A B727 FO RPTS MAIN LNDG GEAR VIEW PORTS ARE COVERED WITH CARPETING AND CANNOT BE READILY LOCATED.
Synopsis
A B727 FO RPTS MAIN LNDG GEAR VIEW PORTS ARE COVERED WITH CARPETING AND CANNOT BE READILY LOCATED.
Narrative
I HAD BEEN AWARE OF PRIOR INCIDENTS WHERE A FE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE/USE THE MAIN GEAR VIEWING PORTS LOCATED JUST AFT OF THE WINDOW EXITS. DURING HVY/MAINT CHKS; NEW CARPET HAD BEEN PLACED OVER THE PORTS WITH NO DISTINGUISHABLE MARKINGS LETTING PLTS KNOW WHERE THE PORTS WERE LOCATED. PREVIOUSLY; THE VIEWING PORTS HAD A 6 INCH ROUND SECTION OF CARPET; WITH A SMALL STREAMER (LIKE A 'REMOVE BEFORE FLT' MATERIAL) ATTACHED; AND THE 'COVER' WAS SECURED BY VELCRO. THE NEW CARPET HAD BEEN SOLIDLY PLACED DOWN TO SUCH A POINT A PERSON WOULD NEED PLIERS OR A SCREWDRIVER TO ASSIST LIFTING THE CARPET. AFTER COMPANY SAFETY MEETINGS; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT FUTURE CHKS WOULD HAVE THE CARPET EASY TO PULL BACK; AND SOME SORT OF MARKING/PLACARD PLACED ON THE OVERHEAD BIN INDICATING THE VIEWING PORT LOCATIONS. OUR COM IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CHANGED ALSO. ON JUN/XA/06; WE WERE PARKED AT A RAMP GETTING FUELED TO PROCEED WITH A FERRY FLT. MY FE IS ALSO ONE OF OUR FE CHK AIRMEN. WE HAD DISCUSSED THE CARPET ISSUE; AND SINCE THE ACFT WE WERE FLYING HAD JUST COMPLETED A HVY CHK 3 WKS PRIOR; WE DECIDED TO SEE HOW THE VIEWING PORT ISSUE HAD BEEN ADDRESSED. IT TOOK BOTH OF US ABOUT 5 MINS TO LOCATE WHERE THE PORTS SHOULD BE. WE FOUND THE CARPET INSTALLED VERY NICELY; BUT NO INDICATIONS OF WHERE THE PORTS WERE; EXCEPT A SMALL SILVER 'SNAP' NEAR A LATERAL SEAM UNDER A SEAT. THIS LOCATION WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCATE ON A NIGHT FLT WITH PAX OCCUPYING THE 2 SEATS AT THE PORTS. MY FE TRIED PULLING UP THE CARPET ON THE R/STARBOARD SIDE; AND FOUND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A HOLD OF IT TO BE ABLE TO PRY IT UP. WE FOUND THE CARPET ON THE L/PORT SIDE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. IT TOOK US ABOUT 10 MINS OF TUGGING AT A SEAM TO WORK THE CARPET UP IN ORDER TO USE THE VIEWING PORTS. IN A REAL SITUATION AT NIGHT; WITH A NEWER FE; IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLY THAT THE PORTS WOULD NOT BE FOUND; CONSIDERING THE STRESS OF A SERIOUS SITUATION WITH LIMITED TIME AVAILABLE.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.