A320
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 185; Flight Crew Total 18700; Flight Crew Type 205
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Workload; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
No Specific Anomaly Occurred All Types
Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory
Company Policy; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
New Integration procedures and changes to SOP. I was Captain on this Airbus 320 Equipment. This fall 2013; the Company instituted new Phase SOP and Checklist changes dramatically changing the Preflight to takeoff SOP in the Airbus 320 Fleet. I have now flown about 8 legs under the new system and feel compelled to report my observations. I went into the changes with an open mind completing the computer based training early and reviewing the documents describing the changes. What I have found upon flying the new procedures for about 2 weeks on the line is a set of changes that I feel degrade the safety of the operation and load up the pilots in critical pushback and taxi time periods. The new procedures take much of the regular planning and briefing items and shift them to taxi out taking the first officer to a heads down workload at some of the busiest times on taxi out. I have tried several different methods to try to make the new system work for me; but whether it is on single engine taxi out; or two engines; whether we get the weights before taxi or later in the timeline; it still loads us up. It seems by the time we takeoff we have been doing checklist after checklist; and discussing items that could have clearly been taken care of at the gate. In my opinion the new system is prone to cause a mistake more likely and even more so to cause violations; or misapplied taxi instructions just due to the chaotic flow of the new procedure. Starting with the preflight setup it begins pushing workload by preventing loading of V Speed Data; and performance during the setup. I see no reason why we should wait to discuss planned flaps and speeds at the preflight level. Professional pilots are adaptable to change items later if needed; but why not alleviate the delay when a high percentage of the time the pilots know generally what to expect for departure? This is the first point that I feel needs to be addressed. I do not see any problem with the Before Start Checklist and its format works EXCEPT for the glaring change away from checking the speeds; checking the FLEX temp; Altitudes in the FMC at this lower workload; quieter period. To make us do all that on taxi out is a mistake. I've seen it over and over now on the 8 legs that we are loaded up going heads down during taxi out while we should be focusing on the taxi and FAA instructions. We have to modify this new procedure before someone bends metal or gets violated for missing turns. The next spot on the procedure I feel was not well thought out is the After Start checklist. We push the final weights loading; and setting of the flaps to a time period when we are usually in a crowded alley or taxiway with other aircraft waiting on us; but we are sitting there with the RADIOs off doing this new SOP. It doesn't work well. We should already have the data loaded; and all that discussion taken care of. It is just as bad when we go on one engine as we still are waiting and loading up all that work to the taxi out portion. It is a terrible flow and should be reconsidered. The next point I'd like to address is all these checklists. After Start; Delayed Engine start; Before Takeoff checklists; newly loaded up with many more points. If I am told it is streamlined then I have to disagree; I have done 8 legs now and I feel loaded up all the way to the runway. It's not a good system. I am very senior in my equipment and although newly trained in this fleet most of the first officers I fly with are very high time in the fleet. I do not look forward to the day when the new hires start showing up trying to integrate all this work into the taxi out. I'd like to add another point here. I have to wait on the flaps setting in order to do my control check. I do not like to be taxiing around getting FAA clearances and moving while doing that check. The new procedure almost forces me to do that. It is not smart and I do not feel comfortable with the change making us wait on the flaps until we are taxiing; forcing the control check at that time which pushes me to do that critical check while trying to navigate at the airport. I haven't decided how I'm going to address this but needless to say the new SOP is not good. I could stop on the taxiway; but is this really necessary? This is much safer to be completed at the gate area as we set the flaps to our planned setting and do the control check there. Just a few seconds and its done; and we don't have to divert attention on taxi out. I'm not resistant to change and I went through the entire gambit of changes on the 757 before moving to the Airbus but I can say the new changes in this Phase are mostly change for the sake of saying we did it. It is not a well thought out SOP. Please revisit this new Phase and fix it (UNLOAD us on TAXI OUT) before someone bends metal.
An A320 Captain described his company's new Training Phase implementation and its negative safety impact on taxi out workload because of increased checklists; distractions with tasks better completed at the gate; heads down operation and single pilot taxi at busy airports.