Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Flight Deck Forums > Rumours & News
Reload this Page >

PIA A320 Crash Karachi

Wikiposts
Search
Rumours & News Reporting Points that may affect our jobs or lives as professional pilots. Also, items that may be of interest to professional pilots.

PIA A320 Crash Karachi

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 27th May 2020, 08:22
  #721 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: YARM
Age: 74
Posts: 136
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
While everyone is scrambling to find the CVR module, here's a picture of the FDR on site.

Looks like it took quite a knock and may explain why only part of the CVR has been recovered so far


unworry is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 08:28
  #722 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 946
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by ReturningVector
Dependent on a gear down and locked indication.
As you said. And just to share. An instructor friend of mine tried in our FTD today to lower the gears above 260kt. No warning; Just the L/G CTL memo will appear amber on the Wheels page meaning the landing gear lever and the landing gear position do not agree. As soon as the speed drops below 260kt, the gears come down automatically ( No need to recycle the gears lever) and the overspeed warning kicks as the Max speed for gears extension is 250kt then it stops when the gears is locked. I assume because the max speed with gears down is 280kt.
pineteam is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 08:29
  #723 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: EDLB
Posts: 362
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by Uplinker
Cabin crew get training in how to approach and talk to angry passengers etc, and calm them down, but I have never seen the scenario of an F/O overriding a difficult Captain addressed in CRM courses.

(I am not saying that any of this applied in the Karachi crash, I am just making a general point about CRM. Why such a poorly executed approach was continued rather than them going around and doing it again properly, absolutely mystifies me).
Agree fully. The main issue to learn here for everyone including training departments is, why CRM broke down so badly.
For that the CVR is needed.
EDLB is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 08:35
  #724 (permalink)  
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Derbyshire, England.
Posts: 4,091
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why such a poorly executed approach was continued rather than them going around and doing it again properly, absolutely mystifies me).
Couple of points, in this case and possibly a cultural issue, loss of face counted for more than unintended loss of life.
Mentioned earlier, possibly crew were observing Ramadan and would have been awake for twelve hours at time of the accident with very low blood sugar level and the accompanying inability to either concentrate or coordinate.

Was assured many times, by Muslim FOs, when working for a ME airline, that pilots on duty are excused fasting during Ramadan with the tacit understanding that they will make up for 'lost' periods of fasting at more suitable times.
parabellum is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 08:46
  #725 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 15,816
Received 201 Likes on 93 Posts
Originally Posted by Airbubba
Ian at FlightRadar24 has harvested some indicated airspeed data from the extended Mode-S data fields:
Additional Extended Mode S data decoded

Flightradar24 has now retrieved and processed extended Mode S data from individual receivers in the area. Unlike ADS-B data, which always contains the same known data points, Extended Mode S may contain data from a variety of fields like aircraft identification, meteorological data, heading, speed, and others. The data sent varies based on the fields requested by the Secondary Surveillance Radar ground stations used by air traffic control.

The data sent via Extended Mode S does not include the Binary Data Selector (BDS) identifying the type of data. Flightradar24 interprets this data using advanced scripts and historical comparative data, but there may be errors in individual frames due to misinterpreted data fields. Overall trends in the data are correct as reported. We have included the raw data, downloadable below.

Included in much of the Extended Mode S data sent by PK8303 were data on Indicated airspeed. The below graph shows the aircraft’s calibrated altitude and Indicated airspeed from 10,000 feet to the final data received.
More detailed study of the FR24 "Extended Mode S data" (i.e. the EHS parameters) confirms that extreme caution needs to be exercised when reaching any conclusions based on the decoded values.

While the IAS values in the FR24 data may or may not be accurate, the accompanying TAS values clearly aren't. I queried this by email with FR24 and received only a boilerplate response, so I've just asked the same question on their Twitter feed:

"Can you explain why the True Airspeed (TAS) values in your download, before and during the go-around, are consistently shown as 314 knots? That's up to 140 kts higher than the IAS values at the same point in time, which is clearly nonsense."

Similar considerations apply to the Heading values in the FR24 dataset, which show near-instantaneous heading changes of 180° or more at a couple of points.

I'll post any response that I receive.
DaveReidUK is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 08:52
  #726 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Yes.
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by parabellum
Couple of points, in this case and possibly a cultural issue, loss of face counted for more than unintended loss of life.
Mentioned earlier, possibly crew were observing Ramadan and would have been awake for twelve hours at time of the accident with very low blood sugar level and the accompanying inability to either concentrate or coordinate.

Was assured many times, by Muslim FOs, when working for a ME airline, that pilots on duty are excused fasting during Ramadan with the tacit understanding that they will make up for 'lost' periods of fasting at more suitable times.
Are you implying, that like the engines, if the crew run out of lubricant or liquid, they cease to function correctly??
If so, that is preposterous!!
Dan_Brown is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 09:02
  #727 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Asia
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Lonewolf_50
Not sure that it matters though it is certainly of interest vis a vis CRM and human factors.

Consider: Asiana flight 214 at SFO that made a gross error in airspeed (35+ knots slow) in the opposite direction to 8303's over-speed approach. In that case, two Captains in two seats.

That is pretty much what I am interested in. At this point in time we know the plane lost both engines after the gear up landing but the unknown is why? Did a new FO just sit there? Where both Captains arguing "I got this" "No you don't" or was this just 2 rusty pilots. This is very important because the layoff was only 2 short months and eventually thousands of pilots will be climbing back in to the cockpits after who knows how long a layoff. Pilot Unions should be asking for answers as to what happened on this flight ASAP. The FDR and CVR will be extremely interesting to all of us and probably be discussed in training classrooms for the next 100 years.
Sikpilot is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 09:27
  #728 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Cambs., UK
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Rushed approach

PJ2 indicates that this was not a rushed approach. I agree....until ATC told them they were at 3500' at 5 miles out. After that I disagree and eagle21 I believe has it. The attempted landing from that position (and possible configuration) lead to a 'touchdown' on the engine pods with gear up. The unfortunate thing about the CFM56 engine is that the accessory gearbox is at the bottom of the fan casing. This drives quite a lot of critical engine machinery and is also (I believe) where the generators are fitted. The subsequent damage to both engines was enough to seal the disaster. My question is how weree they able to be 2000' higher at 5 miles than they should have been. I admit to not having flown the Airbus but I did do 36 years on VC10,747-100, L1011, BAC1-11, 747-400 and 737-400 and -700. A horrible day. An immediate go-around from the initial problem of being in the wrong place....and we wouldn't be talking about it. 20/20 hindsight. Stay safe all.
vc10derness is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 10:04
  #729 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,414
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
in this case and possibly a cultural issue, loss of face counted for more than unintended loss of life.
Nowhere in any manual I am aware of are specific instructions on how a first officer can force a captain to execute a go-around when it is obvious an approach is so unstabilised as to be dangerous to life and limb.

OK so there are motherhood words in the book like "Captain go around." but to a captain intent on pressing on regardless, a mere comment by an F/O using the company approved warning expression, means nothing to some culture driven personalities.

Exactly how does the F/O take over control at such a potentially dangerous moment within a few seconds of landing? To have two pilots fighting over the controls does not even bear thinking about. All is not lost however.
For years there has been one simple and effective remedy which could prevent such accidents. Buy you won't see it in any manuals.

That is the F/O must act decisively to call aloud "Captain Go Around - Landing Gear coming up" . Simultaneously the F/O deliberately selects gear up without waiting for a response. . Even the most culture driven pilot in command would be shocked to the core and be forced into a go-around. There is no risk of confusion of who is flying the aircraft. There is no way even the most fanatical captain would continue with the approach and deliberately land wheels up just to make a point. This action by the PNF should be mandated in the company operations manual so that all pilots are aware of this last ditch solution to prevent a certain overrun on landing or a deliberate pressing on in IMC below DH or MDA.

Until this practical advice is promulgated in company operations manuals, the danger of pressing on regardless with an unstable approaches, will continue unabated and accidents such as this one will always be on the cards. Whether some would admit it or not, it is a demonstrated fact that some cultures transcend flight safety commonsense. For every accident involving a seriously unstable approach there are literally hundreds of other unstable approaches that go unrecorded for various reasons. The perpetrators get away with it time and again and cutting it fine becomes a sport and a challenge. We have all seen the type and kept our mouths shut for fear of making waves; or worse, losing our job

Last edited by A37575; 27th May 2020 at 10:22.
A37575 is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 10:29
  #730 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Yes.
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by A37575
Nowhere in any manual I am aware of are specific instructions on how a first officer can force a captain to execute a go-around when it is obvious an approach is so unstabilised as to be dangerous to life and limb.

OK so there are motherhood words in the book like "Captain go around." but to a captain intent on pressing on regardless, a mere comment by an F/O using the company approved warning expression, means nothing to some culture driven personalities.

Exactly how does the F/O take over control at such a potentially dangerous moment within a few seconds of landing? To have two pilots fighting over the controls does not even bear thinking about. All is not lost however.
For years there has been one simple and effective remedy which could prevent such accidents. Buy you won't see it in any manuals.

That is the F/O must act decisively to call aloud "Captain Go Around - Landing Gear coming up" . Simultaneously the F/O deliberately selects gear up without waiting for a response. . Even the most culture driven pilot in command would be shocked to the core and be forced into a go-around. There is no risk of confusion of who is flying the aircraft. There is no way even the most fanatical captain would continue with the approach and deliberately land wheels up just to make a point. This action by the PNF should be mandated in the company operations manual so that all pilots are aware of this last ditch solution to prevent a certain overrun on landing or a deliberate pressing on in IMC below DH or MDA.

Until this practical advice is promulgated in company operations manuals, the danger of pressing on regardless with an unstable approaches, will continue unabated and accidents such as this one will always be on the cards. Whether some would admit it or not, it is a demonstrated fact that some cultures transcend flight safety commonsense. For every accident involving a seriously unstable approach there are literally hundreds of other unstable approaches that go unrecorded for various reasons. The perpetrators get away with it time and again and cutting it fine becomes a sport and a challenge. We have all seen the type and kept our mouths shut for fear of making waves; or worse, losing our job
If I knew i was going to die because of the actions or inactions of the PF and he or she ignored my requests to stop what they were doing. If they still didn't relinquish control I would then be shouting. If that didn't do any good it would be time to use the crash axe.
Dan_Brown is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 10:32
  #731 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Europe
Posts: 162
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by vc10derness
PJ2 indicates that this was not a rushed approach. I agree....until ATC told them they were at 3500' at 5 miles out. After that I disagree and eagle21 I believe has it. The attempted landing from that position (and possible configuration) lead to a 'touchdown' on the engine pods with gear up. The unfortunate thing about the CFM56 engine is that the accessory gearbox is at the bottom of the fan casing. This drives quite a lot of critical engine machinery and is also (I believe) where the generators are fitted. The subsequent damage to both engines was enough to seal the disaster. My question is how weree they able to be 2000' higher at 5 miles than they should have been. I admit to not having flown the Airbus but I did do 36 years on VC10,747-100, L1011, BAC1-11, 747-400 and 737-400 and -700. A horrible day. An immediate go-around from the initial problem of being in the wrong place....and we wouldn't be talking about it. 20/20 hindsight. Stay safe all.
The lowest point on CFM56 (not to count cowling and drain mast) is bottom of gearbox housing with oil lines coming in and out FWD and AFT very close to lowest point. Also fire loops are at that point. Right from centerline is IDG, and left from CL is hydraulic pump, but a bit higher and no hyd. lines coming below pump. Dedicated alternator, that powers FADEC is in between (but elec. power is available from other sources if this one fails) Since RAT was extended (providing Hyd. power to Blue hyd. system and consequently powering emergency generator), there must have been quite some damage on the engines.


Last edited by hoistop; 27th May 2020 at 10:45. Reason: adding details
hoistop is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 10:39
  #732 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Planet Moo Moo
Posts: 1,279
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From what I remember from my dim and distant 'minibus' years.

Press and hold the priority button on the sidestick.

LOUDLY announce 'I have control' as the system calls 'Priority right/left'.

Execute the go-around and then, when safe, explain to the now 'unloaded' PF why you took control.

We all get tunnel vision at some point and start to lose senses whilst we grapple with a deteriorating situation of our own devising. I brief my colleagues on my sectors that I am distinctly average and not clever enough to be clever therefore if I am doing something stupid intervene!!!

At the company I work for co-pilot intervention is often taught as a module in the sim and very welcome it is too.
Wirbelsturm is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 11:06
  #733 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: LHR
Posts: 556
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
@A37575.... The answer to that question works from either seat. Hint - Tip - Take Control. The most important inter-personal skill of an FO is appropriate assertiveness. If you see it is going to rat-**** drop some hints, if no joy then you should directly tell the other guy what he should be doing to correct the issue. As a final resort you should decisively take control in the prescribed manner. Moreover if the guy you are flying with fails to respond TWICE to stuff you say to him you should take control anyway as he may have suffered subtle incapacitation. In a simulator check FOs can get away with average skills and no initiative but lack of appropriate assertiveness is looked upon very poorly (in the west). Do you think we might just see some cultural issues brought out in the investigation?

I do fear that our industry has gone down a road from which it is impossible to return. The industry needs pilots today more than ever before and training departments are under constant pressure to produce them. For some time now we have had guys arriving on the line with c.200 hours, a frozen ATPL and, by definition, zero experience. The demand for pilots has galvanised airline training departments into shaving personal suitability, flying ability, courses and standards to an absolute minimum. The objective is to get the candidate through an LPC and onto the line in the shortest time possible. To support this objective there is a belief that an ever-expanding rule-set will keep the pilot and therefore the operation safe. The result is that you give the pilot less & less ability to make his own low-level mistakes and learn from them. Removing discretion from the operator makes for a safer operation - Right? What's more - Not only will we tie him up with so many rules that it will be impossible for him to remember them all, but we will threaten him with disciplinary action or even termination him if he busts an approach gate or gets a rule wrong.

Our experience is the sum-total of our past cock-ups. We made mistakes, most of them small, and we learnt not to do it again. Today our flights are tied to such a narrow avenue of acceptability that we do not have the latitude any more to make our own mistakes - and by definition we are accruing no experience. De-skilling is not a trend confined to aviation, if you reduce an employee's latitude for discretion to an absolute minimum you can reduce his task to that of a simple flowchart. You can employ someone of a lower calibre, less qualified and therefore pay him less. Today's new Captains are a product of that narrow mindset and the new guys who sit next to them, hoping to learn from their experience..... don't find any. When the day comes that there is no page in the QRH for the problem you have - they are out of ideas. They have no experience to fall back on.

Pilots that are unable to recognise the dangers of crossing the FAF 2 dots high or crossing the threshold at 200kts are a product of just that system.
Magplug is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 11:07
  #734 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Europe
Posts: 259
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 2 Posts
TOO LOW GEAR envelope

Originally Posted by unworry
Thanks again Airbubba

took the liberty of highlighting a couple of key areas below, although it's comes as no surprise to most here.

Based on the FR24 CSV data
- (best approximation, due to periodicity and latency of recorded data)
-
  • 251 IAS out of FL100
  • 240 during descent, give or take
  • 236 IAS at 2,000'
  • ~215 IAS on tarmac, skipping down to 191 IAS
  • recording a minimum of 173 IAS, 200' AGL into the GA

With that speed over the threshold, I believe the crew would never have received a TOO LOW GEAR warning during the first approach; they would have received TOO LOW TERRAIN instead (or another mode if that would have priority). I can see how a crew would discard the latter GPWS warning as being erroneous/nuisance when approaching a runway in VMC, especially a crew that had already lost their situational awareness due to extreme (probably self-induced) tunnel-vision.


Here's the mode 4a envelope.
xetroV is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 11:15
  #735 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Yes.
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by Magplug
@A37575.... The answer to that question works from either seat. Hint - Tip - Take Control. The most important inter-personal skill of an FO is appropriate assertiveness. If you see it is going to rat-**** drop some hints, if no joy then you should directly tell the other guy what he should be doing to correct the issue. As a final resort you should decisively take control in the prescribed manner. Moreover if the guy you are flying with fails to respond TWICE to stuff you say to him you should take control anyway as he may have suffered subtle incapacitation. In a simulator check FOs can get away with average skills and no initiative but lack of appropriate assertiveness is looked upon very poorly (in the west). Do you think we might just see some cultural issues brought out in the investigation?

I do fear that our industry has gone down a road from which it is impossible to return. The industry needs pilots today more than ever before and training departments are under constant pressure to produce them. For some time now we have had guys arriving on the line with c.200 hours, a frozen ATPL and, by definition, zero experience. The demand for pilots has galvanised airline training departments into shaving personal suitability, flying ability, courses and standards to an absolute minimum. The objective is to get the candidate through an LPC and onto the line in the shortest time possible. To support this objective there is a belief that an ever-expanding rule-set will keep the pilot and therefore the operation safe. The result is that you give the pilot less & less ability to make his own low-level mistakes and learn from them. Removing discretion from the operator makes for a safer operation - Right? What's more - Not only will we tie him up with so many rules that it will be impossible for him to remember them all, but we will threaten him with disciplinary action or even termination him if he busts an approach gate or gets a rule wrong.

Our experience is the sum-total of our past cock-ups. We made mistakes, most of them small, and we learnt not to do it again. Today our flights are tied to such a narrow avenue of acceptability that we do not have the latitude any more to make our own mistakes - and by definition we are accruing no experience. De-skilling is not a trend confined to aviation, if you reduce an employee's latitude for discretion to an absolute minimum you can reduce his task to that of a simple flowchart. You can employ someone of a lower calibre, less qualified and therefore pay him less. Today's new Captains are a product of that narrow mindset and the new guys who sit next to them, hoping to learn from their experience..... don't find any. When the day comes that there is no page in the QRH for the problem you have - they are out of ideas. They have no experience to fall back on.

Pilots that are unable to recognise the dangers of crossing the FAF 2 dots high or crossing the threshold at 200kts are a product of just that system.
An exellent post indeed. Well done.

In essence we have produced a load of robots who aren't able to think, leave alone outside the box.

Last edited by Dan_Brown; 27th May 2020 at 11:43.
Dan_Brown is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 11:33
  #736 (permalink)  

de minimus non curat lex
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: sunny troon
Posts: 1,488
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by krismiler
.........This crew were in excess of normal parameters by about double, ATC should have the authority to discontinue an approach when it exceedes normal plus a certain percentage, unless a MAYDAY call has been made....

....Complying with an ATC instruction enables the crew to save face, anyone who has flown in Asian knows how important that is, and it cuts through confusion and tunnel vision.....

......safety might be improved if ATC were to enforce a "gate" on arriving aircraft which if not met would result in an immediate instruction to go-around.
I think that you are entering the territory of “shark infested custard” suggesting that ATC have the competence to instruct the aircraft commander to abandon the approach for exceeding “normal parameters”.

However, if the Aerodrome Controller had been paying attention, the ATCO would have observed that the GEAR was NOT down, and been totally justified in ordering a GO AROUND.

Just why the ATCO was not paying attention, has yet to be revealed....

Workload management; situational awareness, to name but two aspects which fell apart.
Rich in CRM aspect, not to mention the ‘Swiss Cheese’ model. Enough for a complete conference.

Another mission for Angelo C perhaps......?
parkfell is online now  
Old 27th May 2020, 11:51
  #737 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Age: 58
Posts: 1,906
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by parkfell
However, if the Aerodrome Controller had been paying attention, the ATCO would have observed that the GEAR was NOT down, and been totally justified in ordering a GO AROUND.

Just why the ATCO was not paying attention, has yet to be revealed....
Is this SOP ? I think not and frankly unrealistic at any busy airport. And what about night / low vis landings ? I'd say it is the responsibility of the crew to make sure the gear is extended...
atakacs is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 12:12
  #738 (permalink)  

de minimus non curat lex
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: sunny troon
Posts: 1,488
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by atakacs
Is this SOP ? I think not and frankly unrealistic at any busy airport. And what about night / low vis landings ? I'd say it is the responsibility of the crew to make sure the gear is extended...
It was not at night.

LVP were not in force.

Are you speaking as an (ex) ATCO?

True, the buck stops with the aircraft commander.

However think Swiss Cheese?
parkfell is online now  
Old 27th May 2020, 12:13
  #739 (permalink)  
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: On the Beach
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Sikpilot
This is very important because the layoff was only 2 short months and eventually thousands of pilots will be climbing back in to the cockpits after who knows how long a layoff.
I was off for over four months near the end of my career. The company sent me to the sim for a captain PC then back to the line. I didn't feel uncomfortable at all.
aterpster is offline  
Old 27th May 2020, 12:15
  #740 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Having a margarita on the beach
Posts: 2,420
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by RudderTrimZero
The above video is a joke. Good on eye candy and detail and obviously produced by a seasoned YouTuber. I would say the video posted above, linked here again:

https://youtu.be/9NJpBdg3xrM ..is more accurate in terms of speeds and configuration. But it's low on detail, sounds and dramatics. More likely produced by someone who actually flies the thing?
Interesting video, but really difficult to believe that so many hard warnings were neglected by the crew.
sonicbum is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.