AIN's Tales from the Flight Deck

In the second episode of AIN's The Human Factor, we pick up with Tim Valentine just after flying his SR22 into the back of a thunderstorm. This is part 2 of Tim's story. If you have not yet listened to part 1, please do so before continuing. Dealing with radio and flight instrument failures and violent turbulence, we follow along as Tim relives the decisions he made that got him safely back on the ground.

How could an instrument-rating student and a flight instructor run out of fuel on a training flight? High-time flight instructor Brian Lloyd recalls his instrument training and an incident that taught him some of his most important aviation lessons. In this episode, AIN's The Human Factor delves into how assumptions and a lack of communication become links in the chain of events that could cause an accident. Whether you are a high-time professional pilot or student pilot, this episode is a reminder of how the wrong decisions can turn into potentially fatal errors.

On Oct. 7, 2008, Qantas Flight 72 was flying over the Indian Ocean from Singapore to Perth, Australia. Kevin Sullivan, pilot-in-command of the Airbus A330, was flying on autopilot at 37,000 feet when suddenly warnings started sounding throughout the cockpit; the primary flight control computers were malfunctioning. The aircraft began to pitch up, and Sullivan realized he was just another passenger, for a short time unable to control the errant Airbus. After regaining control of the A330, Sullivan then had to decide whether to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport, the military field at Learmonth, or continue another hour and a half to Perth. In this episode of AIN’s The Human Factor, Sullivan recounts how he was able to identify the issues affecting the A330's fly-by-wire flight controls and minimize damage while planning how how to keep his 315 passengers safe.

While flying an Airbus A330 at FL370 over the Indian Ocean from Singapore to Perth in 2008, pilot Kevin Sullivan found himself dealing with malfunctioning primary flight control computers. The aircraft began to pitch down over the water, which injured some of the 303 passengers on board. Fortunately, Sullivan’s past experience as a Navy pilot helped him navigate to safety. In this second part of this AIN's The Human Factor episode, Sullivan continues his tale of Qantas Flight 72 and how he was able to land the aircraft at the military field at Learmonth Airport. He also speaks about how the experience affects him today.

Pilot George Braly recalls a flight in which his portable oxygen line becomes kinked and he ultimately loses conciousness. George is awakened by ATC and is able to increase the oxygen flow and safely descend from the high-altitude flight. In this episode AIN delves into the issue of hypoxia by examining both portable and built-in oxygen systems. Additionally we discuss the FAA regulations that require one pilot when flying in a pressurized aircraft above 41,000 to use an oxygen mask at all times. Studies have shown that 82 percent of business aircraft pilots openly disregard this rule, and this episode discusses the human factors involved in oxygen mask use on long flights and possible solutions to this problem.