Again....Read the Book...
First, read carefully your company's SOP. This is what you must go by.
Airbus has a very nice publication on how to run a normal checklist. This
will give you background as to why your company does what it does.
"FLIGHT OPERATIONS BRIEFING NOTES" ..... "NORMAL CHECKLISTS"
A few examples:
1. The normal checklist is NOT a read-n'-do checklist. Thus, it should not
be initiated until all items on that checklist have been accomplished. Normally, there should be no "Hold the checklist at.......(whatever)".
If there is a normal break in flow of a checklist, most companies do an
"Above the Line" and a "Below the Line" protocol.
2. The normal checklist should be run without interruption. Good task management provides for time for both accomplishing the items on the checklist AND for running the checklist.
IF a checklist has to be interrupted, one should state, "Hold the Checklist at.......(whatever)". When the checklist can be continued, "Resume the Checklist (or "Continue the Checklist"....whatever your company specifies) at ..........". In some cases, it may be prudent to start the whole checklist over again....from the beginning. Airbus recommends, at the very least, to back up one item on the checklist when being interrupted and having to hold the checklist.
3. The crewmember reading the checklist and commanding the response should verify that the response coming from the other pilot is correct. In other words, the pilot reading the checklist needs to get his nose out of the checklist to see that the responding pilot's response is correct. VERIFY!
4. The commands and responses need to be EXACTLY as printed. If you cannot do so because of an unusual situation, this should be noted in the response.
5. If an interruption is 'not so important'....continue the checklist until
completed, then attend to the interruption.
6. Normal checkists must not be accomplished from memory. Both the reading pilot AND the responding pilot should have the checklist in front of them....referring to it....challenge AND response.
A proper normal checklist is not so detailed that the pilots get bogged down in minutia, but detailed enough to cover the important items (the "Killer Items"). (This applies to briefings, as well!)
Fly safe,
PantLoad
Last edited by PantLoad; 18th April 2009 at 06:45.