717 Crew Alerting

[bassabe]

Can anyone out there with any time (simulator or a/p) in the 717 let me know if the 717 has EICAS for crew alerting? How is the overhead panel compared to the MD-80, same, similar, much different, etc.

Thanks..

[DAL2728]

Do a search for 717 cockpits on www.airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net).

You will find that it is frighteningly similar to an MD-11's flight deck. It has all the advanced features and avionics of the MD-11 and then some.

[Capn Bloggs]

Except that the overhead panel came straight out of DC-9. I heard the plans for a flash O/H panel were shelved because of the effort/cost required to re-certify it was too much.

The EICAS has been described as a half-way house between DC-9 days and Airbus/777. It gives you plenty of messages and the aircraft monitors cover all the systems quite comprehensively, but is pretty limited on displaying crew actions to fix any problems that occur. Reference to a big fat old-fashioned red Quick Reference Handbook is required.

[vapilot2004]

Cap Bloggs puts it well, the 717 (MD-95) is a marriage between old and new.
There is an alerting and warning system that uses the EIS and an Aural module. The overhead has DC9 lineage, however guages have been replaced with EIS display data and the layout is simpler than the old girl. The annunciator panel of 100 lamps (well perhaps I exaggerate) is no more.

The EIS (Electronic Instrumentation System) consists of 6 LCDs - 2 PFDs, 2 NDs and 2 for the EAD (Engine Alert Display) and SD (System Display). EICAS like messages appear on the EAD and SD with action items for some alerts again like EICAS. The system can also display essential takeoff and landing checklists.

There are 4 levels of alerts:

Level 3 - RED (and Boxed) indicates an emergency condition that requires immediate action

Level 2 - AMBER (and Boxed) indicates an abnormal condition also requiring prompt attention

Level 1- AMBER (no box) indicates a system configuration confirmation, maintenance issue or other item requiring some action.

Level 0 - CYAN alerts are generally informational status items.


The EIS alerts and warnings are complimented by an aural warning system (CAWS) with voice output, like the GWPS, installed as a separate and enhanced version (EGPWS). Monitored system failures/abnormal flight conditions/Config issues include:

Engine Fire
APU Fire
Stall
Landing Gear
Altitude
Speed Brake
Cabin Altitude
Overspeed
Autopilot
Stabiliser Motion
Takeoff Warnings:
Brakes, Flap Slat Spoiler, Stab Rudder Trim
Windshear - Reactive and Predictive


The alerting/warning group (EGPWS,EIS and CAWS) is integrated nicely, but it is not as seamless (or painless) as the system an Airbus or the bigger Boeing brothers have.