DO328 FLT CREW IS DISPATCHED WITH FGC AND FD ON MEL RESULTING IN THE FO'S PFD BEING INOPERATIVE FOR TWO LEGS.

Date: 2007-05 · Aircraft: Do 328 TP (Turboprop) · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-altitude-overshoot|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance

Synopsis

DO328 FLT CREW IS DISPATCHED WITH FGC AND FD ON MEL RESULTING IN THE FO'S PFD BEING INOPERATIVE FOR TWO LEGS.

Narrative

WE WERE DISPATCHED TO FLY THE ACFT WITH THE FGC FAIL AND THE FD FAIL MEL. THE CAPT SIDE PFD WAS ACCURATE AND THE FO'S WAS FAILED. THERE WAS NO ALT SELECT; HDG; COURSE SELECT; OR ALTIMETER SETTING; OR ACCURATE ALT INDICATION. IT WAS ABOUT 200-300 FT OFF THE ENTIRE FLT. IN ADDITION TO THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS FAILED. THE CAPT HAD TO DO ALL OF THE FLYING FROM ZZZ FOR AN OVERNIGHT AND BACK TO ZZZ THE NEXT MORNING. BECAUSE OF DELAYS WE WERE ON A REDUCED REST SCHEDULE; WE STARTED THE NEXT MORNING WITH VERY LITTLE REST. WE HAD STORM CELLS TO VECTOR AROUND AND TURB. ATC KEPT GIVING US 1000 FT INCREMENTS FOR THE CLB INSTEAD OF A STEADY CLB. THE LEVELOFFS WERE VERY ABRUPT AND A FEW WENT BEYOND THE ASSIGNED ALT. AT CRUISE WE HAD ANOTHER FAILURE OCCUR; DAU 1B AND A LIST OF FAILED EQUIP ON THE EICAS AS WELL AS CHIMES. WITH THIS DISTR; AND ME LOOKING AT THE QRH; WE CLBED UP ABOVE OUR ASSIGNED ALT BY MORE THAN 500 FT. WE ARE BARELY VMC GRAZING THE CLOUDS AND I'M HAVING TO MONITOR EVERYTHING BY LOOKING AT THE CAPT'S SIDE. I DID SUGGEST TO HIM THE FIRST DAY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO USE THE REVERSIONARY PANEL TO BRING HIS SCREEN TO MY SIDE SO IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR ME TO FOLLOW; BUT HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT BECAUSE MY MFD PAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE TO ME. I DO NOT FEEL THAT MY COMPANY WATCHED OUT FOR OUR SAFETY AND THAT OF THE PAX BY DISPATCHING THAT AIRPLANE TO FLY WITH PAX INTO WX. IN MY OPINION THAT EQUIP SHOULD NOT BE MEL'ABLE. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE ERRONEOUS VISUAL CUES IN FRONT OF ME AND HAD A VERY HIGH WORKLOAD. I SAW THE ALT AND AIRSPD DEVS AND CALLED THEM OUT IMMEDIATELY AS WELL AND CALLING OUT THE SOP OF 1000 FT TO GO. I CALLED THE DEVS AND THE CAPT RESPONDED BY CORRECTING. UPON RETURNING TO ZZZ; I BECAME MORE UPSET AT MY COMPANY FOR EXPECTING TO FLY BROKEN EQUIP THAT REQUIRES SO MUCH WORKLOAD. WE ARE ALL WORKING SO HARD FOR THEM ALREADY AS IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDERSTAFFED. SOMEHOW; THE COMPANY'S POOR PLANNING HAS BECOME THE PLT'S PROB NOT ONLY WITH QUALITY OF LIFE; BUT FLYING 7 LEG SCHEDULES AND LONG HRS WITH LITTLE OR NO BREAKS AND REDUCED REST. THEY ARE PUSHING THE REGS TO THE LIMIT. WE ARE GETTING BURNED OUT AND FATIGUED. IT'S ONLY A SHORT TIME AND THERE IS GOING TO BE A FATALITY! HOW MANY LIVES HAVE TO BE LOST BEFORE MY ACR AND OR THE FAA REGS CHANGE TO LIGHTEN THE LOAD ON THE PLTS. I WANTED TO TALK TO SOMEONE IN MGMNT WHEN I LANDED ABOUT WHAT HAD JUST OCCURRED WITH MY FLT AND BEING A WEEKEND; THERE WASN'T ONE AVAILABLE. NEXT TIME; I WILL REFUSE TO FLY THE ACFT.

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