Originally Posted by
MD83FO
Hello colleagues,
how would you handle the cockpit workload in an immediate return to a runway?
V1 Eng Fire, ECAM Actions complete, fire persists. Checklists, NITES brief, approach brief, flight plan sequence,
Thanks.
Not specifically A320 but applies to most jets:
In Real Life™ outside the simulator it is exceedingly unlikely that you will encounter a persistent airborne engine fire which has survived a correctly executed drill. Boeing state that they do not know of such a case and the engines they use are common with many Airbus. More likely is persistent smoke/fire/fumes
inside the aircraft, which is a greater issue than the same thing happening to something hanging off the wing.
There is some really good advice above about spending a few quiet moments before departure thinking about expedited and emergency returns, and more importantly, discussing HOW to do them as a crew. This saves time and uncertainty, not to mention reduces the effect of startle. Bear in mind in the worst case (and that’s why you’re going back straight away), you may have masks on and reduced visibility, so CRM becomes an order of magnitude more difficult. At that point, falling back to a pre-briefed scenario that can be modified if necessary saves trying to work it up from first principles.