AN MD80 PLT COMMENTS THAT IMPROVING PRINTER/ACARS QUALITY MAY REDUCE CREW'S FLT PLAN READING ERRORS WHEN THE LETTERS O AND Q SPECIFICALLY OR OTHER SIMILAR CHARACTERS ARE MISINTERPRETED.

Date: 2006-07 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: ground

Anomalies: other-safety-suggestion

Synopsis

AN MD80 PLT COMMENTS THAT IMPROVING PRINTER/ACARS QUALITY MAY REDUCE CREW'S FLT PLAN READING ERRORS WHEN THE LETTERS O AND Q SPECIFICALLY OR OTHER SIMILAR CHARACTERS ARE MISINTERPRETED.

Narrative

IN ADDITION TO PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED SUGGESTIONS REGARDING PLT ADVISORIES AND CHKS AND BALANCES; REMINDING PLTS THAT COMPARING ALL FLT PLAN RELEASE PAPERWORK WAYPOINT DESIGNATIONS; LATITUDES/LONGITUDES; AND BEARINGS/DISTANCES TO VARIOUS CHARTS INCLUDING DEP; ENRTE; TERMINAL; ETC; AND TO NAV DATABASE IN USE FOR NAVIGATION IS USEFUL AS A CHK AGAINST PRINTER QUALITY LEGIBILITY. DEPENDING UPON FLT PLAN PRINTER/ACARS PRINTER QUALITY THE O AND Q WAYPOINT DESIGNATIONS KU51O AND KU51Q CAN BE MISINTERPRETED. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDE DAYLIGHT VERSUS NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS AND AVAILABLE COCKPIT LIGHTING. THERE MAY BE AN APPROX 100 MILE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WAYPOINTS KU51O AND KU51Q. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ADDING A MESSAGE TO THE FLT PLAN RELEASE FOR THIS PARTICULAR FLT/RTE REGARDING KU51O VERSUS KU51Q SPECIFICALLY AND THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM GENERALLY AND ADDING A MESSAGE ON ALL FLT PLAN RELEASES HIGHLIGHTING AND EMPHASIZING THE EXISTENCE OF THIS TYPE OF POTENTIAL PROBLEM. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATING O AND Q AND/OR ANY OTHER POSSIBLE CONFLICTING WAYPOINT DESIGNATIONS FROM THIS RELATIVELY NEW WAYPOINT DESIGNATION SYSTEM. ALSO; FULL RTE ACARS PDC'S AND VERBALLY ISSUED CLRNCES VERSUS ABBREVIATED ACARS PDC'S AND VERBALLY ISSUED CLRNCS COULD HELP IDENTIFY POSSIBLE ERRORS/MISINTERPRETATIONS FROM FLT PLAN RELEASE PAPERWORK. IMPROVING FLT PLAN RELEASE PRINTER QUALITY SYSTEM WIDE WOULD BE HELPFUL.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.