Ash clouds threaten air traffic
from the engine standpoint
We do have some knowledge about volcanic ash and commercial flights. Most notably Mt Pinatuba. Most of the data is known only to the affected airlines and is maintainence related. This data is valuable in deciding how much commercial pressure they can tolerate vs increased maintainence costs.
Examples of these impacts are sand blasting effects on the Fan & compressors, Blockage effects on cooling holes in the turbine and grit in the oil system. None of these maintainence issues have affected the safety of the aircraft (data based) and have been detectable by increased fleet monitoring (costly -yes, but grounding aircraft is worse).
The issues above are airline specific in their decision making.
The safety issues are single flight risks while you are airborne. Thankfully the data is sparse but it does relate to specfic instances that must be avoided or accomodated by altering the aircrafts performance (engines and systems). The idea behind the shutdown of airspace is to minimize such specific issues (you can never eliminate them so you must have procedures at the ready should you encounter them)
Somewhere along the line a decision will be made when it is likely that encountering the severe cases that affect safety of the flight are minimized to something less than the historical data (the Eric Moody type encounters).
I still vote for test flights sooner than later. and a data based risk management approach.
We do have some knowledge about volcanic ash and commercial flights. Most notably Mt Pinatuba. Most of the data is known only to the affected airlines and is maintainence related. This data is valuable in deciding how much commercial pressure they can tolerate vs increased maintainence costs.
Examples of these impacts are sand blasting effects on the Fan & compressors, Blockage effects on cooling holes in the turbine and grit in the oil system. None of these maintainence issues have affected the safety of the aircraft (data based) and have been detectable by increased fleet monitoring (costly -yes, but grounding aircraft is worse).
The issues above are airline specific in their decision making.
The safety issues are single flight risks while you are airborne. Thankfully the data is sparse but it does relate to specfic instances that must be avoided or accomodated by altering the aircrafts performance (engines and systems). The idea behind the shutdown of airspace is to minimize such specific issues (you can never eliminate them so you must have procedures at the ready should you encounter them)
Somewhere along the line a decision will be made when it is likely that encountering the severe cases that affect safety of the flight are minimized to something less than the historical data (the Eric Moody type encounters).
I still vote for test flights sooner than later. and a data based risk management approach.
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Damage to FAF Hornet Engines
According to the FAF HQ two F/A-18 planes practising Air-to-air yesterday suffered engine damage due to ingested volcanic ash, and requiring engine change:
In Finnish:
Tuhkahiukkasista konkreettista vaaraa lentoturvallisuudelle Suomen ilmatilassa
Ilmavoimat on tutkinut torstain ja perjantain aikana Lapin Lennoston F-18 Hornet hävittäjiä, jotka lensivät torstaiaamuna harjoituslentoja Pohjois-Suomen ilmatilassa. Vielä tuolloin ilmatila oli yleisessä käytössä.
Koneiden tultua laskuun koneet tarkastettiin ja moottoreiden imuaukoissa havaittiin perunajauhomaista vulkaanista tuhkapölyä. Yhden Hornetin toinen moottori on tähystetty fiberoskooppikameralla. Kuvien perusteella havaittiin, että jo lyhytkestoinen lentäminen tuhkapölyssä saattaa aiheuttaa merkittäviä vauriota lentokoneen moottorille.
Kuvat osoittavat moottorin sisään kertyneen tuhkan sulaneen polttokammion lämmössä, noin 1000 asteen kuumuudessa. Sulavan tuhkan aiheuttama jäähdytysilmakanavia tukkiva vaikutus johtaa moottorin osien ylikuumenemiseen ja materiaalin heikkenemiseen. Materiaalin heikkeneminen aiheuttaa riskin moottorin pyörivien osien säröytymiseen ja pahimmassa tapauksessa osien irtoamiseen ja moottorin tuhoutumiseen.
Tuhka-altistuksen saaneet Hornetit tarkastetaan perusteellisesti. Ainakin osa moottoreista joudutaan irrottamaan ja toimittamaan jatkotutkimuksiin Patrian moottorihuoltoon. Moottorit, joissa havaitaan merkkejä tuhkapölyn vaikutuksesta puretaan vaurioiden laajuuden määrittämiseksi. Samalla selvitetään esimerkiksi onko tuhka tukkinut jäähdytysilmakanavia.
*Operatiiviset lennot
hoidetaan edelleen normaalisti*
Tuhkapilvestä huolimatta Ilmavoimat pitää Suomen ilmatilan sulkemisen ajan valmiudessa Hawk -suihkuharjoitushävittäjää, joka on varustettu näytteenottosäiliöllä. Kone lähtee lennolle, mikäli siviiliviranomaiset näkevät virka-avun tarpeelliseksi.
Koneen keräämän tiedon perusteella voidaan päätellä, kuinka paljon tuhkapölyä on ilmassa. Tulokset toimitetaan siviiliviranomaiselle, joka tekee eri lähteistä koottavan tiedon perusteella päätöksen Suomen ilmatilan käytöstä.
Näytteenottokone lentää eri korkeuksilla ja kerää säiliön suodattimeen hiukkasnäytteitä. Koneen tultua laskuun näytesäiliöt toimitetaan tutkittavaksi Puolustusvoimien Teknilliseen Tutkimuslaitokseen Lakialaan. Tulos valmistuu noin kahdessa tunnissa, jonka jälkeen se toimitetaan Finavialle. Tarvittaessa lentäjät raportoivat silmin nähtävistä havainnoista reaaliajassa. Näytteenottokonetta operoi Kauhavan Lentosotakoulun henkilöstö.
Tuhkapölystä huolimatta ilmavoimat lentää normaalisti operatiiviset lennot, kuten alueellisen koskemattomuuden turvaamiseen liittyvät tehtävät.
Puolustusvoimat, Försvarsmakten, the Finnish Defence Forces.
My translation:
16.04.2010 13:03
Ash particles a significant threat to aviation safety in Finnish Airspace.
The Air Force has investigated during thursday and friday the Lappland Wing F-18 Hornet fighters which were excuting training flights during thursday morning in Northern-Finnish airspace.
At that time the air space was still in general use.
After the planes landed they were inspected, and the engine intakes were found to be covered with "potato-flour" - like volcanic ash dust. One engine of one of the Hornets has been inspected with fiberoscope (boroscope?). Based on the pictures
it was established that even a short period flight in volcanic ash may cause significant
damage to the engine.
The photos indicate that the ingested ash had melted in the heat of the combustion chamber at the temperature of around 1000 degrees C. The effect of melting ash blocking cooling channels in the engine will lead to overheating of engine parts and
deterioration of material strength, and in the worst case, disintegration of components and destruction of the engine.
The Hornets subjected to volcanic ash will be checked substantially. At least some of the engines must be taken out and subjected to further investigation at Patria engine maintenance facility. Those engines which demonstrate signs of ash ingestion effects will be dismantled to determine the full effect of damages. At the same time the ash effects to the engine cooling passages will be determined.
The operative flights will be carried out routinely (ie. identification flights etc.)
Despite the ashcloud the Finnish Air Force continues to keep one Hawk jet-trainer with air-sampling equipment in full preparedness. The plane will fly when the appropriate civilian authorities determine that the flight is necessary.
Based on the information gathered by the aircraft the amount of ash in the atmosphere can be inferred. The results are forwarded to the civilian officials, who
determine the availability to the Finnish air space through different other sources.
The sampling plane will fly at varying altudes and collect particle samples in the container. After landing tha samples will be forwarded to the Defence Forces Technical Reseach Center at Lakiala. The results will be available in about two hours, after which they will be made available to Finavia. If necessary, the aircrew will report visual observations in real time. The atmospheric sampling aircraft is operated by the staffa at Kauhala air base.
In Finnish:
Tuhkahiukkasista konkreettista vaaraa lentoturvallisuudelle Suomen ilmatilassa
Ilmavoimat on tutkinut torstain ja perjantain aikana Lapin Lennoston F-18 Hornet hävittäjiä, jotka lensivät torstaiaamuna harjoituslentoja Pohjois-Suomen ilmatilassa. Vielä tuolloin ilmatila oli yleisessä käytössä.
Koneiden tultua laskuun koneet tarkastettiin ja moottoreiden imuaukoissa havaittiin perunajauhomaista vulkaanista tuhkapölyä. Yhden Hornetin toinen moottori on tähystetty fiberoskooppikameralla. Kuvien perusteella havaittiin, että jo lyhytkestoinen lentäminen tuhkapölyssä saattaa aiheuttaa merkittäviä vauriota lentokoneen moottorille.
Kuvat osoittavat moottorin sisään kertyneen tuhkan sulaneen polttokammion lämmössä, noin 1000 asteen kuumuudessa. Sulavan tuhkan aiheuttama jäähdytysilmakanavia tukkiva vaikutus johtaa moottorin osien ylikuumenemiseen ja materiaalin heikkenemiseen. Materiaalin heikkeneminen aiheuttaa riskin moottorin pyörivien osien säröytymiseen ja pahimmassa tapauksessa osien irtoamiseen ja moottorin tuhoutumiseen.
Tuhka-altistuksen saaneet Hornetit tarkastetaan perusteellisesti. Ainakin osa moottoreista joudutaan irrottamaan ja toimittamaan jatkotutkimuksiin Patrian moottorihuoltoon. Moottorit, joissa havaitaan merkkejä tuhkapölyn vaikutuksesta puretaan vaurioiden laajuuden määrittämiseksi. Samalla selvitetään esimerkiksi onko tuhka tukkinut jäähdytysilmakanavia.
*Operatiiviset lennot
hoidetaan edelleen normaalisti*
Tuhkapilvestä huolimatta Ilmavoimat pitää Suomen ilmatilan sulkemisen ajan valmiudessa Hawk -suihkuharjoitushävittäjää, joka on varustettu näytteenottosäiliöllä. Kone lähtee lennolle, mikäli siviiliviranomaiset näkevät virka-avun tarpeelliseksi.
Koneen keräämän tiedon perusteella voidaan päätellä, kuinka paljon tuhkapölyä on ilmassa. Tulokset toimitetaan siviiliviranomaiselle, joka tekee eri lähteistä koottavan tiedon perusteella päätöksen Suomen ilmatilan käytöstä.
Näytteenottokone lentää eri korkeuksilla ja kerää säiliön suodattimeen hiukkasnäytteitä. Koneen tultua laskuun näytesäiliöt toimitetaan tutkittavaksi Puolustusvoimien Teknilliseen Tutkimuslaitokseen Lakialaan. Tulos valmistuu noin kahdessa tunnissa, jonka jälkeen se toimitetaan Finavialle. Tarvittaessa lentäjät raportoivat silmin nähtävistä havainnoista reaaliajassa. Näytteenottokonetta operoi Kauhavan Lentosotakoulun henkilöstö.
Tuhkapölystä huolimatta ilmavoimat lentää normaalisti operatiiviset lennot, kuten alueellisen koskemattomuuden turvaamiseen liittyvät tehtävät.
Puolustusvoimat, Försvarsmakten, the Finnish Defence Forces.
16.04.2010 13:03
Ash particles a significant threat to aviation safety in Finnish Airspace.
The Air Force has investigated during thursday and friday the Lappland Wing F-18 Hornet fighters which were excuting training flights during thursday morning in Northern-Finnish airspace.
At that time the air space was still in general use.
After the planes landed they were inspected, and the engine intakes were found to be covered with "potato-flour" - like volcanic ash dust. One engine of one of the Hornets has been inspected with fiberoscope (boroscope?). Based on the pictures
it was established that even a short period flight in volcanic ash may cause significant
damage to the engine.
The photos indicate that the ingested ash had melted in the heat of the combustion chamber at the temperature of around 1000 degrees C. The effect of melting ash blocking cooling channels in the engine will lead to overheating of engine parts and
deterioration of material strength, and in the worst case, disintegration of components and destruction of the engine.
The Hornets subjected to volcanic ash will be checked substantially. At least some of the engines must be taken out and subjected to further investigation at Patria engine maintenance facility. Those engines which demonstrate signs of ash ingestion effects will be dismantled to determine the full effect of damages. At the same time the ash effects to the engine cooling passages will be determined.
The operative flights will be carried out routinely (ie. identification flights etc.)
Despite the ashcloud the Finnish Air Force continues to keep one Hawk jet-trainer with air-sampling equipment in full preparedness. The plane will fly when the appropriate civilian authorities determine that the flight is necessary.
Based on the information gathered by the aircraft the amount of ash in the atmosphere can be inferred. The results are forwarded to the civilian officials, who
determine the availability to the Finnish air space through different other sources.
The sampling plane will fly at varying altudes and collect particle samples in the container. After landing tha samples will be forwarded to the Defence Forces Technical Reseach Center at Lakiala. The results will be available in about two hours, after which they will be made available to Finavia. If necessary, the aircrew will report visual observations in real time. The atmospheric sampling aircraft is operated by the staffa at Kauhala air base.
Quickest way to the sun
Judging from this, it looks as if the best route today and tomorrow is to start from GLA, PIK or BFS, and then route via N55/W25 to N40/W25.
From there, the Midi and the Med are your oyster.
Makes that old French-ATC-Strike routing (via 8 West) look comparitively direct!
Quite how you get to the departure airfield is another (expensive?) matter...
From there, the Midi and the Med are your oyster.
Makes that old French-ATC-Strike routing (via 8 West) look comparitively direct!
Quite how you get to the departure airfield is another (expensive?) matter...
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Just posted on monarch website
Please note that due to the current uncertainty around when airspace over the UK and Northern Europe will open, no Monarch scheduled flights departing before 23.59 on Monday 19 April will be avilable to book.
Please note that due to the current uncertainty around when airspace over the UK and Northern Europe will open, no Monarch scheduled flights departing before 23.59 on Monday 19 April will be avilable to book.
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Eurocontrol briefing
On sky news just, an update by Eurocontrol - and not an optimistic one either, update on 0700 sat airspace clearance will be given at 20.30, said Joe Sultana, Airspace, Network Planning & Navigation (APN). "Prospects are not good" said he.
Given the predicted winds, jetstream, continuing eruptions etc, this affair is FAR from over. Middle / end of next week probably.
Never mind, soon be summer and pissing down every day, so enjoy the (hazy) sun.
Wonder if Joe Sultana is a PPRuNe'r ???!!!
EUROCONTROL - Who's Who
Lid
Given the predicted winds, jetstream, continuing eruptions etc, this affair is FAR from over. Middle / end of next week probably.
Never mind, soon be summer and pissing down every day, so enjoy the (hazy) sun.
Wonder if Joe Sultana is a PPRuNe'r ???!!!
EUROCONTROL - Who's Who
Lid
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So on the basis of one event recorded in detail by NASA, we are grounding the whole of Western Europe's aviation? That's a rather limited data set to destroy the industry with eh?
Ut Sementem Feeceris
Ok........ so who's going to be happy perhaps writing off a couple of $x million engines? What about pitot/static air data problems?
Back to the drawing board I think.
A4
Back to the drawing board I think.
A4
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And exactly how do you stop the ash getting into the wind milling engines? Are you sure they would re-light?
who wants to possibly wreck 10 to 15 million in engines, not to mention the mess if it all goes completely wrong?
who wants to possibly wreck 10 to 15 million in engines, not to mention the mess if it all goes completely wrong?
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Thanks. To help Right Engine expand his (obviously limited) knowledge, here is more flight safety reference to serious encounters with volcanic ash clouds:
ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-236B G-BDXH Jakarta
ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-406 PH-BFC Anchorage, AK
Cheers
ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-236B G-BDXH Jakarta
ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-406 PH-BFC Anchorage, AK
Cheers
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Don't need to fly to study ash effect on a running/wind milling engine. All can be done in a lab, even with real ash from a volcano. Put the ash into a sandblast machine, start the engine on a stand, put tons of test equipment around, and test it as much as you wish.
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(1) Switzerland (2) Health
Switzerland will close its airspace around midnight (24h00 GMT +2) Friday 16 April 2010 until Saturday 17 April 2010 at 09h00 (GMT +2)
Source:
OFAC - Nuage de cendres: l'espace aérien suisse temporairement fermé par mesure de sécurité [in French]
BAZL - Aschenwolke: Schweizer Luftraum aus Sicherheitsgrnden vorbergehend geschlossen [in German]
Other information:
Volcanic Ash and Health
- Reuters/World Health Organization (WHO): Eruption may hurt people with breathing problems: WHO | Reuters
- WHO 2008 article on air quality and health: WHO | Air quality and health
Source:
OFAC - Nuage de cendres: l'espace aérien suisse temporairement fermé par mesure de sécurité [in French]
BAZL - Aschenwolke: Schweizer Luftraum aus Sicherheitsgrnden vorbergehend geschlossen [in German]
Other information:
Volcanic Ash and Health
- Reuters/World Health Organization (WHO): Eruption may hurt people with breathing problems: WHO | Reuters
- WHO 2008 article on air quality and health: WHO | Air quality and health
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NASA DC8 in 2000
Nice one Fouga:
"In the early morning hours of February 28, 2000, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) DC-8 Airborne Sciences research airplane inadvertently flew through a diffuse plume of
volcanic ash from the Mt. Hekla volcano. There were no indications to the flight crew, but sensitive
onboard instruments detected the 35-hr-old ash plume. Upon landing there was no visible damage to the
airplane or engine first-stage fan blades; later borescope inspection of the engines revealed clogged
turbine cooling air passages. The engines were removed and overhauled at a cost of $3.2 million. Satellite
data analysis of the volcanic ash plume trajectory indicated the ash plume had been transported further
north than predicted by atmospheric effects. Analysis of the ash particles collected in cabin air heat
exchanger filters showed strong evidence of volcanic ash, most of which may have been ice-coated (and
therefore less damaging to the airplane) at the time of the encounter. Engine operating temperatures at the
time of the encounter were sufficiently high to cause melting and fusing of ash on and inside
high-pressure turbine blade cooling passages. There was no evidence of engine damage in the engine
trending results, but some of the turbine blades had been operating partially uncooled and may have had a
remaining lifetime of as little as 100 hr. There are currently no fully reliable methods available to flight
crews to detect the presence of a diffuse, yet potentially damaging volcanic ash cloud."
"In the early morning hours of February 28, 2000, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) DC-8 Airborne Sciences research airplane inadvertently flew through a diffuse plume of
volcanic ash from the Mt. Hekla volcano. There were no indications to the flight crew, but sensitive
onboard instruments detected the 35-hr-old ash plume. Upon landing there was no visible damage to the
airplane or engine first-stage fan blades; later borescope inspection of the engines revealed clogged
turbine cooling air passages. The engines were removed and overhauled at a cost of $3.2 million. Satellite
data analysis of the volcanic ash plume trajectory indicated the ash plume had been transported further
north than predicted by atmospheric effects. Analysis of the ash particles collected in cabin air heat
exchanger filters showed strong evidence of volcanic ash, most of which may have been ice-coated (and
therefore less damaging to the airplane) at the time of the encounter. Engine operating temperatures at the
time of the encounter were sufficiently high to cause melting and fusing of ash on and inside
high-pressure turbine blade cooling passages. There was no evidence of engine damage in the engine
trending results, but some of the turbine blades had been operating partially uncooled and may have had a
remaining lifetime of as little as 100 hr. There are currently no fully reliable methods available to flight
crews to detect the presence of a diffuse, yet potentially damaging volcanic ash cloud."
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1731 Dermot Blastland, managing director of Thomson and First Choice Holidays, said: "We've decided to coach back all our ski customers over the weekend to free up flights, so that if the airspace becomes free then we've got more aircraft to bring everybody back. And we've also got 14 aircraft sitting overseas waiting to bring our customers back."
1725 Ryanair announces the cancellation of all scheduled flights to and from the UK, Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, northern France, northern Germany, Poland and the Baltic states until 1300BST on Monday.
Chief executive Michael O'Leary called the impact of the volcanic ash cloud "an unprecedented event in Ryanair's 26-year history", adding: "We cannot take any safety risks with our aircraft, passengers or people in the British Isles, Scandinavia or the northern Europe coastline, as long as current meteorological forecasts suggest that the prevailing winds will continue to spread this volcanic ash across the airspace of these countries".
BBC News - Live: Volcanic cloud over Europe
1725 Ryanair announces the cancellation of all scheduled flights to and from the UK, Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, northern France, northern Germany, Poland and the Baltic states until 1300BST on Monday.
Chief executive Michael O'Leary called the impact of the volcanic ash cloud "an unprecedented event in Ryanair's 26-year history", adding: "We cannot take any safety risks with our aircraft, passengers or people in the British Isles, Scandinavia or the northern Europe coastline, as long as current meteorological forecasts suggest that the prevailing winds will continue to spread this volcanic ash across the airspace of these countries".
BBC News - Live: Volcanic cloud over Europe
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1722 British Airways says it will be operating "a number of flights" from the US into Scotland overnight. All its flights to and from London airports were cancelled until at least 1000BST on Saturday, the airline added.
BBC News - Live: Volcanic cloud over Europe
BBC News - Live: Volcanic cloud over Europe
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So on the basis of one event recorded in detail by NASA, we are grounding the whole of Western Europe's aviation? That's a rather limited data set to destroy the industry with eh?
go fly through it if you want, but don't say you weren't warned if your aircraft doesn't behave the way you expect.
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It isn't just the engines
While engines are critical, and expensive, it isn't the only part of the aircraft that the ash damages. If I recall the KL incident correctly ash got into just about every nook and cranny of the aircraft. The basically had to take the airplane apart and put it back together again. It took almost a year and $80 million to repair (I think that included replacing the engines).
The only reason why KL (and their insurers) didn't scrap it was the long waiting period, at that time, for a B747-400. The official report said:
but that's a bit of an understatement.
Anyone from KL who can give us more detail (and correct my memory, if appropriate)?
The only reason why KL (and their insurers) didn't scrap it was the long waiting period, at that time, for a B747-400. The official report said:
The windshields were damaged, as were internal aircraft systems, avionics and electronics.
Anyone from KL who can give us more detail (and correct my memory, if appropriate)?
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Chance for Ryanair to catch-up on some engineering work in their PIK facility?
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1722 British Airways says it will be operating "a number of flights" from the US into Scotland overnight. All its flights to and from London airports were cancelled until at least 1000BST on Saturday, the airline added.
BA0176 JFK PIK Dep 19:35 16 Apr Estimated. ETA at PIK is 07:40 (744)
BA0182 JFK GLA Dep 22:40 16 Apr Estimated. ETA at GLA is 10:40 (744)
BA0284 SFO GLA Dep 16:55 16 Apr Estimated. ETA at GLA is 11:00 (744)
BA0268 LAX PIK Dep 21:20 16 Apr Estimated. ETA at PIK is 15:30 (744)
BA0102 YYC ABZ Dep 21:30 16 Apr Estimated. ETA at ABZ is 13:25 (763) (Has there ever been a transatlantic diversion into Aberdeen?)
I just checked a few flights - may well be others.
There are some BA flights from USA currently showing LHR/LGW as the destination with an ETD but subject to further change. They must be crewed and ready to go so they might divert to Scotland too if conditions don't improve down south and if the Scottish airports can accommodate them.
Last edited by Porrohman; 16th Apr 2010 at 17:10. Reason: tidying the formatting