AF-447 Stall Recognition: Were the Air France 447 Airbus 300-200 flight crew members trained in stall recognition by: A) Angle of Attack (AoA) based stall warning alarm system or B) Loss in altitude, as displayed on the altimeter, due to loss of lift? C) Both A and B D) Neither A nor B? 1. AContinue reading “New Ideas on AF 447 Stall Recognition & Stall Recovery Procedures”
Author Archives: Capt. Paul Miller
B737 MAX MCAS: Maneuvering Characteristics or Stability Augmentation or Stall Recovery?
Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators was written by Harry Hurt in 1959 and published by the US Navy in 1960. It is still in print and is still in use as an authoritative handbook for pilots to learn the aerodynamics behind the safe operation of aircraft through all areas of the flight envelope. Whether going veryContinue reading “B737 MAX MCAS: Maneuvering Characteristics or Stability Augmentation or Stall Recovery?”
Is the B737MAX Angle of Attack Comparator Systems news story a Distraction from Two Critical Safety Issues?
Is the discussion about the optional equipment of B737MAX angle of attack AoA data comparator systems diverting the discussion from two of the most central safety issues, safety hazard reporting and rapid response, and the full extent of flight crew training? Why ask that question? First, the specific hazard of a malfunctioning AoA probe and/orContinue reading “Is the B737MAX Angle of Attack Comparator Systems news story a Distraction from Two Critical Safety Issues?”
B737 MAX: Issues of Boeing and the FAA
In my opinion, the issue is not that the flight crew received “aircraft differences training” (systems, limits and operating procedures differences between the B737-800 and B737-900, and the B737 MAX) on an iPad. Don’t shoot the messenger. The use of an iPad as a syllabus media is not invalid and may be likened to readingContinue reading “B737 MAX: Issues of Boeing and the FAA”
Skybrary is a Superb and Up-to-Date Safety Resource
http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Portal:Operational_Issues Visit Skybrary for training resources on a wide range of operational issues, human factors and other subjects. By incorporating these training tools into your commercial operation, you may be able to drive your operation towards zero mishaps.✈️
UAE 521, 3 August 16 at Dubai Int’l
Looking at the last few entries of the flight aware track log for UAE 521, showing significant wind shear is of interest. The Dubai Int’l weather reported in the Metar is also of interest. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAE521/history/20160803/0435Z/VOTV/OMDB/tracklog Metar OMDB 030900Z 11021KT 3000 BLDU NSC 49/07 Q0993 WS ALL RWY TEMPO 35015KT 1500 [Translated: wind fromContinue reading “UAE 521, 3 August 16 at Dubai Int’l”
Just Culture Arguments
Advocating for a Just Culture, without referencing the logic of a larger safety, legal and administrative contextual framework can take on the appearance of advocating for an exemption to all the laws of all the nations that have developed over all time with respect to one party doing harm to another party. For example, let’sContinue reading “Just Culture Arguments”
Making This Year a Successful Year for Your Commercial Aviation Organization
Making this year a successful year for your commercial aviation organization depends on one word: training. By emphasizing flight crew training, a commercial company equips their operating crew members with the tools to conduct flight operations smoothly and to confront any unexpected challenges successfully. When this fiscal year comes to an end, success could beContinue reading “Making This Year a Successful Year for Your Commercial Aviation Organization”
How Unusuality and Reality Intersect in Flight Safety: A Simple Metric for Determining Major Hazards to Commercial Flight Operations from the Unremarkable Accumulation of Minor Unfavorable Elements and a Recommended Operations Adjustment Procedure to Avoid Mishap Occurrence
Abstract: The cascading collection of seemingly minor unfavorable elements during a particular commercial flight can often arouse little notice because there may be no collective safety measuring system or metric to assemble disparate elements. However, just as the story of “the straw that breaks the camel’s back[1]” informs us, flight crew members facing unusual accumulationsContinue reading “How Unusuality and Reality Intersect in Flight Safety: A Simple Metric for Determining Major Hazards to Commercial Flight Operations from the Unremarkable Accumulation of Minor Unfavorable Elements and a Recommended Operations Adjustment Procedure to Avoid Mishap Occurrence”
UPS 1354 at Birmingham, AL BHM
UPS 1354 crash BHM The all weather runway at BHM was closed by some one in ATC at the request of the field electrical maintenance office. This was done on a scheduled basis, ahead of time, probably in writing. Why did or didn’t someone in ATC coordinate the scheduled arrival of the UPS 1354 withContinue reading “UPS 1354 at Birmingham, AL BHM”
Safety Forecast 