"Irish pilots save plane and 46 passengers during landing"

[golden hawk]

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/ir ... 86623.html

Irish pilots save plane and 46 passengers during landing - AAIU

Published 30/04/2015 | 23:46


A quick-thinking Aer Lingus Regional pilot and co-pilot saved their plane and 46 passengers by flying into a rain shower to clear sea salt which had completely caked their aircraft windscreen.

The revelation came as an Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) report praised "the good airmanship" of the crew of the ATR-72 flight from Manchester to Cork whose skill averted a potential accident at 10.50pm on January 2 2014. The AAIU described it as "a serious incident."

The build-up of sea salt on the windscreen, caused by stormy conditions during their flight over the Irish Sea, is one of the rarest challenges faced by pilots.

In the case of the seven-year old ATR turbo-prop attempting to land at Cork Airport, the 40-year old female pilot and her co-pilot were shocked to realise a thick layer of white sea salt had caked over their windscreen as they were attempting to land.

The condition of the windscreen was only apparent to the pilots, whose entire flight was conducted in darkness, when they had to abort their first attempted landing at Cork due to a significant increase in indicated airspeed because of the stormy conditions.

"The aircraft then positioned under radar control for a second approach to the same runway," the AAIU report revealed.

"Its track brought it south of (Cork), close to the coast and at times over the sea. During this time, a thick layer of sea salt formed on the front windscreens, obscuring the flight crew’s forward visibility."

"As it was not possible to acquire the necessary visual references for landing, a second go-around was flown."

The AAIU report found that such a salt build-up can occur in specific weather conditions. However, it was particularly severe in the case of the Manchester-Cork flight that evening. The bulk of the salt is believed to have gathered on the windscreen when the plane had descended to a height of 1,000 metres (3,000 feet).

"The flight crew were faced with a very rare but significant issue when the forward visibility through their windscreens was obscured due to sea salt accretion on the windscreens, while attempting a night landing at (Cork) during a winter storm."

But the quick-thinking pilot and co-pilot immediately flew into an area of heavy shower activity - and used the rain in an attempt to wash clear the windscreen. The pilot has over 5,000 hours flying experience and, critically, over 4,700 hours have been logged on the ATR-72 type.

"A small portion of the commander’s windscreen was cleared. A third approach was flown to a successful landing," the AAIU report added. The AAIU investigation was unstinting in its praise of how the Aer Lingus Regional crew reacted.

"Following the second go-around, the flight crew showed good airmanship and crew resource management in seeking to fly to areas of shower activity which were visible on their weather radar."

"They were facilitated in this by Air Traffic Control and they found areas of moisture which, although not active enough to completely clear the windscreen, did clear a small area of the windscreen on the commander’s side."

The pilot commenced her successful final approach to Cork peering through "this small gap (washed) in the salt residue." "At the time, the first officer still had no visual reference," the AAIU report pointed out.

Two other planes reported similar sea salt build-up on their windscreens that night but none as severe at the Manchester flight.

The AAIU pointed out that it was "noteworthy" that the flights of two of the aircraft involved that night, both French-built ATR-72s, found that the windscreen wipers were ineffective in clearing off the salt.

"The commander of (the Manchester flight) also stated that she believed that the windscreen heat had exacerbated the issue by drying out the salt and enabling a thick layer to form."

[cncpc]

Well done lads. Fair play to you.

[fish4life]

I'll be honest, I never knew this could even happen. Any of our east or west coast pilots ever have issues with salt water?

[Donald]

Seen it happen in YYT before.

[tbaylx]

That has to be great for aircraft corrosion issues..never heard of that before.

[NotDirty!]

A cunning plan, by some Cunning aer Lingus Pilots.

[cdnpilot77]

Well done lads. Fair play to you.

Ahem....lady and lad

[AOW]

Cunning aer Lingus Pilots.

... I see what you did there...

[phillyfan]

This is how I clean bugs off my windows and wings all summer. I just turn towards a thunderstorm whenever I see one.

[pelmet]

If you are lucky like some of us , you fly an aircraft that not only has windshield wipers, but an windshield washer system as well designed to clean dirty windows. Just like in a car.

[Liquid Charlie]

It does indeed happen - had it going into St Petes - wind was 50 kts and the aircraft was coated with salt - the vectors took us out over the water at about 1500 ft

[floydfrank]

This is what I would term a cunning stunt

[Meatservo]

I would say you've "saved" your plane and passengers EVERY time you land them without killing them

[switchflicker]

In my case, my passengers usually look for a revival meeting to get 'saved' right after my saving landing(s).

[MAXTRQ]

I have been flying on the westcoast for 25 years in plenty of winds of 50 kts and more and never experienced anything like it. It would be interesting to hear a little more about the conditions that could cause it. Did someone check to see if this was posted in the news on Apr 1st by any chance ?

[Donald]

For YYT, I can tell you it was surface winds gusting to 60 knots. On approach at around 900 feet it appeared as if the windshield was coated in dirt. Just below that altitude we got a windshear alert and had to go-around. On landing at alternate, the windshields were not overly obscured, they just appeared dirty.

[swordfish]

A cunning plan, by some Cunning aer Lingus Pilots.

I think most of them mist tit