A319 FO windshield blowout [Archive]

shimin

14th May 2018, 11:54

Update： The co-pilot has flown out, the return is all manual and visual operations
As a pilot, Liu Shunjian thought of all kinds of unexpected accidents, but did not expect to encounter the accident of British Airways flight 5390 almost identical. June 10, 1990, during the flight, the cockpit windshield suddenly broken, the captain was suck out the window, the FO flew back to safe landing, creating a miracle in the history of aviation.
On the afternoon of May 14, hours later after the accident, one local news reporter contacted Captain Liu and got the exclusive interview as follows. (Please forgive me for my brief translation)
Reporter: Are you now good health?
Liu: Not feel obvious discomfort by now, my company will have me and others a comprehensive medical examination.
Reporter: I just interviewed some people in the industry, they said the landing be very difficult?
Liu: A total challenge, not the daily issue. The difficulty is the cockpit windshield burst, all of us met the great bodily harm. The loss of pressure, the sudden pressure changes caused a lot of damage to the eardrum. Temperatures dropped to around -40C, and extreme cold could cause frostbite in the human body. The control panel (FCU) was lifted and the noise was so loud that you can't hear anything. Most radio and equipment were in malfunctions, you can only do your job by manual and visual.
Reporter: In such a high altitude, oxygen also very thin?
Liu: Like the cabin, when the cockpit loses pressure, the oxygen mask will automatically fall off, hypoxia problem is not big issue. And the cockpit and cabin are sealed and insulated, so the loss of pressure and cooling in cockpit do not affect passengers.
Reporter: I noticed that the flight departure time is at 6:25, when and where is the time of the incident?
Liu: It should be 7 o ' clock, I didn't notice the exact time, the distance from Chengdu is about 100 km to 150 kilometers.
Reporter: What were the signs at the time of the incident?
Liu: There is no sign, the windshield burst suddenly, windshield bursting making a loud noise. As I looked up, the co-pilot had flown half, and half the body was hanging outside the window. Luckily, he fastened his seatbelt. The cockpit items all flew up, many of the equipment failed, the noise was so loud that the radio couldn't be heard. The whole plane vibrates so much you are unable to readout any instruments; the operation is so difficult.
Reporter: What kind of difficult?
Liu: Instantaneous loss of pressure and low temperature make people very uncomfortable, every action is very difficult. You know, the speed of the plane was eight hundred or nine hundred kilometers (per hour) and at that height. I'm going to give you a metaphor: if you're driving at 200 km per hour in the street of Harbin, what can you do with your hand out the window? (My words for you: winter in Harbin is the equivalent of Russia's Siberia)
Reporter: very difficult indeed. I heard a 7700 code issued?
Liu: I did it, equivalent to means "Now I need help", the control center and other flight crew in air can know it, know the approximate situation, what happened, I did this with the keyboard.
Reporter: In the situation of automation completely failed, including the FCU damaged, you can not know the flight data, how to determine the direction, course, return to the airport and so on?
Liu: Yes, completely manual operation, visually rely on my own to judge, many of the civil aviation is automatic operation, but this time the automatic equipment can’t help. I have flown this route over 100 times. I should say everything of flying here is familiar to me.
Reporter: Did you pay attention to your physical condition while you were trying to save the plane and passengers?
Liu: At that time, I just want to be able to operate the aircraft safely, unable to pay attention to my and other’s physical condition. In order to avoid further damage to my colleague in the cockpit and passengers, the first is to reduce the speed, and then try to make the emergency height reduction. The noise was great, automatic equipment can’t help. Completely by hand and visual, rely on perseverance to grasp the stick to complete the return and safe landing. My body should have been a very big wobble.
Reporter: How much time did it take from the accident to the landing?
Liu: About more than 20 minutes.
Reporter: What's the weather like this morning? Did it affect the emergency landing?
Liu: The weather helped a lot. There was almost no cloud this morning, and the visibility was very good, and if it was accompanied by rain or bad weather, the consequences would be unpredictable.
Reporter: Insiders say when learning to fly there will be a simulated noise, low-temperature and other processes?
Liu: In the primary trainer stage, there will be an extreme situation simulation training. But neither height nor speed can be as fast as this one.
Reporter: There are rumors on the internet during the landing, you burst the tires.
Liu: No. The aircraft is overweight and the thrust reverser is not working, it is longer than the normal taxing distance, the tire rubs longer, causes the temperature too high, and then the tire automatically deflated--this is a protection, not a flat tire.
Reporter: Can you tell me something about your experience?
Liu: I had been flying in military school before. I work in Sichuan Airlines since 2006.
Reporter: Netizens say your experience is more like that of Captain Sully?
Liu: I respect Captain Sully. But this time it was more close to the accident of the British Airways.
Reporter: Is the BA flight 5390? Do you have special attention to movies or documentaries of aviation?
Liu: Yes. We usually pay attention to flight accidents, from the professional point of view, consider the cause of the accident, how they operate,to make some preparations.
Reporter: Have you ever thought that you would encounter this situation?
Liu: I have been preparing every day, from just graduated to now have flown for decades. I do some my own preparation. Who knows what happen in the next? My job, as a pilot, is going ready to deal with any abnormals. Nobody has problems in normal situations.

mrdeux

14th May 2018, 12:12

This is a cockpit I would not have wanted to be in. Well done.

TurningFinalRWY36

14th May 2018, 12:22

Dubaian

14th May 2018, 12:41

Many thanks for your translations shimin

Octane

14th May 2018, 12:45

Don't think you'd be doing much reading in an 800 km/h gale!

Deepinsider

14th May 2018, 12:48

With what we know so far, what an incredibly good job of basic airmanship and real handling, so often not evident
in various events around the world in recent years.
A decompression involving not only critically high terrain, but damage / injury to the F/D and pilot(s), And..damage
to items such as the FCU (which would always be the preferred method of controlling the a/c )
Even the most cruel sim instructor would be hard pressed to dream up a worse training scenario.!
WELL DONE those pilots.

shimin

14th May 2018, 12:55

Many thanks for your translations shimin
Please excuse my poor English. Whether Captain Sully or Captain Liu, I find that a good professional pilot has something in common: always be prepared to deal with abornmals. They have done their duty with the most honest. I remember Captain Sully answered a similar question in the famous 60 Minutes Interview. He said , I had no time to look after others and by that time I had to go all out to fly.

shimin

14th May 2018, 13:34

The update： Attendant shouted, We Have The Confidence To Safely Landing!
May 14 4:10 P.M., one of flight 3u8633 passengers, 25-Year-old Phuntsog just returned to the home in Lhasa. Recalling the incident,in addition to fright, he felt more warmth. Phuntsog was dozing off at the time of the incident. With such a loud "bang", he was suddenly awakened. The plane weightlessness down, oxygen masks also fell down, the flight attendants hurriedly help everyone put on oxygen masks.
"Except the moment of weightlessness, rest of the flying is quite smooth." Phuntsog said, but the panic still spread in the cabin, some passengers began to vomit, he also felt the hands are numb. He knew very well that he was going through an accident, but there was nothing to do about it.
"One of the 'buddies'sitting next to me looked up at me and asked me what happened." Phuntsog said, the man who has never met before help him rub his hands, comfort him not nervous.He felt his hands better, but his heart was still uneasy. The cabin was out of power and the cabin PA system couldn't work. "Suddenly, I heard a flight attendant shouting at everyone's throat: 'Please believe us, we have the confidence to be able to take you to the ground!'"
Hearing this, Phuntsog's heart suddenly bright."That's a very important thing in that atmosphere!We understand that the crew has done everything in their power to do what it takes to wait."
All flight attendants worked as usual such as serving waters to the passengers. In such an atmosphere,the passengers remained remarkably consistent and peace during the entire landing. Phuntsog deeply hugged the passenger of in his next seat each other at the moment of the plane successfully landing on the Shuangliu airport.
He wrote lovingly in his circle of friends:"Thanks to the pilots and flight attendants of the 3u8633, it was your composure that created the crash-landing miracle. I give you my praise!"
Sorry for my poor translation and unable to inset the images of accident cabin here.

belfrybat

14th May 2018, 13:42

shimin: It's perfectly understandable, and that is what matters. Keep up the good work!

MD83FO

14th May 2018, 13:44

is this a chinese made plane?

shimin

14th May 2018, 13:55

shimin: It's perfectly understandable, and that is what matters. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for your kind words. Once I get something new and worthy to be shared here, I will do it again.

framer

14th May 2018, 13:59

Well done, I hope you both recover quickly from any injuries.

shimin

14th May 2018, 14:00

All the leaders of Sichuan Airlines came to the hospital, and a witness saw a vice president yelling at the doctor, "I want my copilot's ear cured perfectly!"

flite idol

14th May 2018, 14:24

Thanks again for the translation Shimin. Great job by the Captain and the whole crew.

shimin

14th May 2018, 14:37

Update: Nice To Be Alive
A passenger's note on his smart phone and send to his friends.
In May 14, 2018, 3U8633, Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, I just experienced a life and death.
From Chongqing to Lhasa, the route that I had taken countless times, I slept on my seat as usual. The stewardess woke me up to the breakfast time. As usual, I reckon how long it will take to get to Lhasa. The shock always happens in a sudden break. Suddenly, there was a loud noise at the top of the plane, the cabin suddenly darkened, the oxygen mask fell in front of me, and the plane began to fall as fast as it was, just for a moment. My mind was blank. After seeing around, it was confirmed that it was not my dream. Then I wore mechanically the oxygen mask according to the instructions of the stewardess. After the blanks, there was a surge of fear. I was clearly know I was going to experience an bad accident, and I had no way to do it. When I realized that I couldn't do anything about survival, depression, fear and panic began to fill me. I always thought I was not afraid of death, but when you really faced death and could do nothing, I was like a fish that had just been put into the boiling water and was attacked by little bits of death. I can see clearly that the iceberg beneath the plane and they are only about a kilometer away. Real depression just started. I feel the despair in the eyes of the passengers around, perhaps they can also feel my despair.
Of course, I am still alive and lovely now. Just like fairy tales, pilot has become hero in the twinkling of an eye. He gradually controlled the situation, changed direction, flew to Chengdu, and then landed on the runway of Shuangliu Airport. Hanging heart also slowly landed, trance seems to have gone through a dream, to be thrilling, and finally returned to peace. I am seating in the cabin now, waiting for the trailer to pull the plane to safe area and the all the cabin is just back to life.
It's not clear how I feel now. To escape or to die? Thank you for pilots and stewardess. Save me alive without death at such a young age. I can only say one thing: it's nice to be alive.

shimin

14th May 2018, 14:40

Thanks again for the translation Shimin. Great job by the Captain and the whole crew.
Thanks my friend. Appreciate the today's techology, we can share the information so easy and positively.

DaveReidUK

14th May 2018, 14:56

is this a chinese made plane?

Have you read post #2 ?

777humility

14th May 2018, 14:57

Even though am yet to get my first license, allow me to also commend the crew for a job well done.

metro301

14th May 2018, 14:57

Just a thought.... Not sure if the video online is of this incident but.....

There is a video from the cockpit of the windshield shorting out and arcing. The video is approximately 45 seconds long. It shows the short starting, growing, and the crew doing nothing but video.

I am wondering which "Emergency Procedure" they applied. There is a procedure for Window Arcing in the A320 QRH. The procedure is to pull circuit breakers as noted in the QRH. I can guarantee it does not say pull phone and start video.

If in fact they had performed the arcing procedure, perhaps they would not have had to conduct the Emergency Decent procedure nor deal with any missing FCU issues.

RAT 5

14th May 2018, 15:13

Interesting Liu said he reduced speed with F/O hanging out of the window. Very understandable. It would be a bit of a dilemma deciding what speed to descend at. The pax have 15mins O2. They can survive without O2 <15000', even 18000'. Priority would be to recover F/O. The interview suggested the whole manoeuvre might have been in manual control. Then very good piloting to navigate and land using raw data and manual control. One assumes ATC became workable once a lower level and slower speed and they could help with vectors.
A well done and medal required, plus pension enhancement. In fact a whip-round amongst the pax would be justified.

framer

14th May 2018, 15:15

Is the video of this flight or another flight?

metro301

14th May 2018, 15:21

Unknown... Not sure if it is.

About half way through you can hear a single chime master caution alert that sounds pretty airbus.

Suvarnabhumi

14th May 2018, 15:45

Dan Winterland

14th May 2018, 15:51

Good work! The QRH procedures would definitely not be applicable in this event. A good example of why skill and airmanship is still required, despite the best efforts of the industry to make them obsolete!
Would like your explanation for that, not familiar with the A319

An explosive decompression requires an emergency descent. The Airbus procedure as described in the Flight Crew Techniques Manual relies on the use of the Autoflight System and consequently the Flight Control Panel. But if this has been ripped from it's mountings and is hanging by it's wires, it's going to be of little use. It also requires some crew communication, but if one of the crew has no eardrums left and there is a 300knot gale inside the cockpit, that's not going to be possible. Modern airline crew training relies on procedures based on the designers best guess at all possible scenarios. They produce procedures based on these and they are what are in the electronic checklist procedures and programmed into the simulators - and consequently this is what the crews train for. There is little variation in these and pilots get quite good at managing the 'canned' emergencies.

But in the real world, the aircraft doesn't really care what the designers thinks it should be doing and it breaks down in many various and inventive ways. In the last five years, I have had four major events in Airbus types and not one of them was resolved by the pre-determined actions as defined by the ECAM (Engine Control and Monitoring System). In fact, in one case, following the ECAM procedure would have made the situation far worse by depressurising the cabin. In all these four cases, it required airmanship,experience and systems knowledge to achieve a safe and satisfactory outcome.

Current training is being cut back to the bare minimum based on the assumption that modern aircraft are so automated that they will look after themselves. The result that training is very heavily procedure based. Rigid Standard Operating Procedures are now the industry standard and there is essentially no flexibility outside these rules leading to the loss of airmanship and basic flying skills I alluded to.

Luckily, passengers have had Captains Chesney Sullenburger, Tammie Jo Shults and Liu Shunjian with their experience, skill and airmanship to get them back to earth safely. The current trend means this type of pilot is becoming increasingly rare.

Global Aviator

14th May 2018, 17:29

F-16GUY

14th May 2018, 18:32

This video of arcing that is circulating online is not an A319 !

Anyone who have a link to said video?

MartinAOA

14th May 2018, 19:25

Anyone who have a link to said video?

It's an ATR not the A319, the title is misleading.

https://youtu.be/457NFBOpy1U

Suvarnabhumi

14th May 2018, 19:55

FOs shirt ripped up

MartinAOA

14th May 2018, 20:18

Looks like a long sleeve shirt. Doesn't matter, I guess ;)
Respect and kudos to the crew!

DaveReidUK

14th May 2018, 21:05

It's an ATR not the A319, the title is misleading.

Interesting. Do you have any idea when and where the ATR incident in question occurred ?

corrigin

14th May 2018, 22:00

Well done Captain Liu Shunjian and the 3U8633 Crew; worthy of recognition of the highest order!

WingNut60

14th May 2018, 22:46

In another thread I recently wrote It speaks well of the overall safety of the industry that, now, every cracked windscreen seems to make it onto these pages.

This event was not what I had in mind.
To say it was a fortunate outcome, while true, belittles the skill and competency used to achieve that outcome.

svhar

14th May 2018, 22:56

Well done. Respect. Thank you shimin for sharing.

MartinAOA

14th May 2018, 23:16

Interesting. Do you have any idea when and where the ATR incident in question occurred ?
No idea, unfortunately. A319 doesn't have a protruding ERP, so it's most likely an ATR.

Two's in

14th May 2018, 23:29

Interesting thought for all those simulator scenarios that sometimes in the real world 10,000 feet may not be readily available.

stilton

15th May 2018, 00:04

Are there any reports regarding the FO’s condition?

shimin

15th May 2018, 00:29

Well done. Respect. Thank you shimin for sharing.
You are most welcome！

shimin

15th May 2018, 00:42

Are there any reports regarding the FO’s condition?
He is getting better. I am unable to insert his photo in hospital here. The URL seems unavailable here.

Uplinker

15th May 2018, 01:14

Holy crxp !!
Very well done that crew. I have had the outer pane shatter in an A320, with attendant arcing etc, but for the entire screen to depart the aircraft ???!!!!

Is this another case of the wrong bolts or badly made bolts being used like in the BA 5390 flight all those years’ ago?

How did the FCU and RHS glareshield get wrenched up - was that the F/O smashing into it I wonder? Poor guy, hope he’s OK.

shimin

15th May 2018, 01:40

Update: The crew: It is a great honor to ensure the safety of all passengers.
14th 8:30 P.M. Chengdu Business newspaper client reporter visit the two injured crew members, flight attendants Zhou Yanwen and copilot Xu Ruichen. At present, both two are in good condition without any serious issues. The two people on the hospital beds are in a good mental state, but the experience of breathtaking, two people still seem a little tired.
Zhou Yanwen: Believe us, don't worry, the crew has the ability to make everyone safe!
Zhou Yanwen said, now some pain in the waist, only lie rest. Colleagues rushed to the bed side to take care of. "At that time the attendants shouted, make the passengers assured that we can do it. ‘Don't worry, the flight crew has the ability to keep everyone safe!’”
Injured co-pilot Xu Ruichen: All is to be done.
Xu Ruichen says his physical condition is good, "feels good"
Xu Ruichen was born in 1991 and the shattered glass was in front of him. At present Xu Ruichen's body condition is quite good, "feels very good, the hearing has resumed”. For the praise of the hero, he says it should be done and all passengers should be safe. For the thrilling moment of his own suffering, he has not much to say.
By now 58 passengers continued to go to Lhasa after the accident and arrived safely. 29 passengers are in the hospital.
Captain Liu Shunjian: It is a great honor to ensure the safety of all passengers, thanks all for their concern and the great teamwork of all crew members.
My words here:
I am unable to insert photos here. The URL seems unavailable here.
Western China is the world's highest plateau, Chengdu is located in the famous Sichuan basin. Less than 50 kilometers the west side is surrounded by 4-5 km snow mountains while standard safe altitude for decompression is only 3km.
If you travel to Lhasa by plane, you will realize that these mountains seem to be just at your feet. At the time of the accident, the plane is located at the Mikos waypoint, with Mach 0.74-0.75. Of course, it is at 9800 meters cruise altitude, but the real clearance is only 3000 meters, so, I think that the Captain Liu chose to slow down first to get stable control rather than drop height is absolutely correct. In cases where automation is almost impossible to use, I do not think that complying with any written SOPs is a priority. Captain Liu is following the basic rule, Aviate, Navigate and Communicate. This is the first thing he learnt from student time. The crew didn't have time to run the check list first. So do the Sully and Shults who had no time to run completely the checklist. It is time to play airmanship. Of course, before landing, the crew completed the overweight landing checklist.
Finally, some posts so concerned about where the plane is made. I am sure that no matter the BA time or this incident, both the cockpits are not made by China.
No matter where the aircraft is made, no matter which country the plane belongs to, it does not affect my own salute to the flight crews and attendants. Just because here is called Professional Pilot Forum and Organization.

CCA

15th May 2018, 01:56

This video of arcing that is circulating online is not an A319 !

In the A320 family aircraft I would hope crews are actually aware of the QRH procedure , know where to find the CBs quickly and not start filming with their iPhone trying to be the next social media star.

Before you start shooting your mouth off, what if they are taking video to show what's occurring after the checklist has been actioned as in the problem wasn't fixed! Secondly the video is unrelated to the issue being discussed here, the video incident most likely ended uneventfully otherwise it would be well publicised.

Back to this incident the window frame left the aircraft as can be seen in the post landing photo so the issue is was the window installed correctly?

crwkunt roll

15th May 2018, 02:16

Great job Captain, and a great attempt at literal translation.
My body should have been a very big wobble.
Classic!

shimin

15th May 2018, 02:26

Captain Liu had to fly at FL235,minimum safe altitude due to mountains, for 8min to get out of the moutain areas then he was able to further low the plane to the standard 3km altitude for decompression accident.
I am sure both pilots no time to play phones at cockpit or want to be a media star if you can read local report and vedio interview in Chinese. All of them refuse to be called hero and adopt a very low profile.
However, the nation and the company will willinig and ready to pay what the all the crew deserved.

shimin

15th May 2018, 02:28

Great job Captain, and a great attempt at literal translation.

Classic!
Thank you! I am try to do my best.

pineteam

15th May 2018, 04:34

It’s an ATR on the video.

Noobyflewby

15th May 2018, 05:05

Many thanks for your translations shimin

Yes, thank you.

And great praise to the crew in coping so well with a very nasty incident.

MyTH

15th May 2018, 05:14

Is this another case of the wrong bolts or badly made bolts being used like in the BA 5390 flight all those years’ ago?

It seems that the frame is still there, it’s just the glass windshield that has blown out.

mostlylurking

15th May 2018, 06:15

First read about this in the guardian (don't judge me) immediately below was this related news headline from February :- "Boeng raises prospect of only one pilot in the cockpit of planes".
Made me think.

pineteam

15th May 2018, 06:22

Thank you for your updates Shimin. Very good airmanship and flying skill from the captain.:D
I don't understand this part quoted below; The cockpit and cabin are not sealed and insulated on the Airbus. From the passenger report, it appears the mask fell out pretty quickly after the loud bang.
I wounder if having the cockpit door closed would delay much the depressurisation and the drop in temperature?

Reporter: In such a high altitude, oxygen also very thin?
Liu: Like the cabin, when the cockpit loses pressure, the oxygen mask will automatically fall off, hypoxia problem is not big issue. And the cockpit and cabin are sealed and insulated, so the loss of pressure and cooling in cockpit do not affect passengers.

Suvarnabhumi

15th May 2018, 06:41

Translating Chinese to English especially "aviation language" is very difficult. Shimin is doing a great job. I think the meaning/context here has just been slightly lost in translation.

The armored cockpit door has a large blow out panel exactly for this type of situation.

DaveReidUK

15th May 2018, 06:44

Back to this incident the window frame left the aircraft as can be seen in the post landing photo so the issue is was the window installed correctly?

It seems that the frame is still there, it’s just the glass windshield that has blown out.

Well one of you is right. :O

Can anyone point to some conclusive evidence either way ?

While it may be tempting to draw parallels with the BA One-Eleven incident, that occurred on the first flight after the windscreen had been installed with the wrong bolts. It should be easy enough to establish whether or not the A319 had just had a windscreen replacement.

Volume

15th May 2018, 07:24

As pointed out already, the Airbus design is different, the windscreen is larger than the opening and installed from the inside. It is not held in position by tension bolts and retainers.
The only way to blow out such a windscreen is if it structurally fails completely (all layers).
PPG Datasheet for A319 (http://www.ppgaerospace.com/getmedia/ef30d2c0-dd30-4d07-ae09-2369dca91dba/Airbus_A318_TD.pdf.aspx?ext=.pdf)
PPG Datasheet for 737 (http://www.ppgaerospace.com/getmedia/ba64914b-c114-46bb-8cc4-c2ab09d440ee/B737_TD_FINAL.pdf.aspx?ext=.pdf)(as Example for a through-bolt/retainer design)
Nevertheless, a recent replacement may still be the reason for it to fail.

BluSdUp

15th May 2018, 10:44

Congratulations to Captain and Crew.
Thanks to Shimin for Excellent translation.
I am betting a Dollar the wind shield was recently replaced.

With regards to who made the airframe , give me a Fkn break.
I have had one Beech 200 front windshield crak with a loud bang, only outer layer, It happens on curved heated ones. Not the Americans fault, **** happens!

The next I had was at FL280 from City to Glasgow and ca 8 bolts protruding out after a change by the wrong mechanics, not wrong bolts. British AOC !!
I have had the honor to train hundreds of Hainan pilots in the Sim on the D328-Jet, generally excellent pilots as proven here!
Looking forward to know the cause.
Wonder how helpful the different " Boxes" was. I suppose it shoves that as long as the basics works it is all always possible to return safely to earth!!

Again, Brilliant handling.

Respecfully
Cpt B

Mr A Tis

15th May 2018, 13:38

Total respect, the passengers were so lucky to have such a competent crew in command. Brilliant.

cappt

15th May 2018, 13:57

From the DM article.
The airline stated only routine maintenance inspections, "It also confirmed the airline company had never changed or altered any windshields on the plane."

Sailvi767

15th May 2018, 14:28

Herod

15th May 2018, 16:50

Sailvi767 I find it mind boggling that anyone should question a major airline Captains ability to hand fly a approach without automation in VFR conditions. If they can’t they should not be sitting in the front of the aircraft.

I assume you are not a pilot. Any captain can hand-fly an approach in VFR, yes, but if you read the thread, there was a LITTLE more going on. It's when things become non-normal that the real ability is found

Full marks to the Flight Crew, and I gather the Cabin Crew were reassuring the passengers. Full marks to them too.

Banana4321

15th May 2018, 19:17

What a great interview with the pilot. Simply staggering stuff.

Una Due Tfc

15th May 2018, 19:54

I find it mind boggling that anyone should question a major airline Captains ability to hand fly a approach without automation in VFR conditions. If they can’t they should not be sitting in the front of the aircraft.

In -56C, with a few hundred knots blowing in, with an FO half out the airplane, after suffering an explosive decompression with all the associated effects on hearing, balance, coordination.....

Yeah real run of the mill stuff that.....

Sailvi767

15th May 2018, 21:48

In -56C, with a few hundred knots blowing in, with an FO half out the airplane, after suffering an explosive decompression with all the associated effects on hearing, balance, coordination.....

Yeah real run of the mill stuff that.....

Never said it wasn’t, I am referring to many comments I have seen on various websites about how he had to actually fly the aircraft. One report I saw on TV stated it was a miracle the pilot was able to land the aircraft without computer assistance!

bandagunda

15th May 2018, 22:40

Do I remember the Airbus design wrongly, or are the windshields "plug type" design, installed from the inside (contrary to the retainer design used for most other aircraft) ?
So does the windscreen has to fail completely to depart the aircraft ?

No, B747 windshield is external installation, not plug type.

PaxBritannica

15th May 2018, 22:40

Una Due Tfc

15th May 2018, 23:03

Never said it wasn’t, I am referring to many comments I have seen on various websites about how he had to actually fly the aircraft. One report I saw on TV stated it was a miracle the pilot was able to land the aircraft without computer assistance!

Gotcha 👍

added for content

NSEU

16th May 2018, 00:04

The armored cockpit door has a large blow out panel exactly for this type of situation.

So this large blow out panel goes smashing into the instrument panel/pilots? :ouch:

I'm not familiar with the A319 or whatever it was, but normally the blowout panel goes in the opposite direction.

shimin

16th May 2018, 00:59

Update: Hero captain’s wife: Hope there will be no heroes needed in China’s civil aviation.
"We still hope that there will be no heroes in CAAC. After all, safety is the most important. The hero shows a special thing." On the afternoon of 15, later 2 o'clock, Zou Han said in an exclusive interview with China News Network at her home in Chongqing. At this time, his husband Liu Chuanjian as "hero captain" is still hotly praised and celebrated nationwide.
"When he was landing at Chengdu, I called him. He replied that he was busy. " Zou Han told the reporter that until the early morning of today, the husband was free to call her to ensure her that he was not injured. But he didn't let her go to Chengdu to meet him.
"I'm not very worried about him. He has been flying in the AF and Sichuan Airlines for many years. I really believe in his technology. His character is calm and steady." Zou Han pointed that he has flown every top plateau and high-high plateau route, including Lhasa, Daocheng, Kangding and other top plateau airports. As a flight instructor, he has done a lot of emergency training,including window shield bursting since his AF pilot career.
Liu Chuanjian exercises every day and runs in the community. "I joked, you don't have to go." He said that takes him to fly on the high plateau. Zou Han said he was lucky this time. "The aero chart shows that the aircraft is still near Chengdu. If the plane had entered the high-high plateau, it would be very difficult." Zou made her comments.
Sister Liu Chuanping said that their father was a worker in Chongqing cement factory and mother was a farmer. The family had two daughters and one son. When the elder uncle passed away so early, his parents brought up the three kids of the uncle's family. With six children in the family, the family burden was so heavy. Liu Chuanjian helped his parents since as a child. "The children who grew up in the countryside knew hard, so he cherished the career of the pilot." Sister Liu Chuanping said.
Born in 1972, Liu Chuanjian spent time of elementary school and junior high school in in this rural town. In Liu Chuanping's memory, her younger brother did homework so quickly and always got the top ranking. In the early 1990s, he was admitted to the AF flight academy. After graduated from the academy in 1995, Liu Chuanjian stayed in the school as the flight instructor for ten years, and then entered Sichuan Airlines. (My words: In China, only the best students can stay in school as teachers). Zou Han said that her husband was a simple man. No smoke, drink, play cards and majiang. He only drink tea, reading and do gardening at home.
Both husband and wife's careers are in the industry. There are two plane models on the side of TV in the living room. The bookcase is also full of Liu Chuanjian's notes and aviation books, such as "air transport services in the remote areas", "world aviation safety and accident analysis", and Chesley Sallenberg's "Highest Duty". "We both read carefully the Highest Duty." (my words: This book is translated into Chinese version by Mr. Yang, the retired director general of civil aviation administration. Mr. Yang is a senior chief pilot himself). Because of career, Zou has seen many plane-crash movies. As for the offical announcement that this landing is going to be made into a movie, "in my personal opinion, we still hope that there will be no heroes needed in China civil aviation." She made her comments. “We need more cautious and no small matter in the public safety”.
（Please forgive my poor English）

FlightDetent

16th May 2018, 01:55

The armored cockpit door has a large blow out panel exactly for this type of situation. Incorrect. The cut-out is an escape hatch from the cockpit.

The provision for exactly this type of accident is implemented, however. To prevent overloading the frame, two cockpit pressure sensors are installed with inlets on the OVHD panel. They will release the latches for the door to swing open if pressure is lost in the flight deck.

EmDeer

16th May 2018, 05:41

@shimin: Thank you very much for your effort! Please don´t apologize for your English, you are doing a great job!

Mlambin

16th May 2018, 06:25

@shimin many thanks !

NSEU

16th May 2018, 07:22

The provision for exactly this type of accident is implemented, however. To prevent overloading the frame, two cockpit pressure sensors are installed with inlets on the OVHD panel. They will release the latches for the door to swing open if pressure is lost in the flight deck.

After making a similar comment, and reading about various aircraft types, it seems there are a lot of variations. Some cockpit doors hinge outwards, some inwards (but usually not both ways). Some aircraft have blowout panels which indeed fly inwards (one or more of these panels may be tethered to prevent injury to crew). Some of these doors may be multifunction (acting as escape panels).

Less Hair

16th May 2018, 08:03

So how is the First Officer doing now? Speedy recovery to him.

cooperplace

16th May 2018, 08:13

@shimin, your English is great, these updates are much appreciated. It's great to get all the background on the pilot: he's clearly a true professional.
The crew of this aircraft did an amazing job.

Massey1Bravo

16th May 2018, 10:16

So how is the First Officer doing now? Speedy recovery to him.

Unfortunately I heard that the FO have blown eardrums and damage to the inner ear. He may be permanently grounded.

Anyway, a great job from the crew getting the aircraft down safely. ~FL240 isn't exactly a pleasant place to be in for an extended period, especially after an explosive decompression with a pilot dangling out of the cockpit.

Sailvi767

16th May 2018, 11:40

The Captain's account shows that he couldn't use instruments, and had to fly visually and manually. Given that he had to stay pretty high to avoid mountains...what would have been the outcome if this had happened at night?

It adds difficulty but should not have changed the outcome. He stated he flew the route hundreds of times so should have had a pretty good mental plot of minimum safe altitudes. In addition the primary flight displays should have still been functioning providing terrain and nav information if they were in fact operating. I suspect given the type of headsets most airlines use communication would have been impossible.
Most if not all airlines have decompression procedures for flight segments where a immediate decent to 10’000 feet is not practical. Pilots are required to review those as they approach such areas. We get a reminder on the flight plan anytime we are entering a terrain critical area.

shimin

16th May 2018, 11:51

@shimin: Thank you very much for your effort! Please don´t apologize for your English, you are doing a great job!
Thank you so much! I am just back jome and do my next update for you!

shimin

16th May 2018, 11:52

@shimin, your English is great, these updates are much appreciated. It's great to get all the background on the pilot: he's clearly a true professional.
The crew of this aircraft did an amazing job.
the news briefing just end and I am trying to do my best for the coming update!

shimin

16th May 2018, 11:58

So how is the First Officer doing now? Speedy recovery to him.
Thank you for your concern. He is getting better now. Many young colleagues(at his age) and/or flight schoolmates visit and take care him at the hospital. The photos and video clips are everywhere in local social media.

shimin

16th May 2018, 11:58

@shimin many thanks !
you are mostly welcome!

Less Hair

16th May 2018, 12:13

Thanks for your kind updates.
Let's hope the best for him so that he can fly again.

skadi

16th May 2018, 12:43

shimin

16th May 2018, 12:57

Update：The captain said: Have to face the dilemma.
When windshield was suddenly broken, the temperature dropped to - 40C. The instruments failed, the instantaneous pressure lost and even the FO was sucked out half. The Captain Liu Chuanjian, with excellent flight skills and good psychological quality, made the aircraft safe and emergency landing.
In May 16th, Chengdu, Sichuan, in the news conference on the 3U8633 flight held by Sichuan Airlines, Captain Liu told the thrilling of his experience at the time.
Captain: Less than a second after reporting to ATC, the windshield burst.
Liu Chuanjian recalled that in that time, all the crews suddenly heard a "bang" of a burst. The crew members immediately responded to the issue, when the windshield had not fallen off. "The first reaction is to touch, to make it clear whether the bottom or the outer layer broke down. The rupture is like a steel glass block, a mesh. The touch makes me sure it is completely breaking, and I made the decision immediately to go back to the ground and report to the ATC." But just by that moment, the broke windshield popped off. When he reacted to it, he saw the half of the FO's body dropped out. "Then I tried to catch him and couldn't catch him. I looked back to check the state, the plane was dropping, the speed was increasing, I tried to make the second ATC report, and issued the code of 7700.” However, for the cause of the accident, Liu Chuanjian said, "I really dare not make any guesses. That is the technology beyond of my domain of knowledge. That is something of technical expertise."
At 40 degrees below zero, the first thing did not feel cold
Liu Chuanjian said there would be a variety of subjects in each training course and one of the them related to the event, "so I'm very familiar with the subject." He recalled that when the incident occurred, the plane was about 800 km / h. No sound was heard in his ears when the windshield just fell off. After a while, all the noise was heard, and the communication with the second captain was entirely gestural.
It is worth noting that, Liu Chuanjian said, when the incident just happened, there was no time to check OAT. According to the theory, the temperature should be around 40 degrees below zero. But he did not feel cold at the first time. Instead, he was concentrating on the state of the plane. He began to feel cold after feeling that the aircraft can be completely controlled by him. In addition, he also admitted that the first time was very scared, and later on until he tried and began to know the aircraft was under his control. It gradually turned better. "At that time, the wind was so strong that my body was in a state of deformation." He said he did not even think about what he did. Now, in retrospect, it is likely to be a disastrous consequence. "Maybe the plane might have lost."
Feel confident that the aircraft can be manipulated.
Liu Chuanjian stated that the decision to go back and emergency landing was made at the time because he was very confident about the route and the state of the failures. The decision was very decisive. "I recollect roughly that there are hundreds of flights to this route, which are very effective for the location and overall situation. There was no other choices by that time. I felt very confident until I felt that the plane could be manipulated”.
However, Liu Chuanjian also confessed that at that time the situation was bad, when the windshield broke off, the plane had many failures and had a great impact on the manipulation, making him feel very difficult at the beginning.
The most tangled descent: going fast or slower down?
Liu Chuanjian recalled the most difficult thing in the process of descent was to go faster or slower. "In the case of anoxia and cold, I hope that the aircraft will descend to a lower altitude as soon as possible, but if we want to go faster, the speed increases. Higher speed have more impact on us. The safety of the crew is not guaranteed. That is my dilemma. "
Liu Chuanjian said, finally he chose a relatively moderate scheme, which is based on ensuring the safety of the crew.
A feeling of fear now.
As for many of the articles and reports in praise of himself, Liu Chuanjian said, first of all thanks. The recent days he is good, mainly meet with the investigation team. But his rest has no impact. At the press conference, Liu Chuanjian's expression was slightly worse. He said probably because he was frightened, "there will be some feeling of fear now."
The Chinese version of "Captain Sully" belongs to the whole civil aviation circle.
Liu Chuanjian refused to compare himself with the Sully. As for honor, Liu Chuanjian said, "this is not my own, it belongs to China, and the whole civil aviation industry, including my crew, the ATC, AOC, the local authority and the Civil Aviation Administration, which is the honor of the civil aviation. Because honor itself is a very happy thing."

cooperplace

16th May 2018, 13:28

is there any damage to Captain Liu Chanjian's hearing? I hope this great pilot keeps flying.

shimin

16th May 2018, 13:35

is there any damage to Captain Liu Chanjian's hearing? I hope this great pilot keeps flying.
Thanks so much! He is totaly fine in everthing. all the flightcrews will be back to normal work. By now they are rest, according to today's the news conference.

shimin

16th May 2018, 15:37

Update: General manager of Sichuan Airlines: Honor and pride present only the past. Re-focusing on normal operation
Today, Sichuan Airlines held a news conference on 3U8633 flight events. General manager Shi Zuyi confirmed the Captain Liu Chuanjian has a total 13,666 flight hours; Second Captain Liang Peng has a total 8,789 hours; FO Xu Ruichen has a total 2,801 hours. The cabin crews consist with 5 members.
(My words: In the standard two-man cockpit, Chinese airlines always keep the traditional three-man crew dedicated in high-high plateau operations of western China. Two of them must be the qualification of Captain. Lucky, on the flight of 3U8633, both captains are flight instructors. This time, the old fashion of three-man crew system works!)
At present, 1 cabin member is injured in the waist and treated in the Department of orthopedics ward. The FO got some skin abrasions and is still in the emergency room to be observed. The other members are in general good. “They need to take full rest, adjust the psychological and health care. After reasonable health observation, all of them will go back and continue to fulfill the duty of safe flight." Shi Zuyi said.
The windshield is the original part. Since the introduction into operation in July 26, 2011, no record of failure and no replacement. The passengers onboard are 119, without children and infants. 65 pieces of luggage are loaded, total 717 kg. Shipment of 36 pieces, with total 269 kg. No lithium battery and other dangerous goods. After safely landing at Chengdu, passengers turned to the terminal under the guidance and changed their flight to 3U8695, from Chengdu to Lhasa, and arrived at Lhasa at 12: 09. Totally 27 discomforted passengers went to hospital, accompanied by the staff of Sichuan Airlines, and did not see any obvious abnormalities. The follow-up was accompanied by the staff, the hyperbaric oxygen therapy and psychological counseling were carried out and stay at hospital to be observed. All observations were completed at 22:00 in May 15th. In departure from hospital, the follow-up trip was properly arranged by the airlines. "The emergency services and aftermath handling are orderly and effective." Shi Zuyi said.
Shi Zuyi said that the investigation is just at its beginning. No further details and comments on the accident. He emphasized that honor and pride should return to zero point. Now it is the time to re-focused on the normal operation and try to keep safety every day and every flight.

JW411

16th May 2018, 16:49

I am in awe of Capt Liu Chanjian and all of his crew. They did a magnificent job of successfully dealing with a pretty horrendous event. I am particularly interested to note that Capt Chanjian was so obviously competent in dealing with a total lack of automatics and hand-flying the aircraft to a very successful conclusion. For years and years I, and many of my contemporaries, have been ridiculed by the children of the magenta line for banging on about the wisdom of continuing to practice the art of hand-flying our aircraft and having the skill to switch everything off and get down to minimums raw data. Management just love the automatic button-pushing method for it works most of the time and it saves them money. I doubt if I could have done as good a job as Capt Chanjian but with my background of 18 years in the military and my insistence of keeping my hand flying skills in current practice, I might have given it a good try. If I was going to work tomorrow and I was a child of the magenta line and going to spend the day behind an A319 windscreen, I would be seriously wondering how I could cope with this sort of situation and whether I have really been adequately
trained to deal with it.

Loose rivets

17th May 2018, 10:38

Google finding increasing number of pictures of the captain and crew.

One picture shows the combing/switch panel torn out of line upwards with consequent wiring damage. I imagine that was caused by the shoulder of the first officer. No doubt airflow as well of course.

IcePack

17th May 2018, 11:23

Seems a great job done by this crew. Unlike on face value the ATR crew that would seem we’re more interested in filming it than switching off the heating/power to the affected screen.

Long Haul

17th May 2018, 18:13

Absolutely, well done Captain Liu and crew. I hope that they find out what caused the windshield failure and are able to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Suvarnabhumi

17th May 2018, 21:14

A few more photos from Chinese social media.......one tough First Officer !

Sailvi767

18th May 2018, 01:14

Is it known how the copilot managed to get back into the cockpit? Compared with the BA incident his injuries are less serious than those of the BA captain. Had he really been half outside of the window?

skadi

It was a 3 man crew. I suspect that after the aircraft was slowed down the relief CA was able to get him back in the seat. When you have a severe emergency the third pilot can be invaluable!

Uplinker

18th May 2018, 02:56

I am astonished, both by the failure of this windshield and by the successful landing of the aircraft.

Total respect to the crew. Extremely well done !! (And a speedy recovery to those injured as well).

Looks to me from the photos that the windshield frame is still bolted in place, but the main pressure bearing layer of the window presumably failed and the whole window assembly then collapsed outwards and broke away from its glued joint to the frame.

Hopefully this was a one in a million materials failure, like the crack in the turbine disc of the Sioux City ?DC10 #2 engine. Judging from the general wear to the area around the ECAM page selection panel switches (on the centre console), this aircraft was either not very new or had flown many cycles. Can anyone comment on that?

shimin

18th May 2018, 03:01

Indeed the three-man system is one of key factors to get the successful landing. With the help of the second captain, many checklists are implemented before landing while Liu can concentrate on “Aviate” and make every decision timely and correctly. If we study the ranking of the three, we can find that is so reasonable and logical. As the Lead Captain, Liu is the highest, the secondary captain is about 8,000 flight hours and FO is a young man with about 2,000 hours.
In fact, Chinese airlines keep the three-man system in many daily routes, especially in remote, bad conditions and long-haul operations. It does cost a lot and often be mocking but more safety in my opinions. In such a three-man system, one of the key considers is the ranking among the three men. In Chinese airlines, the practice is that the top one is designated as the Lead Captain, even he is on the observer’s seat when any accidents happen.
Experiences, qualifications and authority are essential elements in airlines industry, even the industry has introduced a balanced two-man system over three decades.

shimin

18th May 2018, 04:30

Part of the comnunications is on the local media.
ÒôÆµ£º3U8633·çµ²ÆÆÁÑÊ±µÄÂ½¿ÕÍ¨»°_Ãñº½ÐÂÎÅ_Ãñº½×ÊÔ´Íø (http://news.carnoc.com/list/446/446481.html)

DaveReidUK

18th May 2018, 06:25

Judging from the general wear to the area around the ECAM page selection panel switches (on the centre console), this aircraft was either not very new or had flown many cycles. Can anyone comment on that?

Delivered from Tianjin July 2011.

Loose rivets

18th May 2018, 09:24

Was there any direct response to the 121.5 messages?

NEDude

18th May 2018, 13:33

B-6419 is in my logbook from my time at Sichuan.

shimin

20th May 2018, 03:27

My explanation first: In the latest complete TV interview, the full crew detailed the whole process, and especially explained all the ideas and operations they had at that time, which was the best TV show I had ever seen for decades. The interview is very long but I have to prepare my stuff for my long business international trip tomorrow, do not have time enough to translate the full report immediately, and plus my limit of my own English. I can only translate it briefly by now and separate into the several parts.
But I really want to share this because thanks to the flight crew, especially both captains for their psychological activities, thinking and making decisions in detail. I think they are really great and the best part is they offered every detail, including how fear and how to hanld the fear so frankly. This information of the case has made a tremendous contribution, in my incautiously guess, to the whole industry. Now we can think how to improve and to handle better with it after we have better understanding, from the facts to the activities of human being, especially the emergency operations in such plateau conditions.
The following is my part I of translation

shimin

20th May 2018, 03:28

Update: [Face to Face] Exclusive full interview with Sichuan Airlines heroic crew
Part I: How can we make a life and death landing from the altitude of 9,000 meters?
Narratage: Nearly 10,000 meters, windshield burst suddenly. Strong wind, low temperature, loss of pressure, anoxia, the whole plane approaches crash rapidly... More than one hundred passengers in the cabin, but more than hundreds of mountains below the aircraft. How can the hero crew complete the miracle of landing? News Face to Face made the exclusive interview with Sichuan Airlines 3U8633 flight crew.
Anchor: What was wrong with that mission that time?
Liu Chuanjian: there is nothing unusual. I slept in the company that night (this means a good sleep). We log into the preparation room on time to do our pre-flight briefing. The Second Captain got the briefing package at usual. We check and discuss all the information routinely and the weather was very good.
Anchor: What's your normal procedure when you board the plane?
Liu Chuanjian: External inspection and internal inspection of aircraft.
Anchor: Is this the captain perform every time?
Liu Chuanjian: What I have to do every time will be done. I checked this time and no problem found.
Narratage: About forty minutes later, the plane reached the southeast edge of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. It has a good visibility and you can see the range of mountains and mountains below the plane, with a height of 9,800 meters. From 2006 to Sichuan Airlines, Liu Chuanjian flew over 100 times.
Anchor: What was the state of you and the co pilot?
Liu Chuanjian: All very good. We are relaxed and the weather is very good. I feel very happy to finish the task today. It's such a mood.
But the change is always happening when you are out of sight. Around 07:06 in the morning, the plane in a steady flight suddenly got a loud bang.
Liu Chuanjian: there was nothing unusual before the first explosion.
Anchor: you said there was an explosion?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, an explosion occurred during the cruise.
Anchor: Where did the sudden explosion come from? What was your first judgement?
Liu Chuanjian: The first judgment of the time was an explosion, a burst of sound, and I and the co pilot found the blowout at the same time, it was unusual. We were going to do the inspection right away, and we found a crack in the front windshield.
Anchor: How loud is the explosion at that time? Describe to us the feeling of sounds. For example, the popcorn? Is that kind of loud sounds?
Liu Chuanjian: En…sure, like the sound of popcorn.
Anchor: The sounds is so loud in the sealed-up space, the decibel should be high.
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, at that time, a state of amazement, so my movements were very fast.
Anchor: Under such emergency response, what are the first steps you should take as captain?
Liu Chuanjian: Touch. To feel the situation of the glass with hands, as I said earlier, the windshield consists several layers, each layer is different. We want to know which, or the outer, the middle, or if it is inside…
Anchor: What did you feel when you touched?
Liu Chuanjian: The feeling of rowing. I touch lightly with my fingers.
Anchor: Is there a crack?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, a crack, which is the feeling of rowing and cutting hands. I know that one is broken.
Anchor: What does it mean for you?
Liu Chuanjian: it means that the full performance is discount, but not necessarily bad. My textbook tells me that the endurance will be reduced but okay for a while.
Anchor: Do you have a discussion with the co pilot?
Liu Chuanjian: No. No time. What I need discuss first is to be with the ATC. I took the microphone and require lower height immediately. I told our air traffic controller that I was going to return to Chengdu.
Anchor: Why do you make such a decision and so fast?
Liu Chuanjian: Any function in plane is discounted, there may be more trouble with the plane. We are in such western area.
Narratage: The windshield of civil aircraft usually has three layers: outer, middle and inner layers, and its toughness and compression capacity are two or three thousand times that of ordinary glass. According to the general theory, even if the inner layer glass is broken, the middle and outer glass can withstand two times the pressure difference. But because of his sensitive career and Liu Chuanjian quickly made the decision to return to the nearest Chengdu airport immediately without the discussion with other crew members,
Anchor: How far is it from Chengdu at that time?
Liu Chuanjian: It's about 150 kilometers.
Anchor: Has it surpassed Chengdu or has not arrived in Chengdu?
Liu Chuanjian: Passed it.
Anchor: After more than 100 kilometers across Chengdu, you returned to Chengdu.
Liu Chuanjian: Yes.
Narratage: After that, every decision is crucial from the moment of the accident, and every second is precious. For aircraft in high speed, a little hesitation will make the aircraft fly farther into mountains area, making the escape and after rescue impossible. Liu Chuanjian is making the turn, and grabbed the microphone to the ground control, said "windshield cracked, we decided to return Chengdu".
Call recording:
Liu: Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan 8633
ATC: Please speak
Liu: A bit of fault now. Applying for a lower level.
ATC: Sichuan 8633, lower to 8400, lower to 8400
Liu: I'm going back. The windshield cracked.
ATC: The windshield cracked, right?
Liu: Yes
ATC: 3U8633, Returning to Chongqing?
Liu: No, I returned to Chengdu
ATC: Got you ,for Chengdu, okay.
Liu: Yes
ATC: 3U8633. Got it. and you first keep at 8400.
Anchor: what about the further instructions from ATC?
Liu Chuanjian: No. because just both us think we finished the conversation. The whole windshield happened to burst.
Anchor: In the same moment of your talking?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, when I am going to finished but not finish yet. Three times, it did three times. I loss total my response at that moment when I was able to re-open my eyes after the shock. I guess due to the effect of high explosive stress
Anchor: The first instinct to rescue him?
Liu Chuanjian: No. I didn't think it would explode at all. It might be that I heard a sound, instinctively blinked or something was like this, when I opened my eyes to see him.
Anchor: When you see the FO?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, he was hanging there. Half of the body is outside.
Anchor: Is there not a seat belt?
Liu Chuanjian: In the cruise, we can relax a little, and he only fasten the leg belt, without that shoulder strap, so he was sucked out.
Anchor: people will be sucked out immediately?
Liu Chuanjian: Go out immediately.
Anchor: it's too sudden?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, it's very sudden.
Anchor: for you, as a captain in the special circumstances of the copilot, is there any contingency plan in which there was such a design before?
Liu Chuanjian: Not really. All depends on the first reaction. Actually, I want to reach out to grasp him.
Anchor: Is this instinctive?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, I want to grasp him back. But I can't reach him. The speed of the plane is very large. It may be around 800 kilometers. I can't pass over to get him back. And the important to me is the state of the plane. I want to keep the state of the plane well, so I manipulate the plane.
Anchor: But could you confirm his safety at that time?
Liu Chuanjian: I'm not sure what will happen. I didn't dare to think at that time. What I thought at that time was to control and not to let the plane fall.
Anchor: But how much certainty do you have in mind at that time?
Liu Chuanjian: Actually, I wasn't sure at that time. In fact, I was shouting to myself. “it is my end! it must be my end!” in my deepest mind.

Bergerie1

20th May 2018, 05:57

shimin,

I thank you for keeping us all so well informed. There is no need for you to apologise for your use of English, you are doing what few other people could do.

Like many others on this thread, I can only applaud and congratulate the crew on how well they reacted in such an astonishing event. To have an explosive decompression is bad enough, but for it to be a windscreen, to have the co-pilot sucked half out of the aircraft, to have the mode select panel and automatics so badly damaged AND to be over such high mountains makes this a truly unique event. That was real flying!

I once had a windcreen crack. It was the main load-bearing layer but, with five layers, the other four held. We were halfway between Nairobi and Entebbe in the middle of the night. When the glass broke it sounded like a twelve-bore shot gun going off in the cockpit. It was dark and it took us some time to find out what had happened - but the 'startle effect' was profound. Fortunately in our case nothing untoward happened and we descended and returned to Nairobi.

The shock for the Chinese crew must have been dreadful - but they coped magnificently. I salute Captain Liu and his crew.

ThreeThreeMike

20th May 2018, 06:55

The translations by shimin equal some of the best contributions I've read on PPrune. His work is greatly appreciated.

shimin

20th May 2018, 07:01

shimin

20th May 2018, 07:02

The translations by shimin equal some of the best contributions I've read on PPrune. His work is greatly appreciated.
my honor, sir!

shimin

20th May 2018, 07:03

Part II: How and what is the first roll you everyone
Narratage: When the windshield burst, the inner of plane lost pressure, a series of chain reactions followed, and inside environment changed rapidly.
Liu Chuanjian: The biggest change is the strong wind blowing on me and the feeling of tearing on my face.
Anchor: Like a knife cut?
Liu Chuanjian: No, I felt that my whole body totally distorted.
Anchor: can the eyes open?
Liu Chuanjian: I can open my eyes.
Anchor: Did you wear sunglasses?
Liu Chuanjian: Sure, at the time, the whole plane was shaking violently, but no sounds. (My understanding: Liu means a totally weird silence). Seconds later, (the noises) comes suddenly and terrible loud.
Anchor: The whole fuselage?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, the whole fuselage is shaking, I am unable to read the instruments. All of them are shaking.
Anchor: Is there any indication on the instrument? Do all the functions still exist?
Liu Chuanjian: My side (of the instruments) works. The issue is that I was not sure it was right.
Anchor: Why can't be sure?
Liu Chuanjian: A lot of equipment did not work after the blasting, the electronic display system told me the failure. There were countless failure indications on two inside screens. The two displays were filled in with all info of malfunction. (My understanding Liu means the two ECAMs).
Narratage: At a height of nearly 10,000 meters, eight hundred kilometers per hour, the right windshield broken a big hole, the intense strong wind is blowing everyone and everything into a flat. The flight control panel (FCU) is blown away, many flight instruments are not used normally, and the whole plane is jittering. All this happened to the cockpit then did into the cabin. At that time, Second Captain Liang Peng was resting in the cabin.
Liang Peng: It's straight to me is seeing the door opened.
Anchor: which door do you mean?
Liang Peng: Cockpit door.
Anchor: The door next to the cabin?
Liang Peng: Yes.
Anchor: Is it open?
Liang Peng: It's gone. Such a strong wind power.
Bi Nan (Cabin Purser): There was a howling and bumping at the same time. All the oxygen masks in the cabin fell off.
Anchor: Automatically?
Bi Nan: Yes.
Narratage: After took off nearly an hour, the plane was on the cruise level but suddenly started to bump with the blow of a strong airflow. Like a dust storm, the plane blew open, the cabin suddenly darkened, the noise sounded and the passengers screamed, the plane quickly dropped. A lot of things are blown down the floor of the cabin.
Passenger: Suddenly the lights went black, the stewardess and the trolley flew up into air, and then fell down again. With a bang, the plane flew down and all the lights went out, including each row of oxygen masks.
Narratage: Many passengers could hardly believe their eyes in the face of the oxygen mask that suddenly landed in front of them. The disaster scenes that were seen in the movie blockbusters were really happening in front of their eyes.
Anchor: Have you ever met this situation before?
Bi Nan: Never met.
Anchor: People encountered such a sudden emergency situation; every mood should be different?
Bi Nan: You're too late at this time (too try do our best to soothe them). I only know that I want to ensure the safety of my passengers and my team members. If I panic and mess up, then what else do they do? I only tell passengers through the PA to tell them how they do it. I tell them to pull the mask down, cover the mask at the mouth and nose, fasten the seat belt, and listen to further our command.
Anchor: Other flight attendants?
Bi Nan: They are on the same page. Loudly yelling the standard instruction, slapping the back of seats, making passengers fasten their seat belts. They make sure everyone does cover both his noses and mouth to breathe and soothe the passengers.
Anchor: How do you soothe the passengers?
Bi Nan: A passenger cramped, may be nervous. The attendant had been helping him, massaging all the time, giving him relaxation, and another passenger is crying. The attendant clapped his shoulder, holding his hand, giving him confidence.
Narratage: Nearly ten thousand meters high, a big hole in the cockpit, make the other two other fatal consequences. One is low temperature, and the other, after the loss of pressure, the air, it quickly leads to the hypoxia in the cockpit.
Anchor: Talking about this cold, if it is shown by temperature, it may be about many below the zero?
Liu Chuanjian: At our cruise level of 9,800 meters, according to theory, it should be more than 40 degrees below zero.
Anchor: More than 40 degrees below zero?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes.
Anchor: But normally, you should not wear too thick.
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, usually.
Anchor: So, is it?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, like today (Liu is in short dress of uniform during the interview). In fact, the normal cabin temperature is to about 24 degrees, so the same cockpit temperature. That is a comfortable temperature for human.
Anchor: When the temperature drops from +20 degrees to -40 degrees, will the operation of the whole limb be greatly affected?
Liu Chuanjian: I had no feeling on cold in the early stage, because I was too nervous at the beginning, and my muscles were very tense. I really didn't feel the cold attack.
Anchor: Do you wear an oxygen mask?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, our daily training includes the practice as I have just said. I want to tell you the real world is totally different. I wanted to put my oxygen mask on, but I couldn’t put it on.
Anchor: Why?
Liu Chuanjian: The wind is so strong that I can't get anything out of (the storage box). I can't get it out.
Anchor: Can't you wear it?
Liu Chuanjian: No.
Anchor: No oxygen mask for you? What means for you according to your best knowledge?
Liu Chuanjian: Frankly speaking, I didn't realize the problem of hypoxia by that moment. What was full in my mind was only one thing. To control the aircraft well.
Anchor: It depends entirely on the ability of the challenge the limit, right?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, I can tell you, by the moment when I finally landing, I thought it should be called willpower, I think this is a very accurate word, willpower, very appropriate.
Narratage: But willpower can't last too long. People have physiological limits. How do they succeed in every step and finally to the safe landing?

shimin

20th May 2018, 08:10

Part III: Believe us, we have the ability to send you safely to your destination!
But willpower can't last too long. People have physiological limits. What Liu Chuanjian needs to do right now is to low the flight level to get oxygen and higher temperature as soon as possible, otherwise the crew will be gradually frozen or asphyxiated, and the whole plane and 119 passengers will fall into the abyss.
Anchor: But do you know the situation below your feet?
Liu Chuanjian: The mountains, I know exactly all the highlands, I cannot go down further. I am very clear about it.
Anchor: How low is your bottom line?
Liu Chuanjian: My bottom line was…what I was thinking…When the second captain did not come in, I thought FL230. I can go down any more.
Anchor: or you could hit the mountains.
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, it's dangerous. May hit the mountains if lower than safety height.
Narratage: But at that time, the plane had already flown to the southeast edge of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. Because of the densely distributed mountains in this area, most of the mountain height was up to the 5000-6000 meters. The plane could not fly on the mountains, at least keep the minimums of 600 meters safety margin. At the special region, even the decompression, the minimum safety height must be kept at about 7,300 meters, or FL230.
Anchor: To 7,300 meters?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, FL230 in this mountain region. I can't go down any more. I must fly out of the region first before I go down further.
Anchor: But is it impossible for you to keep on that altitude of 7,300 meter for further operation in your situation of the decompression?
Liu Chuanjian: Impossible. The time to fly out the mountains region is too long to me. The oxygen of passengers is limited, the temperature is very low, and the human body is very uncomfortable.
Narratage: A West China unique route in world means that the aircraft cannot drop down immediately to the safe altitude. The pilot must bite the teeth and continue to fly at the height of over 7,000 meters until it arrives to the basin area and then make the second descent.
Anchor: at this time, what you need to do is to stabilize the aircraft while make sure the descent. How about this?
Liu Chuanjian: Very strong impact force, filling in, What a sense of oppression. Why we decelerate first? In order to alleviate the suffocation caused by shock rather than asphyxia. This is the place where the theory is different from the practice. What I worrying first is the oppression that may result the immediately injury to our whole body, and the damage to the plane. I just worrying the wind may break more and tear off bigger more cracks. The current high speed is too intense.
Anchor: Do you mean wind blowing directly from windshield?
Liu Chuanjian: Going on the back.
Anchor: The cabin?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, if the speed is too big, it will make bad later
Anchor: Did you have time enough to think of these? The cabin safety?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, the main concern in my mind. I was thinking about the cabin injury. I do not want the wind damage out cockpit and then following the cabin persons. I thought about slowing down. I mentioned early, I was very entangled at a bigger or smaller descent rate. It hurt my heart deeply. The entanglement.
Anchor: Why iso entangled to you?
Liu Chuanjian: bigger the descent rate, faster to go down but the safety of my FO may not be guaranteed.
Anchor: How can you balance this contradiction and make the final decision?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, so I would say that I choose this speed in a relatively acceptable state of what I think is appropriate, and the relative decent rate.
Anchor: Is this a valuation made by your experiences?
Liu Chuanjian: No.
Anchor: What is that on?
Liu Chuanjian: It was a situation by that time. People felt a little better, feeling to do what you should do.
Narratage: And in the cabin, it was a different scene. The sudden violent jitter and rapid fall of the passengers made passengers extremely confused, crying and screaming. The chief purser with her four colleagues tried their best to soothe the passengers. A dining car lost control and injured a stewardess's waist.
Anchor: How can you comfort passengers at this time?
Bi Nan: The attendants are distributed in the different rows of the cabin at that time. They tell the passengers to believe us, because we are trained professionally and believe that we have the ability to send you safely to the destination.
Anchor: But you don't know what happened in the cockpit.
Bi Nan: I don't know. I don't know.
Anchor: You didn't go to the cockpit to see it.
Bi Nan: There's a connection, but there's no contact.
Anchor: How to contact?
Bi Nan: make a call.
Anchor: No reply?
Bi Nan: No reply.
Anchor: If the emergency is like this, the captain will not reply, will you be more worried inside?
Bi Nan: It's really sure, because I don't know what the instructions and arrangements I do next, maybe I'll think a lot more about it at this time.
Anchor: What do you think?
Bi Nan: Thinking about all kinds of schemes, all kinds of scenarios, all kinds of results.

flightleader

20th May 2018, 11:02

Shimin,

Thank you for update, please check your Pprune private message.

shimin

20th May 2018, 11:09

Shimin,

Thank you for update, please check your Pprune private message.
thank you sir but I don't get any new message by now. Maybe a time lagging?

Caygill

20th May 2018, 11:18

One of the most amazing stories I've read. Come to think about the famous Mike Tyson quote; "everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face". Still the pilot managed to endure and perform. Definitely a hero in the Scully league if not beyond.

shimin

20th May 2018, 12:03

Part IV: Captain should be the mainstay of the aircraft
Narratage: The source of faith is Liu Chuanjian. In the air force, he had decade of experience in flight, trained as strict fighter pilot, and later, Liu Chuanjian became a flight instructor in AF school and brought out a lot of pilots. In 2006, he was transferred to the civil aviation.
Liu Chuanjian: AF recruitment elimination rate is very high. We were advocated eight qualities there, top demand. It was very difficult to be recruited. For example, in a province only ten or twenty, the whole recruitment is very low, the elimination rate is very high, the results after the elimination rate is very high, 70% to 80%. Finally, only less 20% of them can really become fighter pilots.
Anchor: But from the fighter pilots to the civil aviation, from the flight technology, is there any difference?
Liu Chuanjian: The basic skills are the same. Civil plane is equipped full automation and you need to follow all SOPs. In the military domain, we have another characteristic, flexible. You need to do everything fast in your own way, from decision and action. Or you will be killed. In air transport, safety come from another fashion. You can’t kill others for your safety. In such a definition, comes the element which we call it as comfort. So, there are some differences in handling.
Anchor: I do my research for this interview. Guys like you are in AF flight academy are well trained with special projects in extreme circumstances.
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, each model will be independent in the expected course, such as what we should do in the course, how we do it. How do we learn it, how do I prepare it before flying.
Anchor: Was it similar to the windshield bursting, has there been such an emergency learning?
Liu Chuanjian: No. I was impressed by the British Airways flight 5390, I saw it several times.
Anchor: The accident in 1990 in England.
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, it was made into a movie. I was very impressed. I had seen it several times.
Narratage: In June 10, 1990, British Airways flight 5390 took off from Birmingham to Mallorca, Spain. During the flight, a windshield flew off suddenly and pulled the captain out of the plane. Later, with the efforts of the FO, the plane landed safely in Southampton, and the captain survived miraculously. In the later decades, the British Airways incident was regarded as a miracle in the history of aviation. However, the plane that Liu Chuanjian was flying was even more dangerous than that of British Airways 5930. In addition to the difference in height and speed, beneath Liu Chuanjian's plane is the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, which stands on the tip of the glacier. Once the conventional operation goes down, it will inevitably hit the iceberg, and the consequences will be disastrous.
Anchor: Can you hear the reaction of passengers behind you in that position? Sounds.
Liu Chuanjian: No, I can't hear anything.
Interviewer: Did you talk to the passengers on the radio?
Liu Chuanjian: I can't make PA.
Anchor: all the equipment is out of order.
Liu Chuanjian: Not malfunction, I just don't know whether existing the failure, because this time the wind, the noise, is in dominant position, I have no any more energy to go, I have no automatic equipment, I want to manipulate the aircraft, I cannot carry out any radio. Finally, because I believe that the cabin crew were well trained, we are professional personnel. They are very good. If they encounter such a situation, they should handle it without problems.
Anchor: That is to say, your duty is to control the aircraft.
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, I think it's my duty to control the plane, not to let the plane fall, and bring the plane into the runway. That's what I thought. I don't even do anything else, but I have to do this (safe landing).
Anchor: But when you report back to the tower, you do not get such a reply. How do you make a decision?
Liu Chuanjian: In this critical time, we needn’t follow such a reply from ATC.
Anchor: Do you decide yourself?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, in case of crisis, we may get nothing from a reply. It is a responsibility given to our captain.
Narratage: Under Liu Chuanjian's control, the windshield burst aircraft continued to fly. Fortunately, twenty or thirty seconds after the windshield burst, Xu Ruichen, the FO who was forced by the strong pressure difference returned to the cockpit.
Anchor: How did he come back?
Liu Chuanjian: After the blasting, pressure difference disappeared. In fact, the wind goes in. If the airstream is going out, he will be kept outside.
Anchor: What kind of cooperation did he have with you after coming back?
Liu Chuanjian: Basically, no cooperation, I was concentrating on controlling the plane at that time, and I basically did not manage him because I could not manage him.

Start Fore

20th May 2018, 12:16

Wow, they're really making a meal out of this aren't they?

Strikes me as a massive attention diversion away from the woeful state of Chinese Aviation TBH.

shimin

20th May 2018, 12:28

Part V: Team work and battle for living
Narratage: After the accident, Liang Peng, the second captain was seating at the cabin, realizing that the plane was in great trouble. He entered the cockpit at once.
Anchor: How long did you get into the cockpit?
Liang Peng: Now I can't remember it exactly. Bi Nan, the chief purser, gave me a gesture.
Anchor: What is her gestures to you?
Liang Peng: She gave me just to mean that she was so worried. What I thought that she was afraid that in this environment, people were very easy to lose consciousness. I was afraid that the two of them were lost in the inside, and I had to get in.
Anchor: Into the cockpit, what do you see?
Liang Peng: Entering the cockpit, the first thing I saw was that the plane was turning, and the below is full of hills.
Anchor: It's all mountain?
Liang Peng: Yes, we are on the mountains. Then I just sit up right now, fasten the seat belt, and I'll get the oxygen mask out immediately, and give it to the captain. I say you wear it, he says he is okay. I say okay and put it on my face, and then take his out for him. The next is because we fly so high in the particular loss of pressure, we need to find out where we should fly and how high we should go and how much the local height. I took out my electronic flight bag and read out of our special procedure for Lhasa, and I show him that we're going to fly to Chongzhou, and we're going the most is the FL220. He said okay. I made plans for him, which means I did the rest of two parts, navigation and communications thus he could keep his full energy and talent on the first thing, aviate.
Anchor: The state of the captain?
Liang Peng: He was flying very attentively and keeping the state of the plane well. That is our main thing.
Narratage: After the loss of pressure on the cockpit, violent winds blow over the flight components control panel. Many of the data and indication that usually be used as a basis for judgment have been destroyed or become impossible to confirm. The FCUs are destroyed, which is the equivalent of a plane from a smart car to a walking tractor. Autopilot is not possible. It must be done manually. Lucky, this is the domain of Captain Liu with experience of flying his military aircraft. It is not a big deal to him.
Anchor: I saw the information that the panel of the flight control units were blown up.
Liu Chuanjian: Opened.
Anchor: What's the impact after being opened?
Liu Chuanjian: A lot of equipment, but I do not know. It may cause fault information, innumerable fault information, so I will tell later, including configuration change and lower the flaps and landing gears… Every time I do an action, I am very entangled. I was afraid that every operation may change the current attitude because of unknown failures. If we cannot control the attitude, all the previous effects are wasted. Every decision and/or action before making, I am very entangled in the mind. This is why I prefer to manual flying. I gave up every available equipment as long as unnecessary and had to use, because there may be some bad consequences, I have no method to assess timely. My principle is “so far so good”. Now I can control the aircraft, but if I do anything more, plane may become uncontrollable. How do I do it? This is why I intertwined here.
Narratage: Flight data showed that at about 07:07 a.m. in May 14, 2018, the flight 3U8633 began to descend from about 32000 feet.
Anchor: What kind of process should it be?
Liu Chuanjian: Faster at the beginning, because I haven't taken over the plane yet. When the aircraft is my control, the plane is in descent at a little bigger speed. At this time the plane is at the attitude just kept. Therefore, the speed is keeping growth, and the throttle is at the powerful position. The aircraft is losing altitude fast. When taking over, I felt the aircraft could be manipulated. What the first thing to do is let it gradually decreasing. I tried my best to control the plane, because the plane was turning on with a bank and going down fast. I looked at my instrument. I was not sure the readout of the speed was true or false. And the speed was increasing, so my next (guessed) action I did was to pull the throttle back to idle position and then manipulate the flying machine.
Anchor: Is this the only choice to this situation?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, the only option is to keep the plane from being further damaged. If our plane loses its attitude, it will keep falling in some cases and then deep stall.
Anchor: Stalling?
Liu Chuanjian: If you are in the incorrect attitude, not in the right one.
Anchor: What about that result?
Liu Chuanjian: My plane dropped directly into the mountains.
Narratage: In the case of gale, loud noise, low temperature and anoxia, Liu Chuanjian's every action in the cockpit is extremely difficult.

Start Fore

20th May 2018, 13:39

Anyone else need a sick bag?

There’s so much back slapping going on here it’s making me feel queasy.

Yes, the captain got the plane down, in much the same manner that any of us professionals would have.

But do we really need to go on, and on, and on about it?

As a daily spectator to the basket case, foolish stupidity, and dangerous ineptitude that is Chinese aviation it’s very, very hard not to be cynical.

My impression is they’re using this rare case of a well-handled emergency to cover up all the other crap that goes on behind the great firewall of China.

The vast majority of cock-ups we don’t hear about, thanks to the stranglehold of social media and freedom of speech.

shimin

20th May 2018, 13:55

Part VI: Why we need the old fashion of aviation, including the three-man crew
Anchor: Now you began to feel the low temperature?
Liu Chuanjian: It's getting cold, finally, my whole body is shaking (due to the cold). My second captain is keeping touch me with his hands, and he is encouraging me. When he touched me, he felt my body shaking. I know he is encouraging me, and I'm telling back him I am not in afraid of but just too cold.
Anchor: But you indeed feel that his way of doing that is a kind of encouragement to you, right?
Liu Chuanjian: It feels like the body is shaking, because it's cold. He stroked me and told me that people would feel better due to be touching. Therefore, he is keeping touch me with his hands.
Anchor: What about the copilot?
Liang Peng: Our copilot was injured; his body was injured. Meanwhile, he had nothing in front of him. He could really do little by that time.
(My understanding: Liang’s means FO couldn’t do any favors from soothe the captain to fly plane due to his conditions)
Anchor: So how do you place a copilot?
Liang Peng: I told him, 7700, I sent him to supervise, I let him have been responsible for 7700 recognition.
Anchor: 7700 talks?
Liang Peng: it's code of 7700. This is one of our transponders, because we didn't have a way to communicate. If the 7700 is keeping sending, the ground could see us, and we let everybody know we are in an emergency. But we were going to have to press it out for a while, let everybody knowing our situation. He was suck out and came back. At that time, he was with a little scared. Thus, one of my work is keeping pacify both of them. Liu was so cold. I kept touching him and touching his arms. I said we were good, we have no problem. One is the heat generated by friction, which is the same way to comfort our copilot. You were no problem. You were problem, too. That's all. That is what I am doing at that time.
Anchor: Is such a situation of the copilot, is there a seat or bunk for him?
Liang Peng: He sit on his seat.
Anchor: Sitting in the FO’s seat.
Liang Peng: Yes. I took the microphone and headphones of the captain side. I am keeping sending to the tower, to the ground for the whole time to report what we are going to do and where we are, but we cannot hear anything.
Anchor: Only be in one way transmission.
Liang Peng: Yes, that's what I call blind send. I express to the tower, what I am going to do now, and the they will do the rest, everything to save us.

Derfred

20th May 2018, 14:18

shimin

20th May 2018, 14:44

From the narrative so far, it appears that the Captain hand-flew the aircraft in a 180 degree turn while descending from FL330 to FL230 without oxygen.

If true, that seems almost unbelievable.

I’ve done a decompression chamber exercise at FL250. I survived less than 3 minutes.

I wonder if he did find the oxy mask at some point. Or maybe the second Captain got his oxy on.
Part V: Team work and battle for living
......
Liang Peng: Yes, we are on the mountains. Then I just sit up right now, fasten the seat belt, and I'll get the oxygen mask out immediately, and give it to the captain. I say you wear it, he says he is okay. I say okay and put it on my face, and then take his out for him.

shimin

20th May 2018, 15:52

Part VII: The critical five minutes
Tower call: 8633 Chengdu, 8633 Chengdu.
Narratage: Meanwhile, Chengdu ATC has not forgotten the 3U8633 flight. The air traffic controller on duty has called 3U8633 for many times, but 3U8633 has not responded. ATC has asked other flights to assist calls and has not had any reply from 3U8633.
Tower call: Please call 8633 in the group, see if you can call it, Sichuan 8633, Chengdu calls you, Sichuas 8633, Chengdu calls you, 8633, Chengdu calls you….
At 7:10 in the morning of May 14, 2018, the radar of the Southwest ATCB showed the 3U8633 flight issued the code A7700. All the duty controllers immediately run into the emergency working state. They commanded the emergency evacuation of the 6 aircraft nearby and made the military coordination. At Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, 8 aircraft towards to the runway immediately stopped taking off and 15 more aircraft on the apron were stopped. All provide the best airspace environment for the emergency landing of 3U8633 flight.
Anchor: How long did it take to control the whole plane to a good state?
Liu Chuanjian: Around five minutes.
Interviewer: What kind of process did you experience in the five minutes?
Liu Chuanjian: Very complex, very complex.
Anchor: Why do you use the word of complex?
Liu Chuanjian: I thought a lot at that time, I really thought a lot.
Anchor: What is the most important to think about?
Liu Chuanjian: For the most time, I am thinking how to keep the plane well in the maximum effect. This is the duty as the captain. Do not let the plane fall, this is the most I think. Then I should try to ensure more people safety. That's what I thought.
Anchor: You mean you were preparing the bad result?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, in fact, there was the idea. I had to prepare the bad side.
Anchor: What did you prepared the worst frightening situation?
Liu Chuanjian: At that time, I was really worried that loss of the plane before I had full control over the plane.
Anchor: If that happens, how can you ensure the safety and possibility to save people?
Liu Chuanjian: If I can't control the aircraft, I will try to do my best for it. If something bad really happens, it can't be imagined today.
Anchor: These five minutes should be a particularly tough in your life.
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, it's very torment. To tell the truth, there are still a lot of entanglements in the process, including the use of some of equipment later, in fact, I am very, very prudence.
Anchor: does prudence mean?
Liu Chuanjian: at that time, we had numerous faults in it, which were actually a very big test for me.
Narratage: At 07:11 in the morning of May 14th, the flight 3U8633 dropped from 32000 feet to 24000 feet.
Anchor: After five minutes, you said that the attitude of the aircraft has entered a relatively stable state. What do you want to do at this time?
Liu Chuanjian: Still operating the aircraft. I can let it go automatically as usual (My word: Liu means he want not to engage the AP). A relaxed aircraft may change a lot.
Anchor: But you realize the safer?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, it's much safer. Once I felt the plane in my hand, it was a lot safer.
Anchor: Dis you have any communication with the FO?
Liu Chuanjian: At that time, I had communication with my second captain. The second captain came in timely, and he told me that the all passengers were safe.
Anchor: Did you hear his words by that time?
Liu Chuanjian: No. Actually, he didn't tell me with voice( due to the heavy wind noise). He gave me with hand language.
Anchor: Gestures?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes.
Anchor: What is this, OK?
Liu Chuanjian: This means our back is OK, that is our slang. The back mean the cabin, the passenger is OK.
Anchor: What is the reaction to your mind?
Liu Chuanjian: More excited. When he told me that fact, I thought I'd have to fly them back today and the idea is getting more firmed.
Anchor: Had that messenger have such a great power for you?
Liu Chuanjian: Most great power. All my career is that. I really do, I know, I know, every flight behind me is the passengers. Flying with them safely is my job. At any time, in any case, to ensure the safety of passengers and the safety of aircraft, as the captain, it is my primary responsibility, and I really do not think other too much. Every time you fly, you put this in front.
Anchor: More than 100 lives behind you.
Liu Chuanjian: Then countless families, and plus the related personnel. Even in the smallest A319, we fly in the three models, A321 may be about more than 190 people. At the most, the 319 model is 132. So, every time I fly, this is the one that emphasizes in my mind, and at any time I want to ensure that in my capacity. I should guarantee the safety of the passengers. This is what I should do. This is the captain's duty, en…it should be.

IFixPlanes

20th May 2018, 16:20

...
Narratage: The windshield of civil aircraft usually has three layers: outer, middle and inner layers, and its toughness and compression capacity are two or three thousand times that of ordinary glass. According to the general theory, even if the inner layer glass is broken, the middle and outer glass can withstand two times the pressure difference.
...
On the installed PN there are only 2 Structural plies - the inner and the middle one:
http://fs1.directupload.net/images/user/180520/c3ocksv3.jpg

JammedStab

20th May 2018, 18:00

The translations by shimin equal some of the best contributions I've read on PPrune. His work is greatly appreciated.

It is appreciated, although I suspect(and what is obvious) there is a little bit of government intervention to publicize a hero. No problem, this is all appreciated and I do thank you but.....Shimen could do us a great favour by digging deep and finding a similar amount of detailed info(or at least some) on the many accident reports that never get published by the People's Republic of China. That would be doing aviation safety a great service. One might start with the Avient or Korean MD-11 crashes.

Much appreciated Shimen, it is always nice to have some insider to get info for us.

shimin

20th May 2018, 23:30

It is appreciated, although I suspect(and what is obvious) there is a little bit of government intervention to publicize a hero. No problem, this is all appreciated and I do thank you but.....Shimen could do us a great favour by digging deep and finding a similar amount of detailed info(or at least some) on the many accident reports that never get published by the People's Republic of China. That would be doing aviation safety a great service. One might start with the Avient or Korean MD-11 crashes.

Much appreciated Shimen, it is always nice to have some insider to get info for us.
In mainland China, every fatal accident, during the period of investigation and after of the investigation, has been disclosed with a lot of information, including the final report. In today's network age, they are easier to get. If you understand Chinese, you can join in local professional websites like PPRuNe, and a lot of professional analysis, cases, magazines, books, seminars and academic papers and everywhere. I have published a lot of my books. I am still a plane spotter. In my earlier post, I provided the info of another incident at PVG, Shanghai. That cargo plane of Zimbabwe MD-11. Like this, a lot of people here were concerned about the flight crew, and I posted the photo of the FO lying in the local hospital and was warned by more following posts that I violated his privacy. So the photo was deleted. This is why I no longer dare to post any photos this time. However, this time, the exactly similar photo of the copilot lying in the hospital is well preserved. This is one thing to be happy. As for the Korean incident you mentioned, it happened two decades years ago with a lot academic articles on that topic. However, you know in that era of paper work without electronics, the dissemination of information is, of course, very difficult. You can visit local library to do your research for that case if you can read Chinese.

shimin

20th May 2018, 23:33

Part VIII: I was there with you
Narratage: Since then, flight 3U8633 continued to decent smoothly, from 9,600 meters to 6,600 meters, to 3,900 meters. 34 minutes after the accident, 3U8633 flight made it safe landing at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport.
Liu Chuanjian: The code of 7700 we sent out was received by ATC and AOC. This signal tells them that the plane is in distress and what the situation is. They turned out all aircraft that affect the route and give us the way. So I'm very grateful to our ATC, some of them in the control department is trying to make way and cooperate with us, because we can't get them, they are quietly working together for us.
Liang Peng: When I lowered down the landing gear, we can see the ground. Once seeing the runway, our minds are really out of afraid. As long as we see the runway, we can fly the plane. It was such a state. So, when we landed, I really relaxed. We two, en…he turned back to me. We looked at each other. No words for that moment for a while, just shook hands and then said, we were still alive.
Liu Chuanjian: I landed the plane and by that moment, with a sigh of relief, I said I was there with you, and we were all alive.
Anchor: Is this the first sentence you said?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes, my first sentence I can hear clearly.
Anchor: How did you see your companion's eyes at that time?
Liu Chuanjian: I think at that time we all relaxed, all relaxed.
Narratage: As the plane descended together, the hearts of passengers had been lifting for a long time, and the cabin, which had been enveloped by fear and depression, regained its vitality.
Bi Nan: I was standing out and in the middle of aisle to made loudly my announcement that now our plane was safe, and we were all safe.
Anchor: do you remember the time when you broadcast the content?
Bi Nan: I told passengers I said, ladies and gentlemen, I am the flight attendant of this flight. I said we were safe. We need not worry.
Anchor: Can you still speak in such a state by that time?
Bi Nan: Yes, because I can't panic. I'm professional.
Anchor: How did the passengers hear these words?
Bi Nan: Applause.

studentpil0t

20th May 2018, 23:58

Hats off to the flight crew. Who said all heros wear capes?!

shimin

21st May 2018, 00:28

(My cut to the end): I believe I can go through it.
Narratage: According to the news conference of Sichuan Airlines, except for the skin scrape of the FO and an attendant's waist injury, and 27 passengers in the hospital had not been significantly abnormal, the rest of the board are total okay in everything. According to the announcement, the Southwest Bureau of Civil Aviation with and Sichuan Supervision Bureau rushed to the scene at the first time to investigate. The investigation included Captain Liu Chuanjian and all crew members.
Anchor: What is the overall arrangement for you?
Liu Chuanjian: We just landed for several days. The officials of the administration and the investigators works with us to investigate the situation. Reflect the situation at the time. We carried out a survey, yesterday, following the day before yesterday,… everyday to me is the full day of investigation.
Anchor: A lot of people are talking about this accident. In the future, there will be safety issues. The public always show a lot of such concerns. Will you concern such an issue a captain?
Liu Chuanjian: Of course, there must be some consequences after the investigation, we have to face to. But (the investigation) has not gotten the conclusion by now, we (crewmembers) cannot consider it in advance. But this will come out someday and somewhere. You are right, indeed.
Anchor: The last question is from my concern. You have gone through such a special accident, what will your personal arrangements be as the accident captain?
Liu Chuanjian: If I can, I want to fly. I would like continue to fly after passing physical examination, physical examination without any abnormal conditions.
Anchor: Do you say that the psychological stability is because there are still some possible emotional fluctuations?
Liu Chuanjian: Yes. aeronautical medicine experts will do something for us, psychological guidance, this kind of things to let us recover into the healthy status. Not only physical health, mental health is also needed.
Anchor: We wish to meet you again in the position of captain!
Liu Chuanjian: No problem. I believe I can go through it.

My few words at the end:
It's only few hours away from my long-haul flight. I have to cut out the rest and rush into the end. I'm sorry again for having not much time to sort out the contents very well. Another reason is that it is too long to read within one post. So, I broke up ten paragraphs. The title was also named by myself, not the original one.
I want to reiterate that in this professional forum, my purpose is to share info and fact with the whole aviation industry. As for my translation, there are various problems and/or mistakes for various reasons. However, this does not impair the constructive discussion.
One of my personal interests is that when most people think that high altitude hypoxia will be fatal, Liu's experience is opposite to that. My personal understanding is that the high-speed impact air greatly enhances the air density of the cockpit, of course, including the increase of oxygen. This is a particularly interesting discovery to me. I will work with my colleagues, aeronautical medics and flight control experts to study these interesting topics with accident data collected. We expect that we will find something, and then prove something, for our safer air travel.

JammedStab

21st May 2018, 16:18

In mainland China, every fatal accident, during the period of investigation and after of the investigation, has been disclosed with a lot of information, including the final report. In today's network age, they are easier to get.

Wonderful..the openness that you seem to imply is greatly appreciated. Please provide a link to some of the official accident reports. It is nice having someone on here that can provide this information.

Waiting for the link.........waiting........waiting.

updated two weeks later: hmmmm.......shimin has disappeard. Back to planning the next government propoganda exercise I suppose.

brak

21st May 2018, 22:19

Wonderful..the openness that you seem to imply is greatly appreciated. Please provide a link to some of the official accident reports. It is nice having someone on here that can provide this information.

Waiting for the link.........waiting........waiting

If it's anywhere, it would be here: ???????????? (http://safety.caac.gov.cn/index/initpage.act)
I am not able to find any actual accident reports, however.

pineteam

22nd May 2018, 00:38

Communication with ATC with english subtitles:
https://youtu.be/WFXTutGw30s

DaveReidUK

22nd May 2018, 06:33

Communication with ATC with english subtitles:

Appears to consist mostly of failed attempts to establish contact with the flight in question following the windscreen event ...

413X3

22nd May 2018, 21:25

Communication with ATC with english subtitles:
https://youtu.be/WFXTutGw30s

liveatc.com for the audio? what station feed is that from? liveatc has no feed near.
atc audio must have been recorded by someone else

pineteam

23rd May 2018, 01:48

I have no clue man. I just found that on YouTube and found it interesting enough to share.

JammedStab

2nd Jun 2018, 22:15

Part of the government sponsored propoganda, I should think. shimin released all this info and now perhaps, the only ATC audio tape ever to come out of China. Unfortunately, it does not appear that the accident reports that I requested will appear any time soon. Only carefully cultivated positive info.

Not to take away from the crew. Congrats for getting the aircraft safely down.

tonytales

3rd Jun 2018, 03:15

I agree that the performance of the flight and cabin crew after the blowout was amazing and I have the deepest respect for their performance. I truly hope the F/O regains his hearing.
However, having fussed with transport windshields for many years and ridden on jump seats staring out them, it is inconceivable to me that a windshield could fail in this manner. The loss of the BAC 1-11 Captain's windshield was a failure of the retention frame of the aircraft holding the windshield due to improper installation. This one was a transparency failure. Was there any indication of windshield overheat? Even that should not fail it. They are designed to resist fairly large bird strikes. Truly a puzzle.
The Airbus A320 series has a long history so it can't be a design failure. It would have shown up years ago. Anyone have any ideas?

framer

4th Jun 2018, 00:23

Is there a chance a windshield could be ‘bogus parts’?
The outfit I was with in the mid nineties had trouble with bogus parts, they came complete with paperwork etc.

IFixPlanes

4th Jun 2018, 04:37

Is there a chance a windshield could be ‘bogus parts’?
Windshield was installed during production.
Part- and Serialnumber known so the history is traceable.

tonytales

4th Jun 2018, 05:50

The possibility of a bogus part had occurred to me but a windshield would be a tough part to duplicate. I noticed, on re-reading previous posts that I had missed that the windshield had cracked with a very loud noise prior to its total failure. Years back I was overseeing an installation of a new F/O windshield on an L-1011. The mechanic was engaged in torqueing the retainer screws when he slipped a bit and lost his grip on the torque wrench. The pointy drive bit hit the very edge of the glass scratch shield that overlays the entire outer face. It is a very thin, tempered glass sheet that actually is bent and glued down to the curved windshield. It chipped the edge. That thin panel went into bits of glass with a noise that was a loud as a pistol shot. That glass layer played no part in the strength of the windshield. Its only function was to prevent erosions or scratching of the softer (relatively) layer under it.
I have seen cracked laminations in windshields but none of them failed catastrophically. I have seen the results when the internal heating layer failed and left burns an delamination inside but again, no blow-outs. This is a very puzzling failure and I am sure that certain companies are losing some sleep over it.

Piper_Driver

10th Jun 2018, 20:06

Looks like China rewards it's pilots when they do a great job under difficult circumstances. Captain Liu Chuanjian was just awarded $777,000 for his actions.

Pilot who landed plane after co-pilot was 'sucked halfway' out cockpit window awarded $777G | Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/06/10/pilot-who-landed-plane-after-co-pilot-was-sucked-halfway-out-cockpit-window-awarded-777k.html)

TURIN

10th Jun 2018, 20:35

The loss of the BAC 1-11 Captain's windshield was a failure of the retention frame of the aircraft holding the windshield due to improper installation.

Not quite, incorrect bolts were fitted. right length, wrong thread.

megan

11th Jun 2018, 23:36

6 bolts were the correct diameter but 0.1 inch too short, while 84 bolts were of the wrong diameter (0.026 undersize).

Kaylock floating anchor nuts are attached to the airframe and are elliptical in shape prior to insertion of the bolt. The nut shape permitted sufficient grip for the reduced diameter bolts to be torqued to the correct value, but insufficient grip to retain the bolts against pressurisation forces.

Lonewolf_50

9th Jun 2020, 01:22

Have heard that the final report is out, but sadly for me, don't speak Chinese.
Anyone seen it?

janrein

10th Jun 2020, 02:05

Have heard that the final report is out, but sadly for me, don't speak Chinese.
Anyone seen it?

https://safety.caac.gov.cn/index/download.act?checkSum=476b398b2566a79925725841d65c2b70&fileName=SWCAAC-SIR-2018-1_%25E6%259C%2580%25E7%25BB%2588%25E6%258A%25A5%25E5%2591%25 8A_%25E6%25AD%25A3%25E6%2596%2587.pdf

Taken from ASN
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=211013

The report mostly in chinese ...

At least there are pictures and some limited english text to go by.

jr

compressor stall

10th Jun 2020, 09:02

Yes, the Windshield anti ice was the cause.

Apparently the curtains in business class exited the front windscreen. And DC 1 and 2 failure mixed in.

MSA was rather high - I seem to remember it started with a 2...

A bad day at the office very well handled.

edit. They didn’t put in the pic of remnants the FOs tie, but the pic of the shirt makes up for it! (P26).
there are some good diagrams and graphs that tell a lot that are labelled in English.

OPENDOOR

10th Jun 2020, 10:15

One of my personal interests is that when most people think that high altitude hypoxia will be fatal, Liu's experience is opposite to that. My personal understanding is that the high-speed impact air greatly enhances the air density of the cockpit, of course, including the increase of oxygen. This is a particularly interesting discovery to me. I will work with my colleagues, aeronautical medics and flight control experts to study these interesting topics with accident data collected. We expect that we will find something, and then prove something, for our safer air travel.

I had just been wondering if the ram air entering the cockpit had increased the cabin pressure enabling the pilot to continue without supplemental oxygen for longer.

hoss183

10th Jun 2020, 10:20

Interesting to note there are no bolt holes (a-la BAC1-11) and the window seems to fit from the outside i.e not plug, so its just bonded with pressure working against it!?

BDAttitude

10th Jun 2020, 11:13

I had just been wondering if the ram air entering the cockpit had increased the cabin pressure enabling the pilot to continue without supplemental oxygen for longer.
If my interpretation of figure 83 is correct, the additional (dynamic) pressure was 6 kPa - standard MSL pressure beeing 101,315 kPa in SI units ;).

compressor stall

10th Jun 2020, 11:19

Courtesy of google translate.

1. Facts
1.1 Flight past [1]
On May 14, 2018, Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Sichuan Airlines) Airbus A319-133/B-6419 performed Chongqing-Lhasa flight 3U8633. There are 3 flight crew members (responsible captain, second captain, first officer), 5 crew members, 1 safety officer and 119 passengers.
At 06:27:18 (Beijing time, the same below), the plane took off from Chongqing Jiangbei Airport. The left captain Liu XX served as the PF, the right seat co-pilot Xu XX served as the PM, and the second captain Liang X sat in the observer position. Entering the cruise stage, the second captain Liang X is the third member in the cabin 1F seat.
At 06:56:46, the plane rose to a cruising altitude of 9800m (32100ft) and held it. At 07:06:47, it flew over MIKOS on route B213, with a cabin height of 6272ft. 07:07:05, flew to 2.2km west of MIKOS on the B213 route, cockpit
At a height of 6272ft, there was a muffled noise in the CVR. The crew found a radial mesh crack on the right windshield. The crew described it as "very broken, very flowery, all cracked" afterwards.
At 07:07:06, the co-pilot said "the windshield was cracked".
At 07:07:06, the message “ANTI ICE R WINDSHIELD” appears in ECAM. 07:07:07, the right windshield heating function is disabled (the right windshield is triggered in DAR
Of the logical value).
07:07:10, the second "Bang" sound appeared in the CVR. 07:07:11, the captain said "I operate". 07:07:19, the crew sent to the Chengdu Regional Control Center (hereinafter referred to as "regional management")
Report aircraft failure, apply for lower altitude, maintain 8400m under the command of district management, the crew follows
After applying for a return flight, it was reported that the windshield was cracked and it was decided to alternate to Chengdu. 07:07:42, the cabin pressure difference is 7.688psi.
[2]
07:07:45, the cockpit height is 6256ft. A muffled "boom" sound appeared in the CVR, followed by continuous noise in the CVR, which continued until the aircraft landed. The DC bus bar DC BUS 1/DC BUS 2 is powered off, the load of the No. 2 engine generator becomes 0 (07:30:38 recovery), the left windshield and the left and right side window heating failure, the automatic brake system fails, and the flight guide 2 is broken On, SEC2 and SEC3 are faulty, and the spoilers No.1, No.2 and No.5 are faulty.
07:07:46, the cabin pressure difference is 7.688psi [3]. Autopilot (AP) is disconnected. The captain manually operated the aircraft and began to descend. The plane turned right and then left.
07:07:48, the automatic thrust is disconnected.
07:07:50, the standard pressure for flight altitude is 31864ft, the cockpit height is 24320ft, and the cabin pressure difference is 0.922psi. ECAM's cockpit altitude warning appears for the first time (until 07:29:39). The ECAM electrical system page pops up and the ELAC1 roll channel is faulty (continues until the end of the flight).
07:08:09, flight altitude standard pressure 31664ft, cockpit height 24362ft, maximum gradient (left) 51.7°.
At 07:08:14, the standard pressure of the flight altitude is 31512ft; the cockpit height is 26368ft. At this time, the cockpit height reaches the highest in the whole journey, and then it gradually decreases. The cockpit pressure differential is 0.578 psi. ELAC2 The pitch and roll channels are invalid, and the pitch control enters the standby rule.
From 07:08:17 to 07:17:08, the district manager continuously called the crew through various means, but no response was received.
07:08:46, the flight altitude standard pressure is 30876ft.From 07:08:46 to 07:09:15, 07:09:18 to 07:09:41, DAR records that there are inputs on both the left and right side bars (intermittently triggers double operation warnings). 07:09:26, the maximum descent rate is 10279ft/min; 07:09:47, the maximum table speed is 349 knots.
At 07:09:57, the aircraft altitude was 24072ft, and the descent rate was less than 100ft/min for the first time. Until 07:16:39, the aircraft altitude remained above 23600ft.
At 07:10:39, the ATC radar showed that the aircraft transponder code was set to 7700.
At 07:10:57, for the first time in the CVR, the breathing sound of the crew (first officer) wearing an oxygen mask [4].
After entering the cockpit, the second captain used his EFB [5] to query information such as aeronautical charts. At 07:14:25, the MCDU flight plan was changed to direct flight to Chongzhou (CZH). At 07:16:40, the flight altitude began to fall below 23600ft and continued to decline. At 07:17:09, the district manager continuously called the crew, but no response was received.
Blindly send the crew “contact approach 124.85 if heard”.
At 07:19:25 and 07:19:32, the crew announced MAYDAY twice in the district management frequency. District management responded, but CVR and ATC recordings were not recognized
The crew's acceptance of the control instructions.
07:19:56, the aircraft is located on the west side of CZH at 8.9NM, and the altitude is starting to fall below the standard
The altitude of air pressure is 6000m[6].
At 07:20:17, the crew reported a cabin pressure loss. 07:20:26, the crew reported again: "The cabin is depressurized, and it is now flying towards Chongzhou
4200m".
At 07:20:44, the district management command fell to 3600m to maintain, the crew did not respond. At 07:22:36, the aircraft was located 2.7NM west of CZH, and the altitude began to fall below
4800m[7].
At 07:24:20, the crew was in the Chengdu terminal control room (hereinafter referred to as the "approach" frequency report Mayday), and is now hovering below Chongzhou altitude.
At 07:24:32, the approach replied: "Yes, the current position continues to circle right down to the height, down to the corrected sea pressure of 2700m, and the corrected sea pressure of 1004".
At 07:27:39, the cockpit height began to fall below 10000ft. 07:28:33, the flap handle is set to 1. 07:28:48, the landing gear handle is set in the down position. 07:29:20, the flap handle is set to 2.
07:29:39, the cockpit height is 8928ft, and the cockpit height warning disappears. 07:30:14, approach call "3U8633, now using the runway... available
02...".
At 07:30:17, the crew blindly issued "turn left 02R[8] to land". 07:34:42, the APU main switch is turned on (the APU is unavailable due to power failure). 07:35:46, the flap handle is set to 3 positions. 07:37:32, the approach command "can land on runway 02R, wind direction 250, 2m/s,
RVR is greater than 2000m".
07:37:45, the crew reported "Tower, 8633 02R landed, occupied runway" (ATC
Not heard in the recording).
07:41:05, 3U8633 uses flaps 3 to land on runway 02R of Chengdu Shuangliu Airport
Ground.
At 07:43:07, the plane finally stopped at the junction of E8 and 02R. 07:44:06, 3U8633 established contact with the tower, the crew reported that they could not autonomously slide
Yes, the crew and flight attendants were injured.

compressor stall

10th Jun 2020, 11:29

1.9.1 Personal injury situation After the windshield fell off, there was an explosive cabin pressure loss.
After the leakage air is taken away from the seat, it returns to the cockpit seat by its own power. During this period, the first officer's body was bruised or scratched by hard objects such as cockpit instruments and windshield frames, and the body was pulled by the seat belt. After diagnosis, the first officer's right eye contusion, left upper arm skin contusion, right calf back scratch, bilateral groin contusion, was discharged on May 21, 2018

At the time of the incident, flight attendant No. 5 was serving a meal at the 22nd row, and was thrown up due to the drastic change in the aircraft's attitude, causing a waist injury. After being diagnosed, the flight attendant suffered from multiple traumas throughout the body and a L1 compression fracture of the lumbar spine. He was discharged on May 28, 2018.

compressor stall

10th Jun 2020, 11:30

I had just been wondering if the ram air entering the cockpit had increased the cabin pressure enabling the pilot to continue without supplemental oxygen for longer.

There's a bunch of stuff in there on CFD computer modelling post windscreen loss if you want to copy and paste it into google translate.

FlightDetent

10th Jun 2020, 12:26

In addition to the official and factual report of events: ....
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10218664/

Viewer beware, Chinese pilots facepalm when asked their opinion.

Lord Farringdon

12th Jun 2020, 05:09

In addition to the official and factual report of events: ....
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10218664/

Viewer beware, Chinese pilots facepalm when asked their opinion.

Couldn't be any worse that the US 2012 film 'Flight', could it?

I have read the complete thread including the dispersions that may have been cast on Shimin's role in assisting the Chinese propaganda machine. I have no knowledge of Chinese civil aviation operations so couldn't comment but if the Chinese wanted to offset a perception of ineptitude that some might harbour, then they couldn't have picked a better event to hold up as a candle. Regardless of what is and what is not propaganda, I think it can be reasonably accepted without question that the FO's window completely departed the airframe, partially sucking him out and that despite the ensuing decompression, damage to systems, untrustworthy information, no comms, high terrain, intense noise, cold and buffeting wind pressure on the body, the Captain hand flew the airplane and with some navigation (and O2) assistance from the second Captain, brought the flight to a safe landing. Well done the Captain and crew as a whole.

Just an observation that there must have been a hell of lot of visual and aural warnings going off but I suppose none of them could be heard in the cacophony. That might have been a blessing in disguise!

This was effective seat of the pants flying. We discuss in so many threads about automation, Children of Magenta, experience necessary to land as a single pilot in a pilot incapacitation scenario etc, etc. But the reality is that this guy had a piece of broken aluminium strapped to him with a bunch of warm furry bodies clinging to it down back, and was served up a dogs bollocks for breakfast that morning. He had one job. Fly the damned POS airplane, no matter what condition it is in, no matter what else is happening around him, and no matter what all his senses are trying to tell him, no matter what SOP's said. He didn't go for the QRH. Probably got sucked out the window anyway!! . He is the only person in the world who with a bit of luck (good wx, daylight ops, and the aircraft not breaking up or departing the flight regime due to possible unknown flap system damage) could make this a successful outcome and used all his piloting skills to do it.

No two events are the same, no matter how similar they may seem but I guess we don't have to look too far to find perfectly serviceable aircraft lost with all lives on board when all that was needed was this guy or someone like him in any one of of those two seats up front. How do we get back to that position?