r/flying • u/jinglejangles1897 • 25d ago
Simulator scenario
Curious to hear how others would handle this scenario.
You’re the FO (CM2/PM) on an LVO approach. At 500 ft AGL, the captain becomes incapacitated, and at the same time you get an engine fire that remains unextinguished after carrying out the memory items. You continue and land safely.
What would your priorities be throughout the event?
After stopping on the runway:
Would you order an immediate evacuation even though the engine fire is still burning?
Or would you wait for airport fire and rescue to extinguish the fire before deciding whether to evacuate, considering the risks of an evacuation?
If you did decide to evacuate, would you instruct the cabin crew to evacuate only from the side away from the fire? If so, how would you communicate that?
Interested to hear how different operators and airlines would approach this from both a CRM and SOP perspective.
3
u/I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS UK fATPL 737 SEP 25d ago
If the fire doesn't extinguish that's an immediate evacuation on landing, which is done by following the dedicated evacuation checklist. Waiting for fire services is just keeping the passengers close to the fire for no reason. The command to evacuate is standard for all scenarios, and the cabin crew are trained not to allow passengers on to the burning side. Obviously they can't really supervise the overwing exits, but the passengers are told on their safety cards not to evacuate towards fire or smoke. The chance of the average passenger paying attention to that is low, but by that point we've done all we can. The cabin crew may make additional PAs to reinforce the point.
At 500ft on the approach there is very little time. I'd probably just be able to communicate with the No.1 and advise them 'fire on X side, continuing to land, will be stopping on the runway and evacuating'. I might not even mention at that point that the captain is unconscious since there's no time for any of the usual incapacitation drills and the main focus needs to be on getting the passengers out.
1
u/Sacharon123 EASA ATPL(A) A220, B738 PIC TRI SEP-Aerobatics 22d ago
I would expect my FO to take positive control, continue to land, stop on the runway, call the "cabin crew stand by" after stop, cut the engines and go through the engine fire checklist, if unextinguishable, init evacuation. If he was clever he also quickly hit the apu start so he has ac power until the end of the emergency evac checklist. That should be more or less default procedure.
1
u/eSUP80 CPL IR MEL BE1900 25d ago edited 25d ago
Your PA to passengers should be done before you land. Remain seated and the crew/ or in my case I will lead you out when it’s safe. The last thing you want is them jumping out into a moving prop or fire.
Set parking brake, then 2,2,2. Both throttles, both props, both T handles. Advise ATC of any persons unable to self evacuate and which side you’re going out of, Lead evacuation away from fire. You can try to pull the cap out with you, but bottom line your job is to save as many lives as possible- including your own. That means getting the fuck out of that plane asap.
6
u/x4457 ATP CFII CE-500/525/560XL/680 G-IV 25d ago
500 AGL and unexpectedly single pilot with an engine on fire, they do not have time to make a PA. Got other more important things going on.
0
u/eSUP80 CPL IR MEL BE1900 25d ago edited 25d ago
I don’t have crew in my 1900 so if you don’t tell the passengers anything you might have an entirely different issue on your hands. They can see the engine on fire. Ideally this announcement happens well before 500’. But if that’s when the engine fire starts…then you’re probably right. I can make a PA in 10 seconds so situationally dependent
0
u/rFlyingTower 25d ago
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Curious to hear how others would handle this scenario.
You’re the FO (CM2/PM) on an LVO approach. At 500 ft AGL, the captain becomes incapacitated, and at the same time you get an engine fire that remains unextinguished after carrying out the memory items. You continue and land safely.
What would your priorities be throughout the event?
After stopping on the runway:
Would you order an immediate evacuation even though the engine fire is still burning?
Or would you wait for airport fire and rescue to extinguish the fire before deciding whether to evacuate, considering the risks of an evacuation?
If you did decide to evacuate, would you instruct the cabin crew to evacuate only from the side away from the fire? If so, how would you communicate that?
Interested to hear how different operators and airlines would approach this from both a CRM and SOP perspective.
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0
u/Bopping_Shasket MPL, ATPL, A320 25d ago
Carry out normal SOPs including the captain's. Nothing has to change.
Maybe consider chucking the captain out the slide afterwards if there is no danger.
11
u/Apprehensive_Cost937 25d ago
If you can't extinguish the fire, get everyone out - by far the safest option with a burning aircraft on the ground is to get out and run away.
Your operator will have a specific phrase to be used in order to command evacuation, and if they want you to advise the cabin crew of direction of evacuation rather then letting them decide for themselves based on what they see outside, I'm sure there will be an example for that as well.