Grimsvötn volcano affecting flights(Merged)

[Rollingthunder]

"A spectacular volcanic eruption beneath Iceland’s biggest glacier has spewed a column of ash and gas more than seven miles into the air, forcing airlines to divert flights to avoid the blast.

At least ten transatlantic flights have been rerouted south of Iceland to skirt the plume rising from the Grimsvötn volcano in the east of the island, which began to erupt on Monday and continues to steam with noxious fumes and debris.

The cloud of ash has already started to land in Norway, Sweden and Finland, though without causing any damage or putting human health at risk.

Meteorologists said it was fortunate that prevailing winds were carrying the column towards Scandinavia rather than to the south of Iceland, where they would have caused havoc in the air traffic trunk route for flights between Europe and North America.

A change in the wind taking the ash south or west could disrupt up to 50 flights a day, though this is not forecast. "I don’t even want to think about that," said Bergthor Bergthorsson of the Icelandic Aviation Authority.

Dozens of domestic flights to the north and east of Iceland have been grounded by of the ash, which can stop aircraft engines if they attempt to fly through it.

The Dutch airline KLM, which operates several flights across the Arctic, has also cancelled 59 flights, though fog at Amsterdam’s Schipol airport was also a factor.

The National Air Traffic Control Services (NATS), however, said that no flights to or from Britain had been affected, as their routes did not take them through ash-clogged airspace."

The Times online

[Aesir]

The eruption is receding now but has been spectacular to see until now, though not a very unusual ocurrence in Iceland.

Latest NOTAM by ICAA:

(A0210/04 NOTAMR A0208/04

Q) BIRD/QWWXX/IV/NBO/W/000/050/

A) BIRD

B) 0411041247 C) 0411041900 EST

D)

E) THE ERUPTION IN GRIMSVOTN 1703-01 NOMINAL POS. 6425N01719W HAS REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY. CONTAMINATED AREA NOW BOUNDED BY: SFC TO 5.000 FEET AREA 64N018W 64N013W 62N017W 63N020W. MAINTAIN WATCH FOR NOTAM/SIGMET FOR AREA.

F) G) )

Picture of the eruption copyright by ICAA, photographer is pilot Guðfinna Sævarsdóttir.


http://www.caa.is/media/w500/2004112192723912.JPG

[slingsby]

Document: 6875 | Created: 17:16 11/04/2004 UTC | Help#:1-877-280-2811 | Page: 01
Description: Ash Cloud Forecast | London VAAC
____________________________________________________________ ____________________
FVUK01 EGRR 041236 RRA
VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY
ISSUED: 20041104/1200Z
VAAC: LONDON
VOLCANO: GRIMSVOTN 1703-01
LOCATION: N6416W01716
AREA: ICELAND
SUMMIT ELEVATION: 1725M
ADVISORY NUMBER: 2004/12
INFORMATION SOURCE: ICELANDIC MET SERVICE
AVIATION COLOUR CODE: UNKNOWN
ERUPTION DETAILS: VAAC LONDON HAS RECEIVED CONFIRMED REPORTS THAT
THE GRIMSVOTN VOLCANO HAS ERUPTED, ESTIMATED START 20041101/2200Z.
THE ICELANDIC MET OFFICE CONFIRM THAT THE ASH CLOUD HAS REACHED
FL400.
ERRUPTIONS HAVE BECOME LESS FREQUENT AND LESS POWERFULL. THE LAST
ERUPTION OF ASH TO FL400 WAS AT 03/0830Z.
THE LATEST REPORT FROM ICELAND MET WAS THAT ERRUPTIONS TO FL180 HAD
CEASED BY 031200Z AND THERE HAS BEEN NO RECENT SEISMIC ACTIVITY.
OBS ASH DATE/TIME: 04/0600Z
OBS ASH CLOUD: ASH NOW RESTRICTED TO BELOW 200 METRES OF THE SUMMIT
FCST ASH CLOUD + 6HR: 04/1800Z
SFC/FL200


NOTAMS as follow for BIRD

A0206/04 - VOLCANIC ERUPTION REPORTED SOUTH OF VOLCANO GRIMSVOTN 1703-01 NOMI NAL POSITION 6425N01719W ICELAND-S. VOLCANIC ASHCLOUD TOPS FL400. BIRD OACC WILL SEPARATE AIRCRAFT FROM AFFECTED AREA AS FOLLOWS. OCEANIC AIRCRAFT 60 NM PROCEDURAL SEPARATION OR 10 NM RADAR SEPARATION AS APPROPRIATE. DOMESTIC AIRCRAFT WITH THE APPROPRIATE DOMESTIC PROCEDURAL/RADAR SEPARATION FROM AREA BOUNDED BY: FL200 TO FL450 AREA 70N020W 75N020W 77N000W 72N000W 70N008W MOV NE. SFC TO FL200 AREA 64N018W 69N025W 70N020W 73N020W 73N000W 64N017W. MAINTAIN WATCH FOR NOTAM/SIGMET FOR AREA. GND FL450 03 NOV 21:05 UNTIL 04 NOV 08:00 ESTIMATED

A0211/04 - THE ERUPTION IN GRIMSVOTN 1703-01 NOMINAL POS. 6425N01719W HAS REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY. CONTAMINATED AREA NOW BOUNDED BY: SFC TO 7.000 FEET AREA 64N018W 64N013W 62N017W 63N020W. MAINTAIN WATCH FOR NOTAM/SIGMET FOR AREA. SFC 7000 FT MSL 04 NOV 14:46 UNTIL 04 NOV 22:00 ESTIMATED

Icelandair flights unaffected, internal flights are sunject to some restrictions. Nice views on the approach to the island apparently, visible for several hundred miles

[grease7]

One of the reasons KLM cancelled the flight. Is that in the beginning of the 90's , can't remember the date, they almost lost a 747-400 which flew through a volcanic cloud over canada. The PH-BFC had a 4 engine flame-out and they were only restarted a couple of thousand feet above the ground. So volcanic ash cloud's still make neck hairs raise at KLM

[Parapunter]

One is reminded of Capt. Eric Moody & His crew, who unknowingly flew through a cloud of Ash twice over Jakarta (details prolly wrong) in a 74 many years ago.

The story is told in full in 'Crisis! Emergency on the flight deck' which details the incredible airmanship of both the flight crew & cabin crew in dealing succesfully with the crisis of a 747 with no engine power for what must have felt like a very looooong time.

Incidentally, that book tells many true stories of pilots battling the odds with stricken birds. The common theme - the skill of the crews meant that s.o.b. on landing equalled s.o.b. on take off. If you haven't read it, it's very compelling.

[ou Trek dronkie]

Some imaginative reporting in The Times :

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1344811,00.html


"A spokesman said it had been a simple matter to route them away from the area."

"You are clerared to swerve round the volcano."

oTd

[kala87]

The US Geological survey has a site, updated every Wednesday, which summarises all currently significant volcanic activity, listed by volcano. The info. is not primarily for aviators, but contains interesting details about new and ongoing eruptions. Useful in conjunction with an Ashtam, and provides a global overview. Some weeks see a lot more activity than others:

www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/index.cfm

[maxalt]

Has anyone found a link to satellite imaging in the visible/IR band for this eruption?

[Rollingthunder]

http://hraun.vedur.is/ja/englishweb/eruption_grimsvotn.html

[maxalt]

Thanks mate.
I guess Ops out of Iceland are severely curtailed then?
BIKF closed?

[slingsby]

Icelandair ops normal if not slightly longer routings (maybe 20mins) to the south of any known ash fall. Wind ENE currrently. BIKF west of area and not affected. Islandsflug had some flights canx but not many as volcano now quietened down significantly yesterday.