NTSB urges airlines to train their pilots better in simulations to deal with smoke in the cockpit
The board said airlines rely on verbal briefings, even as the FAA gets nearly daily smoke emergencies, and urged immersive simulation training for pilots.
- On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration mandate realistic, immersive smoke-in-cockpit simulation training for pilots to improve emergency preparedness.
- The board cited a December 2023 Southwest Airlines flight involving a Boeing 737 MAX, where a bird strike rapidly filled the cockpit with smoke, blinding the crew to instruments and checklists.
- Existing training often consists only of verbal discussion rather than immersive simulation, which the NTSB warned could lead to "catastrophic" consequences if emergencies occurred at night or during instrument conditions.
- While the Federal Aviation Administration receives nearly daily reports of in-flight smoke emergencies, airlines are not required to conduct realistic simulation training; the FAA did not immediately respond Wednesday to the recommendation.
- Last year, the NTSB urged Boeing and engine maker CFM to develop a software fix for 737 MAX engines to prevent cockpit smoke, though the FAA opted against requiring immediate action in 2024.
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The Toronto Star
NTSB urges airlines to train their pilots better in simulations to deal with smoke in the cockpit
Safety experts recommended Wednesday that airlines develop realistic training to prepare their pilots to deal with smoke filling the cockpit, like what happened on a Southwest Airlines plane after a
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U.S. Safety Board Urges Realistic Smoke Emergency Training for Airline Pilots After Southwest Incidents
Federal aviation safety investigators are calling for major changes in pilot training after concluding that airline crews are not adequately prepared to handle emergencies involving thick smoke filling the cockpit, a potentially catastrophic situation that has occurred multiple times on Boeing 737 Max aircraft following bird strikes.
Associated Press News
NTSB urges airlines to train their pilots to deal with smoke in the cockpit
Safety experts recommended Wednesday that airlines develop realistic training to prepare their pilots to deal with smoke filling the cockpit like what happened on a Southwest Airlines plane after a bird strike in 2023.
NTSB Demands Urgent Cockpit Smoke Training Overhaul for US Airlines
AeroNewsJournal Washington, DC, May 14 - US airlines should improve pilot training for smoke in the cockpit, NTSB says, highlighting a critical gap in aviation safety preparedness. The National Transportation Safety Board recently issued recommendations urging major carriers to enhance simulation-based training for smoke-in-cockpit emergencies, following a high-profile 2023 incident involving a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX. In that event, a…
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