Emergencies Archives - Page 4 of 4

When an engine fails after takeoff

In a detailed two part series, Max Trescott covers what every pilot needs to be aware of: What to do when an engine fails after take-off. In part one (Turn Back to the Runway or Land Straight Ahead?), Max points out that a pilot’s first instincts (return and attempt an airport runway landing) is completely wrong:

One problem with relying on instincts in this situation is that the decision making process required is the exact opposite of the learning conditioned into a pilot by hundreds or thousands of hours of flying experience. During most flights, 100% of our efforts are dedicated to returning the airplane to the airport without a scratch. Why? Because scratches are expensive and nobody wants to spend money they don’t have to. Also, if the airplane returns without a scratch, then we’ll surely arrive without one too.

Hudson river landing coverage

Aviationweek has also posted a video of the Katie Couric 60 minutes interview of Captain Sullenberger plus another video containing interviews with the rest of the flight crew while the FAA has posted mp3 audio clips of all cockpit and air traffic communications for LaGuardia tower (LGA), Teterboro tower (TEB), and the New York Tracon (N90).

Hudson landing animation

This anima tion recreates US Airways flight 1549’s landing in the Hudson River – complete with animated geese and the actually cockpit and tower recordings. A very well done recreation that illustrates the skill of the flight crew.

How to put out cabin fires

On a very serious note, Aviation Mentor has posted a detailed and excellent entry about fighting a pilot’s worst nightmare – an in-flight cabin fire. The key point: if you own an aircraft or (especially) if you are renting an unfamiliar aircraft, take the time to determine if there is a fire extinguisher on board, what kind of extinguisher it is, that it works, and that you know how to use it. Furthermore, the writer points out that:

I’ve seen extinguishers mounted underneath the pilot’s seat and in locations that are not only inconvenient, they could be downright dangerous in an emergency when every second counts. And if you aren’t following a preflight checklist that includes the fire extinguisher and you can’t actually see the fire extinguisher, you’re likely to forget about it. Out of sight, out of mind.

This is especially true in older Cirruses, like the ones I fly, where the fire extinguisher is mounted below the pilot’s knees. If you’re short like me, you’ll fly with the seat ratcheted forward. This makes getting to the fire extinguisher a real challenge because you have to move the seat back first.

Frozen lake landing

When faced with engine trouble, a pilot chose to land on a frozen lake rather than risk those on the ground by attempting a landing in a strip mall. Our pilot hero for the week. View the video posted on WSJ.com courtesy of Fox News.