Hi BOAC. Your comment about the AB does highlight the occasional hiccup that pops up during the ECAM approach to fault diagnosis, although I don't specifically remember that example. Most of the time it was simply action the instructions, wait for that line to 'turn white', and move on to the next instruction.
There were times, as a result of previously having run a scenario through the simulator, one might remember to go into the QRH for a little background either before or during the implementation of ECAM's suggestions.One of those scenarios might have been the fuel leak scenario, which was altered post Azores fuel incident.
I pose the fuel scenario now, though I was given a fuel leak in the simulator some time ago. Unfortunately, the exercise was set up differently: Short trip, no fuel in CTR tank, fuel leaking from right main tank. We, as a crew, followed the checklist (correctly we thought), and shutdown the right engine.
The leak continued. Then the TRI, who was new to the NG (ex 3,4,500), pulled the Fire Handle, to "see if that would stop the leak". It didn't. Then we tried to complete the exercise (short of time), having now forgotten the TRI had pulled the handle and not put it back down. Oops...
Well we farted around looking at runways, and weather, and briefing the purser, and then got set up to land, and then, (some of you may see it coming), NO FLAPS. Simultaneously looking up at the HYD panel above, and notice we have a B ELEC HYD PUMP OVHT, as well as a loss of SYS B pressure.
As were short on time in the sim due to tardy previous crew, we didn't get time past deciding we would execute a missed approach and try to figure out where things were. We eventully did, and then reflew the scenario the following day, with improvements.
As our company is halfway through ETOPS approval process, this fuel leak scenario is intriguing. I do think however, that the scenario of having fuel in the CTR and feeding the engines from there, offers more training possibilities for malfunction diagnosis and checklist usage purposes. Like arriving at your last "Equal Time Point", burning off the last half hour or so of useable fuel in the CTR tank then and noticing a leak. Now you're fuel critical...
Anyway gentlemen, that's the background. Thanks for your comments.
Last edited by jonny dangerous; 7th Feb 2006 at 21:46.