A320 Smoke procedure

[dream747]

Hi folks,

Looking to seek some opinions on the Smoke/Fumes/Avionics Smoke procedure.

Scenario 1: Smell in the cockpit and/or cabin with no physiological effects - No urgent action required, consider applying the Removal of Smoke/Fumes QRH procedure.

Scenario 2: Smell in the cockpit and/or cabin with physiological effects - Apply the said procedure, however, stop at LAND ASAP as there is no “perceptible smoke”. Apply the Removal of Smoke/Fumes QRH procedure.

Scenario 3: Perceptible smoke in the cockpit and/or cabin - Apply the Smoke/Fumes/Avionics Smoke procedure.

Is this approach to this procedure sound? Or does anyone have a better understanding towards this?

[vilas]

Originally Posted by dream747

Hi folks,

Looking to seek some opinions on the Smoke/Fumes/Avionics Smoke procedure.

Scenario 1: Smell in the cockpit and/or cabin with no physiological effects - No urgent action required, consider applying the Removal of Smoke/Fumes QRH procedure.

Scenario 2: Smell in the cockpit and/or cabin with physiological effects - Apply the said procedure, however, stop at LAND ASAP as there is no “perceptible smoke”. Apply the Removal of Smoke/Fumes QRH procedure.

Scenario 3: Perceptible smoke in the cockpit and/or cabin - Apply the Smoke/Fumes/Avionics Smoke procedure.

Is this approach to this procedure sound? Or does anyone have a better understanding towards this?

If there is specific ECAM warning it must be carried out first. If there is no ECAM then the Smoke procedure is based on whether the source of smoke can be immediately identified, isolated and extinguished. If yes end of procedure, if no then divert, you have 15mts to land.
In all cases The SMOKE/FUMES/AVIONICS SMOKE PROCEDURE must be applied first. Smoke removal procedure is applied only later or during its application if the Smokes/fumes becomes a threat and smoke removal becomes necessary.

[sonicbum]

Originally Posted by dream747

Hi folks,

Looking to seek some opinions on the Smoke/Fumes/Avionics Smoke procedure.

Scenario 1: Smell in the cockpit and/or cabin with no physiological effects - No urgent action required, consider applying the Removal of Smoke/Fumes QRH procedure.

Scenario 2: Smell in the cockpit and/or cabin with physiological effects - Apply the said procedure, however, stop at LAND ASAP as there is no “perceptible smoke”. Apply the Removal of Smoke/Fumes QRH procedure.

Scenario 3: Perceptible smoke in the cockpit and/or cabin - Apply the Smoke/Fumes/Avionics Smoke procedure.

Is this approach to this procedure sound? Or does anyone have a better understanding towards this?

From FCTM

The smoke will be identified either by an ECAM warning, or by the crew without any ECAM warning.
If the smoke is detected by the crew, without any ECAM warning, the flight crew will refer directly to the
QRH SMOKE/FUMES/AVNCS SMOKE procedure.
If the "AVIONICS SMOKE" ECAM caution is activated, the flight crew can refer directly to the QRH
SMOKE/FUMES/AVNCS SMOKE procedure, or apply first the ECAM actions, before entering the
QRH.
The AVIONICS SMOKE ECAM procedure should be applied only IF SMOKE IS PERCEPTIBLE.
The smoke is perceptible if the flight crew can confirm it visually or by smell.
If smoke is not perceptible, the flight crew should consider a spurious warning and therefore stop the
AVIONICS SMOKE procedure.
If another ECAM SMOKE warning (e.g. LAVATORY SMOKE) is triggered, the flight crew must apply
the ECAM procedure. If any doubt exists about the smoke origin, the flight crew will than refer to the
QRH SMOKE/FUMES/AVNCS SMOKE procedure.

All your suggested scenario warrant the application of the SMOKE/FUMES/AVNCS SMOKE procedure.
Further info HERE

[EI-PAUL]

Originally Posted by dream747

Hi folks,

Looking to seek some opinions on the Smoke/Fumes/Avionics Smoke procedure.

Scenario 1: Smell in the cockpit and/or cabin with no physiological effects - No urgent action required, consider applying the Removal of Smoke/Fumes QRH procedure.

Scenario 2: Smell in the cockpit and/or cabin with physiological effects - Apply the said procedure, however, stop at LAND ASAP as there is no “perceptible smoke”. Apply the Removal of Smoke/Fumes QRH procedure.

Scenario 3: Perceptible smoke in the cockpit and/or cabin - Apply the Smoke/Fumes/Avionics Smoke procedure.

Is this approach to this procedure sound? Or does anyone have a better understanding towards this?

To keep it more simple, I've got two main scenarios in my mind:

- Perceptible smoke or fumes in which the source is immediately obvious and extinguishable, this is the easy one ...
- Perceptible smoke or fumes in which the source is NOT immediately obvious and neither extinguishable, not so easy one ...

Last scenario always involves the application of QRH smoke/fumes/avionic smoke emergency procedure first.
Time is often critical in every emergency procedure; in this case time is the crucial part as it is the only way you have to survive should you be unable to find and extinguish the source of smoke or fumes through troubleshooting. Remember, as Vilas said you may have as less as 15 minutes to land the aircraft.

The checklist is written in a very logical way timewise:
- Protect yourself and your enviroment to be able to fly and navigate toward the place you eventually elect to land ( memory items and checklist's immediate actions ).
- Start the diversion and descent to FL110 or MEA MORA if higher ( to be able to apply the smoke removal procedure if needed ) before starting the troubleshoot. This is the main threat and the common error is to start troubleshooting while we don't know where to go yet. This is the lesson we all have learnt from the unfortunate Swissair flight 111.
- Once you've elected a place to fly and hopefully land within 15 minutes, you can start the checklist's troubleshoot.

Remember that smoke removal, electrical emergency configuration and - as a very last option - an immediate landing are always at your disposal should the situation becomes not manageable.

[compressor stall]

What I highly recommend is use excel flow chart function and draw out all the options decisions and permutations in the FCOM. It will take an hour or three but it’s really insightful.

Don’t ask for mine as I firmly believe that doing it yourself is the only way to learn!

[dream747]

Thanks guys for the insights!