IALPA award.
Some of you may remember this incident.
The IALPA Wright Brothers’ Award
On the morning of December 7th 1985, Aer Lingus Flight 156 departed Dublin airport for a scheduled service to London Heathrow. As the Boeing 737-200 lifted off from the north-westerly runway at Dublin, it unavoidably encountered a large flock of gulls, several of which struck the aircraft. The left hand engine suffered immediate and catastrophic damage, later described by the manufacturer as the worst experienced by that aircraft type. The damage to the engine left it hanging from the wing causing drag and vibration beyond that which would have been allowed for in the aircraft’s design and certification. The scenario presented to the two pilots, Captain Michael Dalton and First Officer Gerard Blacoe was outside the range of experience that any pilot would have been trained to expect and deal with. The extra drag from the crippled engine required the application of emergency power to the remaining engine, and this in turn exacerbated the already severely degraded handling characteristics of the aircraft. The handling demands experienced by the pilots were so extreme as to lead them to question the integrity of the aircraft and prompted them to alert the cabin crew to the possibility of a landing in open territory. For an airline pilot to have to consider landing a passenger jet in open territory, knowing the possible severe consequences, the situation can only be judged to be extreme.
The crew wisely turned the aircraft to make the shortest possible return to the nearest runway despite difficulty in making a right turn due to abnormal drag from the damaged engine displacement. As Captain Dalton endeavoured to keep the aircraft flying, it took an enormous feat of teamwork for the two pilots to effectively manage the unfolding situation and prepare the aircraft for an emergency landing back at Dublin. After only five minutes in the air, the landing was made with a low rate of descent, resulting in the damaged engine remaining attached to the wing. This prevented major wing and fuel tank damage (and possibly fire) had the engine detached and rebounded up from the runway following a "hard landing".
According to the Official Accident report, “The flight crew responded to the difficult and confusing situation in a very professional manner. They succeeded in establishing a positive rate of climb and then landed the aircraft without further incident”. Despite the severity and distress of the events, once the crew had stopped the aircraft on the runway, they correctly assessed that the flight was no longer in danger and cancelled the planned emergency evacuation. This action alone saved the passengers from further trauma and almost certain injury to some.
A special sub-committee of the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA) was established to review the files related to this incident. The group is comprised of past and present members, all of whom are experts in various fields of aviation. They include Accident Investigators, training experts, management pilots and renowned aviation academics. Having studied the official accident report and interviewed persons with connections to the event, they have unanimously recommended that Captains Dalton and Blacoe be awarded the Wright Brothers’ Award for outstanding performance in the execution of their duties.
The IALPA Wright Brothers Award is intended to give recognition to individuals who have made a unique, pioneering or otherwise noteworthy contribution to aviation and/or the piloting profession. It was inaugurated in 2003 to mark the celebrations for the centenary of the first powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine by Wilbur and Orville Wright. In 2004 the award was given to the families of the crew of the aircraft that crashed close to Tuskar Rock in 1968.
The expert review group set up by the Executive Council of IALPA comprised of pilots with relevant experience or involvement with the incident. The group was chaired by the IALPA Director of Safety & Technical, Captain Conor Nolan.
Captain Jim Brady, retired. Former Divisional Chief Pilot (Europe) with Aer Lingus. Also served as Chief Instructor Boeing 747 with Aer Lingus. Currently an Aeronautical Officer with the Irish Aviation Authority with special responsibility for Synthetic Training Devices (Flight Simulators).
Captain Ray O’Shea, retired. Training Captain Boeing 737-200, 3/4/500, Boeing 767 and Airbus A330. Former Head of Training in Aer Lingus.
Captain Neil Johnston, retired. Former Chairman of IFALPA Human Performance Committee and IATA Human Factors Committee.
Captain Willie Butler. Airbus A320 pilot. Former Director of Safety & Technical IALPA. IFALPA Accredited Air Accident Investigator.
Captain Conor Barrett. Airbus A320 pilot. Former IFALPA and European Cockpit Association (ECA) Director. IFALPA Accredited Air Accident Investigator.
Captain Conor Nolan. Airbus A330 pilot. Director of Safety & Technical IALPA.. Former Training Captain BAe146. IFALPA Accredited Air Accident Investigator.