTED JOB OF A REGULAR PLT. I WAS TOLD BY THE CAPT; WHO WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL; THAT IF I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE; I DID NOT HAVE TO DO THIS JOB. I WAS UNABLE TO READ THE UNION CONTRACT; IF THIS MISSION FOR ME WAS OPTIONAL. AFTER EXTENSIVE GND CHKS WHICH I ASSISTED THE BEST I COULD; WE FINALLY HEADED TO THE RWY; NOW AFTER EARLY AM. ON THE TKOF ROLL; MY AIRSPD INDICATOR DID NOT WORK; WHICH RESULTED IN AN ABORT. THIS ABORT HAD A POTENTIAL FOR MORE UGLY RESULTS. FOR STARTERS; I WAS NOT USED TO THE VERY LIGHT WT; AND RAPID ACCELERATION OF THIS NEAR EMPTY AIRPLANE; AS I ONLY HAD 20 HRS OF B757 EXPERIENCE. NOT ONLY THAT; IT WAS PITCH BLACK OUTSIDE; SO THE SENSE OF SPD TO THE HUMAN BRAIN WAS REDUCED. ADDITIONALLY; BECAUSE ACR DOES NOT HAVE AN 'AIRSPD ALIVE' CALLOUT BY BOTH PLTS; LOOKING BACK I WISH I WOULD HAVE MADE A 'NO AIRSPD INDICATOR CALLOUT EARLIER; BUT I DID THE BEST I COULD UNDER THE CONDITIONS. BECAUSE THE AIRSPD READOUT/NEEDLE STARTS AT 60 KTS; IT IS NORMAL TO WAIT SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE THE AIRSPD COMES ALIVE. I WAITED; WAITED AND THEN XCHKED OVER AT THE CAPT'S SIDE. HIS WAS PAST 80 KTS; AS I MADE MY CALLOUT THAT I HAD NONE. THE CAPT MADE AN EXCELLENT TEXTBOOK ABORT; HOWEVER; THE RTO MANAGED TO BLOW 1 TIRE. AFTER WE CLRED THE RWY; THE FIRE DEPT INSPECTED THE GEAR. PLANE WAS TOWED TO HANGAR. I AM NOT A COURT JUDGE; BUT YOU CAN DEBATE IF WE SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED THE TKOF. IT WAS A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR THE CAPT POSSIBLY; AS HIS BRAIN HAD NOT BEEN TOLD YET BY ME THAT WE ARE AT '80 KTS.' IN ADDITION; DO YOU REALLY WANT TO CONTINUE A TKOF WITH NO AIRSPD INDICATOR AFTER A PLANE COMES OUT OF A HANGAR. ISN'T IT POSSIBLE THAT ALL 3 AIRSPD INDICATORS HAD BEEN RIGGED BY THE SAME GUY IN THE HANGAR. BOTTOM LINE; WE DID AN ABORT FOR A BROKEN AIRSPD INDICATOR; UNDER THE CONDITIONS AT NIGHT; REGARDLESS OF THE ACTUAL SPD OF THE AIRPLANE; THE CAPT COULD ONLY ASSUME WE WERE AT A LOWER SPD THAN WE PROBABLY ACTUALLY WERE. I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE BEING EMPLOYED TO DO NORMAL FLTS; AND HANDLE ABNORMAL AND EMER PROCS IF NEEDED. BUT I WOULD ENJOY MORE INFO FROM AIRLINE MGMNT IF THEY FEEL REGULAR PLTS ARE REALLY THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO DO TESTS IN THE FUTURE. IT SEEMS THIS IS A SUBJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.