Pre-flight Briefing - Assignment Example

PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING TO A COMBINED GROUP OF THREE CIVILIANS AND TWO AIRCREWS Name Course Institution October 25, 2016 Pre-flight Briefing Pre-flight briefing is an essential part of any flight preparation. A safe flight begins with proper planning, and a proper planning for a flight begins with pre-flight briefings that are meant to inform the flight crew and passengers on various aspects regarding the impending flight. The main purpose of pre-flight briefing is to lay down a clear action plan, communicate and share information, to make sure that there is a common understanding between all occupants of the aircraft. The briefings are normally divided into two: briefings to the passengers and briefings to the crewmembers. The briefings meant for passengers consist of information regarding what is expected when flying, flight rules, comfort and safety, and the risks that may be encountered in the course of the flight. On the other hand, briefings meant for the crewmembers consist of information about en route navigation details as well as actions to be taken in the event of emergencies. This particular briefing is for a combined group of three civilians and two aircrews who will be the occupants of a FAR 23 aircraft expected to travel from Alice Springs to Adelaide. The briefing focuses on three aspects: en-route navigational aids (NAVAIDS) that are best suited for the flight, actions of the pilot in the event of a single engine during take-off and after V1, and actions of the pilot in the event of a slow depressurization at cruise altitude. En route NAVAIDS best suited for the flight Since the aircraft will be flown at a cruising altitude of FL20, the en-route navigational aids (NAVAIDS) best suited for the flight transiting from Alice Springs to Adelaide will include Very-high frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR), Instrument Landing System (ILS), and marker beacons. VOR is suitable because it allows for very accurate navigation and offers a display that is easy to understand. The signals emanating from the VOR enable the receiver to establish its bearing from the station. Another advantage of this en route navigational aid is that in case the aircraft deviates from the protection zone of the route due to instrumental and propagation error, navigation will be maintained using VOR until a stable and accurate signal is obtained from the next VOR. This implies that the risk of signal loss during the flight is significantly reduced when VOR is used. Another primary choice of en-route navigational aids for this flight route is the instrument landing system (ILS), also known as localizer. The key benefit of this NAVAID is that it offers a precise instrument approach to the runway. ILS is used in en route navigation mainly to help identify intersections along the airways. ILS also offers a display that is easy to understand, just like VOR. Pilot actions in the event of a single engine during take-off and after V1 The takeoff of the aircraft should be planned adequately before takeoff so that appropriate action is taken in case of engine failure. The pilot must have thorough knowledge of the performance limitations and capabilities of the aircraft in order to make appropriate decision as part of the pre-flight planning. Some of the factors to consider prior to takeoff include balance and weight, performance of the aircraft, length of the runway, contamination and slope, area terrain and possible obstacles, as well as weather condition. In the event of a single engine during take-off, the actions that the pilot should take depend on the stage of flight. There are three options available to the pilot: abort take-off, land back on the runway remaining ahead, forced landing, or continue climbing up the sky. Failure of one engine during take-off run usually leads to loss of directional control. The rudder is not very effective at low speeds and the only way to restore directional control is to close both throttles and utilize rudder as asymmetric braking to keep the aircraft in a straight path. The stop or accelerate performance signals will show whether a high speed aborted take in possible on the runway in use (Civil Aviation Authority, 2005). However, in case the engine fails just after the aircraft has lifted up from the runway, the best action is to close both throttles and land back on the remaining runway. If the runway is long enough, the pilot should consider delaying gear retraction whilst landing-on remains an alternation. In this particular aircraft, the performance figures for this maneuver are not available, but as a guide, the sum of landing distance and take-off distance, plus an allowance for response time will provide a clear estimate. Another available option in the event of failure of one engine is a forced landing. According to Civil Aviation Authority (2005), failure of one engine after take-off but before attaining the one-engine climb criteria may be controllable but provide no climb performance. For such cases, it is not easy to outline the best action to take because this depends very much on individual circumstances. Nonetheless, in most cases it is advisable to make use of the available power to make a controlled landing in a suitable area instead of proceeding to climb away with a single engine. The success of this action usually depends on the pilot’s local knowledge of the landing area. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the local area very well so that forced landing would be easier in the event of single engine failure after take-off. A guiding chart is also normally provided to offer the best performance information for the aircraft, which in this particular situation might be the minimum descent rate. Another action that can be taken in the event of failure of one engine is to continue climbing up the sky without making any turn. According to Civil Aviation Authority (2005), the pilot should not attempt to make any turn before reaching a safe height because turns will hinder the climbing performance of the aircraft. Any subsequent actions can only be completed when the aircraft in under control and trimmed. It is also important to note that 50 of bank towards the functioning engine will reduce drag and enhance the climbing performance of the aircraft. In essence, the action that should be taken in the event of a single engine during take-off and after V1 is to continue climbing or to land, even outside the airport. However, if the climb performance with one engine is sufficient for continued flight and the aircraft has been figured correctly and promptly, then the climb can be continued. However, in case the climb performance with one engine is not possible or is likely to be unsuccessful, then it is advisable to make a forced landing in any suitable area. On the other hand, the option that must be avoided at all costs is to continue to climb when it is not within the climb performance capability of the aircraft to do so. In other words, the pilot should first know whether the aircraft could safely continue climbing with one engine before deciding to continue with flight. If the pilot is not sure, it is advisable to land immediately on a suitable area. The good thing is that the aircraft has performance charts that provide all its necessary performance information. Pilot actions in the event of a slow depressurization at cruise altitude Depressurization is another serious emergency that may occur during the flight. The aircraft has a pressure control system that controls airflow, temperature, and pressure in the cabin. The major role of the air control system is to provide a comfortable and safe environment and to protect the occupants of the aircraft from health risks associated with high altitude flights. This air control system can fail anytime thus causing depressurization in the aircraft to take place. The structural failure of the aircraft or some defects in the pressure control system can both result in the failure to maintain the required pressurization in the cockpit. According to Newman (2014), depressurization can take place due to malfunctioning of the pressurization system or damage to the aircraft that causes a breach in the aircraft structure, enabling cabin air to escape outside the aircraft, for example loss of a window, or a breach in the aircraft fuselage due to an explosion. When depressurization occurs, the supply of oxygen in the aircraft declines posing a risk of hypoxia among the occupants. Hypoxia is one of the common risks caused by depressurization but this can be dealt with through emergency descent into the air rich in oxygen and the use of 100% oxygen (Safety First, 2006). Hypoxia is a serious health condition caused by lack of sufficient supply of oxygen in the body. Apart from hypoxia, depressurization exposes the aircraft crew and passengers to a dangerous environment that exposes them to a number of risks such as hypothermia, decompression illness, as well as barotraumas (Safety First, 2006). Physiologically, depressurization normally causes predictable problems to the crew and passengers in the aircraft. It is therefore imperative to include information on depressurization in pre-flight briefings in order to enhance the awareness of the pilot and other occupants of the aircraft on the actions to take in the event of slow depressurization. There are two types of depressurization: slow depressurization and rapid depressurization (Civil Aviation Safety Authority, 2013). Slow depressurization is characterized by a gradual decline in pressure, which causes adverse effects on ears, lungs, sinuses, and gastrointestinal tract (Safety First, 2006). On the other hand, rapid depressurization is characterized by rapid decline in pressure inside the aircraft (Safety First, 2006). Slow depressurization may be caused by malfunctioning of the pressure control system, faulty door seal, or a cracked window. In the event of slow depressurization, the pilot should be able to quickly recognize the signs caused by a change in pressure or the start of familiar training-induced signs of hypoxia so that he or she can take appropriate action before it is too late. The most appropriate action the pilot should take is to immediately deploy emergency pressure on the oxygen system while quickly lowering the aircraft to a safe altitude (Civil Aviation Safety Authority, 2013). Some of the common signs include popping or ear discomfort, stomach pain, dizziness, nausea, headache, and unconsciousness. With slow depressurization, the rate of change in pressure may be very slow but it can still cause unconsciousness as the initial reaction. Even when unconsciousness does not occur, the change in pressure can impair the cognition and impede the ability of the crew to react appropriately to the worsening situation (Safety First, 2006). Therefore, upon noticing the signs caused by slow depressurization, it is advisable for the pilot to advise the occupants of the aircraft to quickly don the oxygen masks. Normally, the pilots always wear the oxygen masks as part of the routine, which is apparently protective, but they must still be able to identify changes in pressure and onset of hypoxia just in case the oxygen systems are not in good working condition (Civil Aviation Safety Authority, 2013). The ability of the pilot to quickly identify the signs and symptoms of hypoxia and slow depressurization is important such that the pilot can take appropriate action, such as lowering the aircraft immediately to a lower altitude and deploying emergency pressure on the oxygen system (Safety First, 2006). The good news is that slow depressurization hardly occurs in passenger aircrafts, but even when it occurs it is quickly recognized by the pilot, and necessary action taken before the damage occurs. While symptoms of slow depressurization may occur, they tend to help the pilot recognize the problem rather than cause serious damages such as serious illness or even loss of life (Safety First, 2006). References Civil Aviation Authority. 2005. LASORS 2006: The Guide for Pilots. The Stationery Office. Flying Fast Jets: Human Factors and Performance Limitations. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Civil Aviation Safety Authority. 2013. Fatigue Risk Management System Handbook. Australian Government Safety First. 2006. Hypoxia an Invisible Enemy – Cabin depressurization effects on human physiology. The Airbus Flight Safety Magazine, Issue # 03, Pages 30-35. Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network (VATSIM). IFR navigational aids. Retrieved from https://www.vatsim.net/pilot-resource-centre/ifr-specific-lessons/ifr-navigational-aids Read More