NTSB Investigating!
Are they looking in the right place?
People want to know why the Delta A350 didn't stop? Did they not see the other plane? The couldn't see the wing from the flight deck. Maybe the first officer was taxiing. The first officer could not see the wing. It was the fault of the other plane for being in the way. All sorts of reasons. But I hope when the NTSB looks into this, they look into training.
Delta's 7th ground incursion since January!
Durning my return to the A330 there was a significant change in training from when I earned a type rating on the plane years earlier. Delta was now saving money by not using motion on the simulator training events for type ratings. FAA approved. During my Captain's check ride, the check airman said, "You taxi shitty!"
To his defense I said, "He's only had one opportunity during training to taxi with motion before now and he's coming off the 737." The check airman was deeply concerned and said he would look into it. I think they increased the motion simulator event, but I am not positive by how many. But this training problem is more than simulator.
Back in the day we had to know our aircraft limitations and dimensions, even be able to draw the electrical system during our FAA oral. Today, Delta gives their pilots an LOD, Learning objective document, which is simply the answers to the electronic test. If you memorize well, you pass. But I suppose the memories were not that good, so Delta decided to make this electronic test an open book test. Delta pilots do not need to know the physical dimensions of their plane, they can look it up. I wonder how many even know the width of the taxiway?
In this case, the A350 was schedule to depart behind the RJ, and they were having problems. Then were cleared to taxi forward down E to V. But the RJ had not pulled up all the way to the hold short line.
First, pilots should not accept a clearance that will make them hit another plane. This is not the fault of the RJ. Just as you are not allowed to hit the car in an intersection, because you have a green light.
There were many times I sat in that A350 seat and told the captain to stop, because I wasn't sure on the clearance distance. One time we sent another pilot back to look out the window for a better angle. Other times we queried ATC.
Was this crew distracted by the problem? Did they blindly follow a clearance? Did the first officer not understand his responsibility? Did this captain receive minimum training with motion during taxi? Did they both look up the answers for the wingspan of the A350 without learning them?
I hope the NTSB investigation looks deep into, because 7 ground incursions in 6 months is far too many... don't you think?
Dr. Karlene Petitt
PhD. MBA. MHS.
A350, B777, A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727
PhD. MBA. MHS.
A350, B777, A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727
Its sloppy airmanship on the part of the A350 crew who attempted to pass by another stopped jet without watching the wing tip clearance. What enlightenment will the NTSB bestow on us that would prevent future ground collisions? My Toyota employs an anti collision system that warns of close proximity to things and brakes if I fail to act. Why no taxi camera’s on the wing tips and tail? My Toyota has a backup camera With display so I can see and judge distance from objects while reversing. Aerospace continues to be a backward world when it comes to providing pilots with ground taxi situational awareness systems.
ReplyDeleteYes it does! When we are fully NextGen, the pilots will be responsible for taxiing without ATC. Maybe if they installed systems to see the wingtips they might have seen the plane. Maybe. Because they should have seen it anyway. The problem of the sloppy could be lack of situational awareness. They were dealing with a situation, and that may have overloaded them and their situational awareness went down. The First Officer might have been using all his brain cells simply to remember his mandated taxi flow in order and if they hadn't hit the plane, he may have said, "What plane?" When our brains are saturated we can't see outside a circle and the more overloaded that circle closes in. The very reason we need more training, better understanding so we can increase situational awareness... and not hit the plane sticking out in front of us.
DeleteOn a number of occasions flying as captain fot Emory Airfreight, a couple of times copilots told me that the right side of the aircraft was clear, after I asked to check. Several times because of that quick glance, I had the copilots open the window, stick his head out and look back only to find that there were air stairs in front of the wings. But then again the ramp of the Emory air freight depot, in Dayton, Ohio, was an accident waiting to happen
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