Scenario: post-departure, wheel well fire warning. Gear down, light extinguishes. Land at nearest suitable is the guidance. Why would one do anything different?
There are difference of opinions about "land at nearest suitable" and "land ASAP."
I agree guys, but the point is being missed. There are airlines who have extensive TEM procedures and other problem solving sequences. There is much cockpit conferencing to satisfy the never ending CRM; there have procedures in place to ensure there's no rushing into the first choice, but examine ALL the options. NITS & PA etc. It takes forever. This discussion is about the dangerous, IMHO, cosy feeling that as the fire indication has extinguished then all is OK and you can go to a HOLD and follow all those various procedures which are fine for some scenarios, but not all. In the sim this is what is taught. Obviously, if any fire warning remains lit then land ASAP is the name of the game. This is a grey area, but I feel it is not stressed enough in the sim: hence my curiosity about other's opinions. As there is a wide spectrum of 'what you would do on the spot', but it is not necessarily what sim training advocates, then here needs to be some clarification from the training department as to what is acceptable so there is not a flight deck dispute as the raw F/O demands full procedure while grey-haired fox whats to land ASAP. In Swissair MD-11 I think it was the other way round, interestingly.
In 30 years of training I was never subjected to an inextinguishable engine fire in the air. It was only used to cause a pax evac. Cabin fire? yes, but so far from a landing option that there was time. I have given the engine scenario as an instructor, and the reactions were very mixed and disappointing. They varied from a speedy and well managed return with minimum fuss, to rabbits in headlights what to do confusion. The rules said one thing, but survival said another. Agh!
As has been discussed on the 'Airbus handling improvement' thread it is about using the simulator to its full potential for positive and constructive training, not ticking boxes.
Last edited by RAT 5; 27th Apr 2015 at 10:20.