PPRuNe Forums

PPRuNe Forums (https://www.pprune.org/)
-   Rumours & News (https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news-13/)
-   -   A319 FO windshield blowout (https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/608822-a319-fo-windshield-blowout.html)

EmDeer 16th May 2018 05:41

@shimin: Thank you very much for your effort! Please donīt 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


Originally Posted by Less Hair (Post 10148067)
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


Originally Posted by PaxBritannica (Post 10147856)
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


Originally Posted by EmDeer (Post 10147975)
@shimin: Thank you very much for your effort! Please donīt 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


Originally Posted by cooperplace (Post 10148077)
@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


Originally Posted by Less Hair (Post 10148067)
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


Originally Posted by Mlambin (Post 10147995)
@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

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

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


Originally Posted by cooperplace (Post 10148349)
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.


All times are GMT. The time now is 14:51.


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