Your best P.A.

[framer]

Howdy.
I have just returned from a sim session and one of the comments was that my P.A's could have been better in emergency situations. My standard P.A's were fine, just straight from the company manuals as expected, but the instructor thought I could have done better when giving a general P.A. about the engine failure we had just had and the return to the departure field.
Mine was something like this "Ladies and Gentlemen, Captain speaking, as you will have noticed we've had a problem with an engine. We have secured the engine and are returning to Beijing. We will be landing in 15 minutes. Please follow the crews instructions and I will talk to you again after we have landed. Thankyou."
Can I get a few examples of what you guys and girls would say so that I can steal the best bits and disregard the worst bits :)
Cheers, Framer

[OK465]

Here's a possible 'disregard':

"Ladies & Gentlemen, Captain speaking, we left several engine compressor blades on the runway at Beijing and it will be necessary to return and get them.

We'll be landing in 15 minutes if the other one holds together, sooner if not. We know you have a choice, thank you for flying XXXXXX Air."

:)

[framer]

Ha ha yeah, that reminds me of something I saw or read where the P.A. started like this "Ladies and Gentlemen, you may have noticed a slight reduction in the number of wings...."

[Slasher]

PA's in the sim are the last priority - it is getting that NITS
right to the hosties in a timely accurate and succinct fashion.

Sim technique is all about yer SOP and emergency procedure
knowledge. As an ex-checkie your emerg PA did look fine to
me (IMHO maybe just a tad too much verbality). If "PA" is a
box on the check form and he says you could've been done it
a bit better, then ask the bugger what exactly does he want
to hear (you might get him again on the next sim sesh). And
don't forget each check airman will have his own ideas about
things especially if the book doesn't have anything etched in
stone.

[lomapaseo]

It's important that the PA announcement be reflective of the actual situation so as to not mislead the passengers. It may go something like this.

Ladies and gentlemen we are having a slight problem with our instruments. They are doing some funny things and we're not sure how accurate they may be. In an abundance of caution we have decided to attempt a ditching rather than subject you to a long diversion and an unsure outcome.

Please remain calm and we will try as well

[Slasher]

I fully agree Loma!

"Ladies and gentlemen this is the captain and I need your full
attention so shut the hell up and listen if you want to remain
alive. This A320 has lost all elevators/both engines/all FACs
SECs ELACs/all Electrics* and I'm gonna try to put it down
on the deck asap, hopefully on a runway somewhere. I may
take out the odd LLZ antenna and certain runway lights and
we'll probably end up in a cow paddock next to the VOR.
Follow all the instructions our hosties give you. If you do not
panic or have any blonde moments^ or run around screaming
like chooks with their heads cut off I reckon 80% of you will
still be alive by the time the media arrives and instantly blames
everything on me. Thank you."


*Strike out not applicable (if any)

^ Definition of blonde moment -

i0GW0Vnr9Yc

[Capetonian]

Ladies and gentlemen you may have noticed we have a small problem and are losing height rapidly. We have managed to find the instruction manual, which was propping up the First Officer's seat, but unfortunately the 'What To Do When Things Go Wrong' section appears to be missing. If anyone knows how to drive one of these, please make yourself known to a member of cabin crew ........

[Slasher]

the 'What To Do When Things Go Wrong' section

Its called a QRH Cape.... :}

[Capetonian]

I know that, but I'd worded it to suit the SLF who wouldn't!

[Slasher]

SLFs come to TL? :ooh: :uhoh:

[fizz57]

Actually heard this on a recent Lufthansa flight. Of course, it may have come across better in German:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, a piece has fallen off our airplane and we are returning to the stand to have it fixed. Fortunately it is only a fuel cap...."

[fireflybob]

The one I liked was Peter Ustinov relating a Lufthansa flight he was travelling on from Frankfurt to New York.

"Ladies and Gentleman the observant among you will have noticed that after climbing out from the Frankfurt the sun was on the left hand side of the aircraft but now it is on the right hand side; there is a reason for this....we are returning to Frankfurt!" (all done in a German accent!)

Frankly framer, if the only comments on a sim detail were about the PA you have little to be concerned about!

[Clandestino]

if the only comments on a sim detail were about the PA you have little to be concerned about!I hope it holds true where Framer works and I only wish it were true where I do. If I received such a comment after sim, it would be clear signal that instructor has received orders from above to find as many faults as possible. Good news would be: he couldn't find anything serious so he resorted to nitpicking. Bad news: someone relevant is after me. Thankfully, Oz is very remote from my backwater so chance of such a scenario playing out there are poor to nil.

As for PA itself, there's nothing I would add or take away.

[Microburst2002]

"Ladies and gentlemen, your captain speaking: we have a technical problem and we have to return to Beijing international airport. Thankyou".

You have to communicate with ATC and cabin crew, and onlyu reassure the passengers. For the ATC you give the usual: nature of failure, intentions, requests, endurance, pax, hazmats... and to the cabin crew the NITS. Then, if you have time and workload permitting, reassure the pax, which you achieve with the above phrase if you use a very calm, even boring tone.

If you say "there is no cause for alarm, or everything is under control" then they can get paranoid.

You can add "minor" to technical problem, or add "due to safety reasons" to intl airport, if you like, as if the problem is really small but airline policy obliges you to return.

[aviatorhi]

it would be clear signal that instructor has received orders from above to find as many faults as possible

Doubtful at best. If 'someone' was after anybody there are a lot of other places to go after them even when nitpicking.

[Self Loading Freight]

SLFs come to TL?

Who, us?

Tried feeding my interest in the grittier bits of aviation from the Daily Mail, but it just told me that engine restarts at altitude cause cancer.

Don't judge me.

R

[cosmo kramer]

Framer, you ask excellent questions. Your PA along with the actions of the cabin crew will define the passengers perception of the professionalism of the whole situation. If a journalist afterwards interviews passengers and they all say they felt that they got insufficient information and the cabin crew seemed like they didn't know what to do it may affect the public image of you company afterwards as well.

Some suggestions:

In the case of a "normal" engine failure during departure and an immediate return for a flaps 15 landing to a long runway, you are not doing an emergency landing.

For that reason the cabin crew will not give any instructions to the passengers.
(Hence, the the cabin crew don't need a NITS briefing either). Nobody have to do anything at all, except remain seated and fastned.

Luckily, that is what they are all already doing! :)

So the only purpose of the PA is to avoid anyone panicking. The way to avoid that is to tell people what to expect.

With your PA, the passengers will expect the cabin crew to perhaps prepare them for an emergency landing and during the 15 min where they don't get any instructions they may get worried and some may panic. For sure they will expect some kind of information during the 15 min, because you promised them that. Add to that the burning smell and slight smoke that comes creeping throughout the A/C. Since the cabin crew is not doing anything some passengers may perceive that they are "struck with panic", at least that it the interpretation the journalist will write.

So a better option would be to tell them just what to expect:

"Ladies and gentlemen and cabin crew, please pay attention, this is your captain. We had a problem with our left engine and we have chosen to shut it down. For safety reasons we will return to XYZ for a completely normal landing. If you smell or see a little smoke in the cabin, this is normal and comes from the engine through the aircondition and is harmless. We will be busy the next 15 mins to complete our checklists and set up for the landing, for that reason further information when we are on the ground. At this time I ask everyone to remain seated with you seat belts fastened and await the landing. Thank you."

Speak unusually slow and make a pause between each sentence. Since your adrenalin probably is a bit up it will ensure that you actually speak at a normal pace.

Followed by an intercom ping and asking the Purser if she copied that and if she has any questions and telling her and the girls to remain seated as well.

Some may disagree with the NITS thing, since they want to see you perform it in the simulator, but in this scenario it's BS. You are not preparing for an emergency landing.

[clark y]

Framer, with a time restrictive emergency. I do the P.A. first in a basic NITS format omitting technical language, then like Cosmo I call the cabin manager. When a real NITS is warranted I will ask the cabin manager if are they happy to repeat what they understood from the P.A. as a NITS back to me and I will add the specific information.

The way I see your problem is that you must have done very well in the sim if that is the check captian's only issue.

[grounded27]

Not the best PA but upon contacting the flight crew prior to push the reply was "Greetings Earthling".

[Atlas Shrugged]

BRACE, BRACE, BRACE is usually enough to get their attention!

[aerobat77]

well, i do not see anything wrong with your p.a . its more important how you speak and not what you talk . when the passengers hear you are cool and relaxed they will also be.

and i,m interested if your instructor would manage a better p.a than you when an engine decided to blow some blades in the exhaust in real life and not the sim. :}

[Checkboard]

So the only purpose of the PA is to avoid anyone panicking. The way to avoid that is to tell people what to expect.
Whilst I agree with cosmo that a major reason for the PA is to inform the passengers, and hope that that information prevents panic, there is another reason!

The Captain is the only one permitted to give legally enforceable safety instructions, so "Be seated, and obey the instructions of the cabin crew" needs to be in there somewhere as a safety instruction from the Captain.

I usually add something along the lines of "I know that this will disrupt your travel plans and apologise for that. Once we are on the ground I will be able to contact the company and give you some information about your onward travel arrangements."

This is on the theory that talking about such a mundane requirement AFTER the landing reassures the passengers that a safe landing is a given.

[Pull what]

So a better option would be to tell them just what to expect:

"Ladies and gentlemen and cabin crew, please pay attention, this is your captain. We had a problem with our left engine and we have chosen to shut it down. For safety reasons we will return to XYZ for a completely normal landing. If you smell or see a little smoke in the cabin, this is normal and comes from the engine through the aircondition and is harmless. We will be busy the next 15 mins to complete our checklists and set up for the landing, for that reason further information when we are on the ground. At this time I ask everyone to remain seated with you seat belts fastened and await the landing. Thank you."

Speak unusually slow and make a pause between each sentence. Since your adrenalin probably is a bit up it will ensure that you actually speak at a normal pace.

Followed by an intercom ping and asking the Purser if she copied that and if she has any questions and telling her and the girls to remain seated as well.Very poor- never ever make a PA to the cabin like that until you have briefed the cabin crew first, unless you have little time before landing. The cabin crew are part of the operating team (remember Kegworth). You brief the team first and give them time to brief each other-then make your cabin PA.

[cosmo kramer]

Very poor- never ever make a PA to the cabin like that until you have briefed the cabin crew first, unless you have little time before landing. The cabin crew are part of the operating team (remember Kegworth). You brief the team first and give them time to brief each other-then make your cabin PA.
Well, I kind of foresaw someone responding like you, hence:
Some may disagree with the NITS thing, since they want to see you perform it in the simulator, but in this scenario it's BS.

I'll eleborate:

I agree with you, in the case that the cabin crew have to take a specific action. E.g. to prepare an emergency landing, or let's say a lesser emergency like a diversion in case of a medical emergency. Needless to say, then the cabin crew should be informed first and the passengers afterwards so that a co-ordinated effort can be made.

If they don't have to do anything at all and are still seated and buckled up (like in the engine failure during takeoff scenario), it has no practical value to do a special breifing for the cabin crew - on the contrary, it's a waste of time where you could have brought the plane closer to landing. However, that doesn't prevent you from asking for additional information from the cabin crew if you feel that it's necessary (unextinguishable engine fire comes to mind). Ask them to brief you what they observe instead.

Incidentally this is in complete accordance with my Flight safety manual. And I bet yours too. :)
It's as well in accordance with the recommendations from the Kegwoth report, that you brought up:
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/4-1990%20G-OBME.pdf
2.1.4.2:
In addition it should be possible to provide simulator exercises in which it would be appropriate for pilots to ask cabin crew to give a briefing on events in the cabin and for the role of the cabin crew to be taken, in such excursuses, by the simulator instructor.
Unfortunately, it has some places been dumbed down to satisfying a checker with a NITS briefing. Which, when **** hits the fan in real life and you are running through the one engine inoperative checklist and ATC says "let me know when you are ready to turn base", you will never do!

Your reference to Kegworth is completely misunderstood. Obviously we are not going to have a democratic discussion with the cabin crew about which engine to shut down, before doing the memory items. Likewise, if the cabin crew is buckled in, we are not going to ask them to run down the isle to check if we shut down the right engine if we had a flame out.

[Golden Rivet]

The best PA's are always done over the VHF....

[Old Smokey]

Relax Golden Rivet, we're cancelling each other out. I do my best radio calls over the PA. (Just hate that jack-box thingy allowing me to make PAs from my headphone mike).

I'm considering making my PAs on HF so that I can bring in a wider audience:E

Regards,

Old Smokey

[MrHorgy]

This is a marvellous PA from the cabin crew after a hairy Go Around... :E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTxCUcPY734&feature=related

I have flown with captains who have made abysmal PAs, to the point I wanted to wrench the mic out of their hand. After an oil leak (a pipe had worked itself loose during flight) and subsequent maintenance action on the ground, the captain made a number of PAs advising passengers what was going on as it happened. The number of times he emphasised in his PA's that the "large number of people looking into the right hand engine is purely for SAFETY REASONS" was commensurate with the number of times the senior poked her head into the cockpit to remind us the passengers were wetting themselves.

Although only a humble FO, I keep it short. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it's your Captain/FO speaking, may I have a moment of your attention. Some of you may have noticed an unusual smell/noise a moment ago, and as a precaution for technical reasons we are now returning to XXX. We will be on the ground in approximately 10-15 minutes so i'd ask you to remain seated with your seatbelts securely fastened. I'm sorry for the inconvenience this may cause, but we will be departing for YYY as soon as the issue is rectified."

Working for a LoCo also presents opportunities to be humorous during PAs for non safety critical incidents - after a diversion to Birmingham due to snow: "Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention please. A number of you will be aware of the weather conditions currently affecting the London area and we have just received notice from XXX that they are currently unable to accept incoming aircraft. The good news, is that Birmingham are still feeling hospitable and are looking forward to our arrival, where we will make onward travel arrangements for you. Most importantly, please rest assured, this slightly more circuitous route to London will of course be provided free of charge. We will be landing in 15 minutes." :ok:

Horgy