AIN's Tales from the Flight Deck

An Airbus A330 crew experienced something they'd never trained for: too much power to land and no way to pull the throttles back to reduce power. Cathay Pacific Flight 780 was on the final leg of a trip from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Hong Kong International Airport with 309 passengers and 13 crew on board when this dangerous incident occurred. Captain Malcolm Waters takes us step by step through how this happened, how he and his crew handled the situation and its successful outcome, and the lessons he and his crew learned from that hazardous situation. This podcast is produced by AIN Publications, publishers of Aviation International News magazine and AIN's online and digital products. For more information, go to www.ainonline.com or email AINedit@ainonline.com.

A routine air cargo run from Miami to Houston meets a tragic end, and information released by investigators paints the picture of a confused flight crew fighting desperately to regain control, and may also highlight ongoing concerns about pilot training within our industry. Today, we examine the NTSB docket on the downing of Atlas Air 3591 and what lessons that all pilots may draw from it. Participants: Phil Randolph (pseudonym), B767-300 Captain Kipp Lau, pilot, aviation journalist Rob Finfrock, pilot, aviation journalist

It's an all-too human tendency, borne from our natural desire to find quicker solutions not only on the flight deck - but also in our daily lives. It's also something all pilots are likely guilty of, especially if you have thousands of hours as pilot in command. Today we explore why pilots choose to break the rules, and what can be done to overcome the natural desire to look for shortcuts, even when we fly. Participants: Michael Ott, director of government contracting and an international captain for Phoenix Air Group Charlie Precourt, NASA astronaut, former F-15 test pilot and instructor chairman of the Citation Jet Pilots Association's Safety Committee Rickey Smith, chief pilot at Phoenix Air Group Tom Turner, CFII and Executive Director for the American Bonanza Society's Air Safety Foundation

Over the past five years, one of the world's most popular, dependable aircraft has been involved in a series of accidents—all of them fatal, all of them on takeoff. In each case, the Beechcraft King Airs appeared to roll or yaw to the left during a possible engine malfunction and within seconds, crashed. What might be happening here? And what can pilots do to save their planes, their passengers and their lives? Participants: Edward Hench (pseudonym), King Air 350 crewmember Kipp Lau, pilot, aviation journalist Marc Fruchter, aviation safety consultant Lee Coffman, aviation safety consultant, King Air maintenance expert

Mistaking diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) additive for fuel system icing inhibitor PRIST on the flight line is a growing problem on ramps all over the world. This can be disastrous since DEF causes jet-A to crystalize and clog aircraft fuel filters and lines. In fact, DEF contamination of jet-A has already forced several business aircraft crews to perform engine-out landings in the U.S. and elsewhere. Participants: Alex Beringer, Chief Operations Officer, Fair Wind Charters Ryan Smith, Captain, Falcon 900EX, Fair Wind Charters Michael Rossi, First Officer, Falcon 900EX, Fair Wind Charters

A call for help from Washington, DC to Phoenix Air, based at a tiny airport in Cartersville, Georgia: Can you fly a medivac mission right away? The destination: North Korea. This is the first of a two-part episode on the extraordinary mission to rescue Otto Warmbier from North Korea. Participants: Dent Thompson, Senior VP, Phoenix Air Mike Ott, Captain, Phoenix Air Dr. Mike Fluekiger, Medical Officer

After the Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, the question is whether cockpit automation is working for pilots or pilots are working for the automation. We talk with the pilot of Qantas Flight 72, An Airbus A330 that pitched down without control input and without warning a decade ago. The pilot of that aircraft says of the MAX 8 accidents, "the road is different, but the destination is the same." Our roundtable of pilots and aviation journalists looks at the growing complexity of flight deck automation, our increasing dependence on it and the lack of training available to pilots for cases in which the automation fails. Participants: Capt. Kevin Sullivan, Qantas Flight 72, October 8, 2008 Capt. Gary Rower, Airbus A330 international captain and cockpit resource management trainer Capt. Bill Palmer, Airbus A330 international captain and author Capt. Bert Botta, former international captain and flight crew trainer, now flying business aircraft Mark Phelps, executive editor, AIN Publications Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief, AIN Publications Rob Finfrock, aviation writer

What makes an otherwise safe pilot believe he or she can pick through the cells of a thunderstorm? In this episode, Wilson Khors and his copilot become so transfixed on making it through a tiny hole in a line of convective weather over San Juan, Puerto Rico, they simply disregard the option of turning around. They're not alone. Even some of the most experienced pilots have done it. In part, they're using weather depiction strategically. But is that really wise? Topics the episode will cover: The hazards of trying to fly through rather than around convective weather. How weather depiction varies tremendously based on who and where you are. The advantages of using weather depiction strategically to avoid storms rather than tactically to pick a path through them. In this episode you will hear from: Wilson Khors—Part 135 pilot who encountered a thunderstorm in a Pilatus PC-12 over San Juan, Puerto Rico in May, 2014 Dan Boedigheimer—Business aviation pilot and CEO of Advanced Aircrew Academy Dan McCabe—FAA Air Traffic Controller based at Atlanta Center John Kosak—NBAA Manager of Weather Programs, based at the FAA Air Traffic Control Command Center in Warrenton, VA

Having reached their 43,000-foot cruise altitude, the crew of a corporate Citation XLS had their world almost literally turned upside down. Like a rogue wave far out at sea, clear air turbulence can come from nowhere, and a routine flight can instantly become a heart-stopping roller coaster ride. Like many before them, this crew battled not only a gut-wrenching upset and aerodynamic stall, but even more significantly, they experienced the paralyzing effects of shock. In this episode, we'll hear from one of the pilots, as well as experts in the field of upset recovery training. We'll also learn how proper conditioning can enable pilots to react quickly and calmly when confronted with a "one in a million" event. Topics this episode will cover: Upset recovery training Wake turbulence Gravity waves Clear air turbulence

While safety management systems (SMS) are powerful tools that are now seeing widespread adoption throughout the aviation industry, if not fully utilized and embraced from the top to bottom of an organization, and without proper reporting, any "near-misses" can go unchecked until disaster strikes. A U.S. Navy aircraft mechanic, who was seriously injured in a maintenance accident, went on a crusade to find out how the root-cause of such a situation, which previously harmed four others, had slipped through the cracks in the SMS. Topics the episode will cover: Safety Management System Communication Break Downs Blameless Culture The value of incident reporting

On January 19, 2011, a Citation X flying from Providence, Rhode Island, to Waukegan National Airport in Illinois slid off the runway. This was six years before TALPA, the Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment initiative, was created. According to the National Business Aviation Association, TALPA incorporates the runway condition matrix that airport operators use to assign runway condition codes between zero and six for each third of the runway. However, TALPA is just the beginning. This episode of AIN's The Human Factor further examines the dangers of runway contamination, the impact of TALPA, and how the aviation industry can work on improving runway safety standards.

On Dec. 8, 2005, Southwest Airlines 1248 was completing its trip from Baltimore when it plowed through a runway barrier and skidded onto the streets of Chicago. The Boeing 737 collided with two cars, killing 6-year-old Joshua Woods. The aircraft had been operating in near blizzard conditions and dealt with a stiff tailwind, a short runway, and some technical issues. Ultimately, the pilot did not have the appropriate landing data for Midway International Airport. In the summer of 2006, the FAA convened a two-day meeting with industry safety experts to attempt to implement more safety measures for pilots. How did aviation organizations and individuals in the industry work together to improve takeoff and landing assessments for pilots?