Emergency procedures

[744pilot 0]

Hello,When I was practicing some emergency descents, I kept thinking: How will it go on the RW flightdeck?So, if there are some real pilots between us I would like to know how the communication with the dispatch and/or Local ATC center is handeled? I can imagine wat a ruch it will be. ;)

[Guest tmetzinger]

When I got my endorsement for operating a pressurized aircraft above FL250, I did it in a 737-200 sim. For an explosive decompression, emergency descent Our procedures were:1 - get your oxygen mask on, and set flow to 100 percent. Confirm that your other pilot has his mask on and working (we gave each other thumbs up). Quickly try to determine if you have structural damage, as this affects max descent speed.2 - Pilot flying retards throttle to idle, extends spoilers, and pitches down at least 10 degrees, letting speed build until reaching the target airspeed (usually just shy of MMO, or turbulent air penetration speed depending on conditions) That's all he does until reaching level off altitude (10000 feet or Minimum Enroute Altitude.)3 - Pilot not flying: Check Minimum Enroute Altitude, notify pilot flying Check that oxygen masks have deployed in cabin (overhead panel - not shown in PMDG) Tell (don't ask) ATC what's happening. Call off the altitudes on the way down, and call out 2000 and 1000 feet before level off altitude.Once at the level off altitude, run other checklists for affected systems; plan for diversion to nearest airport, etc.

[744pilot 0]

Thanks Tim.But how do you contect the alternate airport for medical assistant (maybe fire trucks if the explosion hit an engine and an fire occured).

[Guest tmetzinger]

>Thanks Tim.>>But how do you contect the alternate airport for medical>assistant (maybe fire trucks if the explosion hit an engine>and an fire occured).Pilot not flying would handle the communications.In real life, an emergency would be declared with the first communication to ATC. From that point on ATC will be providing lots of help (more than you can stand sometimes). Once reaching the level off altitude one would alert ATC of your intentions (i.e. diversion, etc) and they would alert the diversion airport of your emergency, and resources would be standing by.ATC will normally ask for lots of info, including fuel on board, passengers on board, extent of damage, extent of injuries, etc. The pilot not flying will give this info as he can, but assisting the pilot flying with aircraft chores has the highest priority.Unless you have a fire or are in a deserted part of the world, you divert to the nearest "suitable" airport. "Suitable" means that they have the resources to help you with your problem. That can lead to hard choices, i.e. you may choose an airport farther away (and condemn a critically injured passenger to death) because you need the longer runway to get your damaged airplane down safely (thus ensuring the greatest chance of survival for the greatest number of passengers).That kind of judgement and professionalism is the REAL reason long-haul airplane captains and cruise ship captains generally make the top salaries in their fields - the very large amount of responsibility that is laid at their feet.

[Datalink 26]

>That can lead to hard choices, i.e. you may choose>an airport farther away (and condemn a critically injured>passenger to death) because you need the longer runway to get>your damaged airplane down safely (thus ensuring the greatest>chance of survival for the greatest number of passengers).>>That kind of judgement and professionalism is the REAL reason>long-haul airplane captains and cruise ship captains generally>make the top salaries in their fields - the very large amount>of responsibility that is laid at their feet.Never actually considered it like that, but very very true! Thank you for the information

[744pilot 0]

Thank Tim.As I thought already...it's a very ruch situation in the cockpit.And not to forget the cabin communications between the pilot and the cabin crew and if time permits also to the passengers.

[Guest tmetzinger]

>Thank Tim.>As I thought already...it's a very ruch situation in the>cockpit.>And not to forget the cabin communications between the pilot>and the cabin crew and if time permits also to the>passengers.The cabin crew have their own "checklists" to run, and like the flight crew, it involves saving themselves first - Time of Useful Conciousness at FL350 is measured in minutes - then communicating with the flight crew, then assisting the passengers.The flight crew will take time to communicate with the cabin crew and passengers only when their primary responsibilities are completed - and the first priority is to get to an altitude where people can survive.I forget the title, but there was a bad book or movie (or both) where a passenger airliner suffered decompression, and didn't descend properly, resulting in a planeload of brain damaged passengers, some of whom became dangerously hostile as they revived upon descent. There was also a requisite "evil accountant" who was trying to get the plane shot down so that the airline wouldn't have to pay for care for all the brain-damaged pax. The book/movie was hokey, but it did point out how a poor decision could have truly disastrous results. As horrible as it sounds, a crash with fatalities is sometimes financially preferable to a crash with lots of injuries needing long-term care. Of course, the same sort of awful logic applies to lots of other fields like medicine where the potential to cause lifelong injury (but not death) exists.As I write this I realize that we've come pretty far afield for a forum dedicated to the best flight-sim add-ons, but perhaps its useful to consider simulating some of the decision-making airline pilots have to do.Best wishes,