This is an interview on VOA, Voice of America about the Asiana crash........very concerning.

This is an interview on VOA, Voice of America about the Asiana crash. The report was quickly removed......possibly too controversial.

Again interesting stuff......and again concerning, but some of us have been trying to highlight these problems for some time but to no avail. So this will happen again......trust me it will.

UPS - B744F - UAE final report

UPS - B744F - UAE final report 

Date: Wednesday, August 14, 2013

UPS Flight 6, Uncontained Cargo Fire

A few days ago, the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates has released its final report on the Boeing 744 which crashed on the 3rd of September in 2010 after an uncontained cargo fire.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------

Uncontained Cargo Fire Leading to Loss of Control Inflight and Uncontrolled Descent Into Terrain

The 326-page accident report is excellently written and deals with all the issues involved with this tragic flight and an analysis of the situation. Here’s a summary of the main points.

11:35 UPS Airlines Boeing 747-400AF, a two-crew four-engine wide-body aircraft, arrives from Hong Kong on a scheduled cargo service.

The Flight Crew reported a failure with the PACK 1 air conditioner during the flight. The ground engineer could not replicate the fault.

The PACKs provide preconditioned air to the pressurized fuselage. The Boeing 747 has three PACKs.

14:51 The Boeing 747 departs as UPS Airlines Flight 6 as a scheduled cargo flight to Cologne Bonn Airport. The First Officer is the Pilot Flying and the Captain is the Pilot Not Flying. They depart on Runway 30R and fly north west over the southern Arabian Gulf.

The First Officer flew the aircraft manually to an altitude of 11,300 feet and then engaged the autopilot after receiving another PACK 1 fault. The flight crew reset PACK 1 which cleared the fault.

The aircraft continued to climb. Shortly before they reached their cruising altitude of 32,000 feet, a fire warning bell sounded and the master warning light illuminated. They had a fire on the forward main deck. The Captain took control of the aircraft.

 

 

15:12:57 CAPT in cockpit: Fire, main deck forward. Alright, I’ll fly the aircraft

15:13:07 CAPT in cockpit: I got the radio, go ahead and run [the checklist]

15:13:14 CAPT to ATC: Just got a fire indication on the main deck I need to land ASAP

15:13:19 BAE-C: Doha at your ten o’clock and one hundred miles is that close enough?

15:13:23 CAPT: how about we turn around and go back to Dubai, I’d like to declare an emergency

15:13:27 BAE-C: UPS six make a right turn heading zero nine zero descend to flight level two eight zero.

Doha was closer, they were about 180 miles from Dubai. However, it is unlikely that the crew understood the extent of the fire.

The crew put on oxygen masks and worked their way through the Fire/Smoke/Fumes checklist.

 

The fire suppression system automatically shut down PACK 2 and 3. The flight crew manually turned the switches to OFF, in accordance with their check list. In fire suppression mode, PACK 1 should have continued to supply preconditioned air to the upper deck. This provides positive air pressure to the cockpit to prevent smoke and fumes from entering the cockpit area. However, at 15:15:21, PACK 1 stopped operating. This meant that no packs were operating and there was no ventilation to the upper deck and flight deck. Smoke began to enter the cockpit.

15:15:23 CAPT to ATC: I need a descent down to ten thousand right away sir.

It’s unclear why the Captain requested the descent, although it seems to me he was probably reacting to the smoke and concerned about available oxygen. However, this was not on his checklist, which stated he should fly at 25,000 feet, the optimum altitude to prevent combustion. His action did not support the fire suppression system which was based on depressurisation and oxygen deprivation.

The uncontained cargo fire severely damaged the control cables, the truss frame supporting the cables and the cable tension.

15:15:37 CAPT: alright. I’ve barely got control

15:15:38 F.O: I can’t hear you

15:15:41 CAPT: Alright

15:15:47 F.O: alright… find out what the hell’s goin on, I’ve barely got control of the aircraft.

15:16:41 CAPT: I have no control of the aircraft.

15:15:43 F.O: okay… what?

15:16:47 CAPT: I have no pitch control of the aircraft

15:15:53 F.O: you don’t have control at all?

15:16:42 CAPT: I have no control of the aircraft.

15:16:47 CAPT: I have no pitch control of the aircraft.

They regained control of the elevator control system through the autopilot. Meanwhile, the cockpit was filling with smoke. Within two minutes, neither crew member could see the control panels or look out of the cockpit.

15:16:57 CAPT: Pull the smoke handle.

Pulling the smoke handle might have caused a pressure differential, drawing more smoke into the cockpit. The Captain contacted ATC to report the situation and then spoke to the First Officer.

15:17:39 CAPT: Can you see anything?

15:17:40 F.O: No, I can’t see anything.

The flight crew attempted to input the Dubai Runway 12 left data into the flight management computer, so that they could configure the aircraft for an auto-flight/auto-land approach, but they couldn’t see the FMC display for all the smoke. At that point, the Captain’s oxygen supply failed.

 

 

15:19:56 CAPT: I’ve got no oxygen.

15:19:58 F.O: Okay

15:20:00 F.O: Keep working at it, you got it.

15:20:02 CAPT: I got no oxygen I can’t breathe.

15:20:04 F.O: okay okay.

15:20:06 F.O: what do you want me to get you?

15:20:08 CAPT: Oxygen.

15:20:11 F.O: Okay

15:20:12 CAPT: Get me oxygen.

15:20:12 F.O: hold on okay.

15:20:16 F.O: Are you okay?

15:20:17 CAPT: (I’m out of) oxygen.

15:20:19 F.O: I don’t know where to get it.

15:20:20 CAPT:(I’m out of) oxygen.

15:20:21 F.O: Okay

15:20:21 CAPT:You fly (the aircraft)

A portable oxygen bottle was behind the Captain’s seat, next to the left-hand observer’s seat, but neither crew member retrieved the bottle. The Captain moved aft of the cockpit area, presumably to try to find the supplementary oxygen. He removed his oxygen mask and smoke goggles and said, “I cannot see.” That was the last recording which included the Captain; he died as a result of carbon monoxide inhalation.

Seven minutes had elapsed since the fire alarm had first sounded. The First Officer was now Pilot Flying, with no support nor monitoring. A nearby aircraft contacted him to relay information to Bahrain. The First Officer established communication and attempted to cope with a swiftly escalating task load, which left him no time to enquire after the Captain.

15:25:42 PF: I would like immediate vectors to the nearest airport I’m gonna need radar guidance I cannot see.

Based on his comments, the investigators believe that the pilot was able to see heading, speed and altitude select windows. He could not see the primary flight displays. He could not read the navigation display. Thus he could set up flight configurations but he couldn’t see the response. He also made numerous comments about not being able to see outside and that the heat was increasing and his oxygen was getting low.

He couldn’t see the radio either, so he couldn’t change frequency although he was now out of range of the controller at BAE-C. The controller asked aircraft to relay information to and from the Boeing. Dubai ATC also transmitted several advisory messages to the flight on local frequencies in hopes of getting a message to the Boeing, including “any runway is available.” They turned on the lights for Runway 30L.

 

A relay aircraft contacted the Pilot Flying and attempted to pass his information on to Bahrain. The relay aircraft (identified as 751) struggled to relay the information and get answers from Bahrain. The relay system was of little use to the Pilot Flying who didn’t know his own altitude or speed and needed immediate data.

15:29:59 PF: Okay Bahrain give me what is my current airspeed? [groundspeed]

15:30:07 PF: Current airspeed immediately immediately.

15:30:14 PF: What is my distance from Dubai International UPS er six what is my distance we are on fire. it is getting very hot and we cannot see.

15:30:22 RELAY AIRCRAFT: Okay I ask Bahrain understood and UPS six request the distance from Dubai from now?

15:30:28 PF: Sir I need to speak directly to you I cannot be passed along I need to speak directly to you. I am flying blind.

15:30:36 RELAY AIRCRAFT: Understood UPS six we are just changes to another aircraft to be with Dubai to relay with you I ask again to Bahrain Bahrain distance UPS six to Dubai?

The workload of the Pilot Flying was immense. He was communicating through aircraft relays while he controlled the flight and attempted to navigate to Dubai International, with no access to navigation equipment and no possibility of looking out the window. He repeatedly asked the relays for information on height, speed and direction to plan his blind flight. There was no opportunity to finish the checklist nor check on the Captain.

The options available to the pilot were limited. The aircraft was seriously compromised but without primary instruments, so the First Officer couldn’t see what was and wasn’t working. He couldn’t even ditch the aircraft in the Arabian Gulf as he didn’t know his own altitude and couldn’t see out the window.

The Boeing 747 approached Dubai travelling 350 knots at an altitude of 9,000 feet and descending.

The computed airspeed was 350 knots, at an altitude of 9,000 feet and descending on a heading of 105° which was an interception heading for the ILS at RWY12L. The FMC was tuned for RWY12L, the PF selected the ‘Approach’ push button on the Mode Control Panel [MCP] the aircraft captures the Glide Slope (G/S). The AP did not transition into the Localizer Mode while the Localizer was armed.

ATC at Dubai asked a relay aircraft to advise the Pilot Flying, “You’re too fast and too high. Can you make a 360? Perform a 360 if able.”

The First Officer responded simply with, “Negative, negative, negative.”

The Pilot Flying set the landing gear lever to down. This caused an aural warning alarm: Landing Gear Disagree Caution.

15:38:20 PF: “I have no gear.”

The aircraft passed north of the aerodrome on a heading of 89° at a speed of 320 knots, altitude 4200 feet and descending.

He had no landing gear. He was fast and high. The fire was still burning and the cockpit was thick with smoke. He couldn’t see a thing. And now he’d overflown the airport.

 

There was another airfield, Sharjah Airport, which was 10 nautical miles to the left of the aircraft. The relay pilot asked if the Pilot Flying could turn left onto a 10 mile final approach for Sharjah’s runway 30.

19:38:37 PF: Sir, where are we? Where are we located?

19:38:39 RELAY AIRCRAFT: Are you able to do a left turn now, to Sharjah? It’s ten miles away.

19:38:43 PF: Gimme a left turn, what heading?

The relay aircraft advised that SHJ was at 095° from the current position at 10nm. The PF acknowledged the heading change to 095° for SHJ.

However, the Pilot Flying selected 195°. The aircraft banked to the right as the Flight Management Computer captured the heading change. The aircraft entered a descending right-hand turn at an altitude of 4,000 feet. Then there were a number of pitch oscillations commanded by the Pilot Flying as the elevator effectiveness decreased.

The aircraft was heading straight for Dubai Silicone Oasis, a large urban community. I suppose the one good thing in this fiasco is that it never made it that far.

15:40:15 RELAY AIRCRAFT: Okay Dubai field is three o’clock it’s at your three o’clock and five miles

15:40:20 PF: What is my altitude, and my heading?

15:40:25 PF: My airspeed? [groundspeed]

The pitch control was ineffective. The control column was fully aft but there was no corresponding elevator movement. The aircraft was out of control.

15:41:33 The Ground Proximity Warning System sounds an alert: PULL UP

15:41:35 [data ends]

The Boeing crashed into a service road in the Nad Al Sheba military base nine miles south of Dubai.

 

 

So what caused the fire to go so quickly out of control?

The cargo loaded in Hong Kong included a large amount of lithium batteries distributed throughout the cargo decks. However, packing slips and package details, showing that the cargo contained lithium batteries and electronic devices packed with lithium batteries, were not inspected until after the accident. At least three of the shipments contained lithium ion batteries which are specified as a hazard class 9 and should have been declared as hazardous cargo.

Lithium batteries have a history of thermal runaway and fire, are unstable when damaged and can short circuit if exposed to overcharging, the application of reverse polarity or exposure to high temperature are all potential failure scenarios which can lead to thermal runaway. Once a battery is in thermal runaway, it cannot be extinguished with the types of extinguishing agent used on board aircraft and the potential for  ignition of adjacent combustible material exists.

 

The investigators believe that a lithium battery or batteries went into an “energetic failure characterised by thermal runaway” – in other words a battery auto-ignited. This started a chain reaction, igniting all the combustible material on the deck. The resulting fast-burning blaze then ignited the adjacent cargo, which also included lithium batteries. The remaining cargo then ignited and continued in a sustained state of combustion, that is the conflagration continued burning until the crash.

The single point of failure in this accident was the inability of the cargo compartment liner to prevent the fire and smoke penetration of the area above pallet locations in main deck fire zone 3.

This resulted in severe damage to the aircraft control and crew survivability systems, resulting in numerous cascading failures.

As the cargo compartment liner failed, the thermal energy available was immediately affecting the systems above the fire location: this included the control assembly trusses, the oxygen system, the ECS ducting and the habitable area above the fire in the supernumerary compartment and in the cockpit.

The probable causes start with the fire developing in the palletized cargo, which escalated rapidly into a catastrophic uncontained fire. The cargo compartment liners failed. The heat from the fire caused the malfunctions in the truss assemblies and control cables, disabling the cable tension and elevator function. The heat also affected the supplementary oxygen system, cutting off the Captain’s oxygen supply.

The  volume of toxic smoke obscured the view of the primary flight displays and the view outside the cockpit, exacerbated by the shutdown of PACK 1. And finally, the fire detection itself did not give enough time for the flight crew or the smoke suppression systems to react before the fire was a conflagration.

A key consideration that the investigation puts forward is the useful response time in the case of an onboard fire.

A study conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, in which 15 in-flight fires between 1967 and 1998 were investigated, revealed that the average elapsed time between the discovery of an in-flight fire and the aircraft ditched, conducted a forced landing, or crashed ranged between 5 and 35 minutes, average landing of the aircraft is 17 minutes.

Two other B747 Freighter accidents caused by main deck cargo fires have similar time of detection to time of loss of the aircraft time frames, South African Airways Flight 295 was 19 minutes before loss of contact and Asiana Airlines Flight 991 was eight minutes. Both aircraft had cargo that ignited in the aft of the main deck cargo compartment.

The accident aircraft in this case, was 28 minutes from the time of detection until loss of control in flight. The cargo that ignited was in the forward section of the main deck cargo compartment. The average time is seventeen minutes. This should be factored into the fire checklist that an immediate landing should be announced, planned, organised and executed without delay.

These findings indicate that crews may have a limited time to complete various checklist actions before an emergency landing needs to be completed and the checklist guidance to initiate such a diversion should be provided and should appear early in a checklist sequence.

----------------------------

Video of my last Boeing 747-400 flight for Silkway!........I hope you can hear the post flight comments!

My last flight for Silkways as a Boeing 747-400 training captain.....though I didn't know it at the time......if I had done, I would have worn a tie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOzME3qSeOc&feature=youtu.be

I hope you enjoy it!

Always have a plan....powerpoint presentation for new pilots and old alike!

The following link will take you to my power-point presentation aimed at new and trainee pilots, which I was asked to produce and present.

I hope that it is of interest!

http://www.slideshare.net/alsats/always-have-a-planpilot-rm-and-automation-training-course-presentation-2013

ASIANA flight 214 reconstruction......very compelling in both viewing and commenting on. Leaves a lot of questions to be answered.

ASIANA flight 214 reconstruction......very compelling in both viewing and commenting on. Leaves a lot of questions to be answered.

The blue/ghost aircraft is flying the correct profile whereas the other one......well just isn't....

MY LAST ROTATION FLYING THE FABULOUS DC10.......PART ONE!

MY LAST ADVENTURE FLYING A FABULOUS BIRD!

 I do get myself into a few pickles!

Some years ago….well five or so but seems so much longer, seeing how in this time I have since had contracts in the UK, Sweden, Italy, Iraq and Azerbaijan…..I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to fly the fabulous DC10-30 freighter for a recently defunct airline called Avient. However, my time with this company was cut short due to various reasons, which are tales for another time….so don’t ask!

 

Briefly, a little insight into this company, which I am sure most people have never heard of. Avient was founded by a larger than life character who was an ex-British army Captain in the Royal Engineers, operating from a barn in a Wiltshire village in England with aircraft based in France. Its head office was registered in Harare, Zimbabwe as were the two DC10 aircraft……are you still following this? France yes, England yes, but I hoped that my future schedules would not be taking me to the country of one of the world’s greatest despots, especially after this well publicized little incident……

“Mugabe spokesman and body-guard, George Charamba, and the then deputy Information Minister, Bright Matonga, boasted that despite the efforts of the South African workers, the three million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3 000 mortar rounds and 1500 rocket-propelled grenades ordered from the Chinese government had arrived in Harare. A Mozambican online publication reported that the arms were finally flown to Harare in an Ilyushin Il-76 belonging to Avient Aviation, a freight charter airline based in Zimbabwe but registered in the UK.” Although this has yet to be proven.

 

 

To understand further a little of the history of the company then I suggest reading the following article from the British newspaper, The Observer……..I did read it, but this was after I had finished my DC10 base training and only caused myself to consider that I was in for a bigger adventure than I had at first contemplated! So read on………

“To people in the peaceful Wiltshire village of Brigmerston, their new neighbour seems like a perfect English gentleman: a tall, wealthy, bespectacled former Army officer.

But an Observer investigation has uncovered evidence that behind the doors of a luxury house on the edge of the village, Andrew Smith runs a business empire which has made a fortune from a bloody African civil war that has claimed millions of lives.

Smith, 49, a former captain of the Royal Engineers, who runs his firm Avient from his home, faces claims that one of his companies was involved in mercenary-style operations deep in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also faces allegations that he has been trading with a notorious arms dealer, Ukrainian-born Leonid Minin.

A United Nations report has accused Smith of organizing bombing raids in the DRC on behalf of President Joseph Kabila to suppress rebel forces. It is alleged that three years ago Avient received $30,000 a month for recruiting crew from Ukraine to fly in Russian-made Antonovs behind enemy lines in 1999 and 2000.

One Avient contract signed by Kabila stated: 'The crew will be advised that they will be operating along and behind the enemy lines in support of ground troops and against invading forces. It is specifically agreed that the crew...will undertake airdropping missions.'

 

 

The affair has clear overtones of dogs-of-war style mercenary activity. Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb has asked the British authorities to investigate the claims to see if there are grounds for a criminal prosecution. 'I want to know how a British citizen with a company operating from Wiltshire can be involved in such military activities without breaking any law,' he said.

Smith, who is contesting the UN claims, ran his African business through his Avient Company registered in Zimbabwe. In this way Smith would have been able to avoid breaching the European Union arms embargo against the DRC put in place in 1993.

Any investigation is likely to study closely UN claims that Smith has a relationship with Minin, a senior member of a Russian organized crime syndicate, who is under investigation in five countries for crimes from gun running to art theft. Two years ago Minin was arrested in an Italian police raid on a hotel in northern Italy where he was found with 58 grams of cocaine, four prostitutes and $500,000 worth of African diamonds. Police also discovered a green briefcase stuffed with 1,500 pages of documents detailing numerous arms deals, including illegal sales to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The Observer has obtained bank records found in Minin's briefcase which detail payments made by one of Minin's associate companies. These documents reveal that on 22 June 1999 Avient received a $100,500 payment from Engineering & Technical, a British Virgin Islands firm run by Minin's business associate Valery Cherny.

The UN also accuses Smith of brokering the sale of six attack helicopters to the DRC government in April this year. Smith strongly denies this allegation. However, he did admit in an interview with The Observer to shipping military cargo to the Congolese government on behalf of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe three years ago. Smith said: 'We have worked with the governments of Zimbabwe and the DRC who are official organized governments of countries. We certainly don't work for any rebel groups or any terrorists.'

Smith played down his role in the alleged bombing raids, saying the Congo 'military hierarchy' controlled the air crews and directed operations. He denied his company was a private military company involved in any bombing raids, stressing that it was principally a cargo-carrying business dealing mainly with commodities like food and computers. But Smith has admitted to 'ferrying troops and people from place to place' and leasing Russian-made transport aircraft to the Zimbabwean government for use in Congo.

He said: 'I am not denying that we carried military equipment for the end-user governments, which is a perfectly legal operation to do. We are talking about three years ago. I did check everything with the British High Commissioner at the time. We have never been involved in the sale of goods at all, nor have we carried any military hardware out of the EC, so we have not broken any UN or EU embargoes.' Smith also denied any relationship with Minin. He said: 'I have never met the guy, spoken to him or communicated with him.'

Smith's claims that he received the approval of the British High Commission could be embarrassing for the Government as there has been an arms embargo against the DRC since 1993. Lamb is to raise the matter in the House of Commons. 'If it's true that the High Commission OK'd such deals, I want to know why,' said Lamb.

The disclosures that a former British soldier is helping military operations in central Africa will embarrass the Government.

In the 1998 'arms for Africa' affair it emerged that Sandline International, run by former British colonel Tim Spicer, had supplied weapons to Sierra Leone despite a UN arms embargo. Spicer avoided prosecution after it was revealed the British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone had approved Sandline's plans.

Smith's involvement in military operations in Congo is also likely to be a setback for government plans to license mercenary companies. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw claims such firms could be used in UN peace-keeping operations and other government-sponsored activities in trouble spots.”

I know most airlines have their own history….for example two British airlines that I flew with, firstly Dan Air Services Ltd started out as part of a ship broking firm with a solitary DC3 aircraft, and Thomsonfly in the early 1960’s with Lockheed Constellations.  Though that was ‘good’ history, Avient’s as you have read belonged in a totally different category!

For the previous two years prior to joining Avient I had been flying for said Thomsonfly as a Boeing 737 captain carrying holidaymakers around Europe. I felt my new position would definitely be different and I was looking forward to the challenge…but not the type rating course.

 

The DC10 being an almost ‘vintage’ aircraft, I was sure would be technically complicated and boy I was not to be disappointed! No computer based training aids to assist me, instead old fashioned photographic slides and a projector system which overheated constantly, and smoked more than the flight engineer who was under training with me did. I started to think that we would be sent off to the Science Museum in London to finish trying to learn all of this aircraft’s idiosyncrasies’.

The ex- British Caledonian Airlines ‘full flight’ simulator which we were to hone our flying and operational skills on had the handling characteristics of a washing machine on the spin cycle…..but brilliant fun. To add realism to the age of all this, one of my simulator instructors, an absolute gentleman, flew Avro Lancaster bombers at the end of the Second World War, whilst another had the record for the most carrier launches flying the Mirage in the French Navy and then there was the Chief Pilot another of life’s true gentlemen…..even if he had once been a British policeman! I was most definitely in good hands.

 

For the record the only reason I left ‘Tommyfly’ was due to their merger with First Choice, though it was widely known in the industry at the time that this airline was actually their second choice! With my position on the rigid Thomsonfly seniority list………virtually at the bottom and just above the office cleaners and the automated phone operators; meant that after the merger I was either going to be made redundant or demoted, neither was an option I was looking forward to adding to my CV, so I decided to resign!

So Andrew Smith’s kind offer to join him at Avient was eagerly accepted, even though I was sad to leave Tommyfly as it was a fabulous job, flying with very competent and delightful colleagues; both my cockpit and cabin-crew colleagues. I would add that the B737 was looked at as being an inferior aircraft by some of the Thomsonfly Gods that flew the mighty Boeing 757/767s which was a daft attitude.

As an example, I remember one day I was on a turn-around at the Cypriot airport of Paphos, parked next to my, well mine for the day I couldn’t afford a whole one, Boeing 737-800 was a company Boeing767. So whilst we re-fuelled, I thought I would go and say ‘Hi’ to my company colleagues. After being escorted into the B767 cockpit by a member of their cabin-crew, I introduced myself……the co-pilot ignored me and the Captain turned around and said and I quote…

“Where’s your aircraft, I can’t see it?” I replied…….”On your left-hand side?” My aircraft was parked right next to them and clearly visible. “Oh, I think I see a light twin hiding behind that fuel bowser.” And then continued with his pre-flight preparations, I realised that my audience was already over and bid my farewell…..but just before I left I asked “What is your maximum take-off weight?” The co-pilot looked up for the first time and proudly stated “159 tonnes.” I paused and replied as I was exiting…..”My last aircraft type which I skippered, we used to load more than that in fuel!” To which they both looked up, I smiled and left!

 

I digress, as I so often do; being employed by Avient I very quickly learnt that you had to stretch the meaning of the word ‘flexible’ to its maximum extent but in turn this enhanced the fun of the operation……..frequently!

There was no timetable or schedule as such to follow, often your next flight’s destination would be changed just hours before departure as we would have to chase the freight…..well making money was obviously the name of the game, Andrew’s game, though on this rotation I can’t help but feel that in Lagos I lost 65 tonnes of cash…….!

 

 

Right then, my apologies, back to my last rotation, though I didn’t know it was to be so at the time, started from Vatry an ex-military airfield about seventy miles due east of Paris near the town of Chalons.

Our crew comprised two pilots a flight engineer and a loadmaster, great guys and we were to embark on the first leg of our adventure which would see us flying from Vatry to Tripoli Libya to uplift cheap fuel. This would be my first visit to Libya and I would not return for another three years when on an Iraqi evacuation flight during the civil war which culminated in Gadhafi’s overthrow and death, originating from Baghdad in a Boeing 747-400 for the Government of Iraq…….happy days!

 

Once on-board, I checked the maintenance log and noted that it was almost totally clear of defects…….however, it quickly became apparent that it was a legal requirement to complete the deferred defect section using invisible ink!

I was advised by the flight engineer that there were actually a ‘few unpublished’ defects, which were………

 

 

TO BE COMPLETED SOON! JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO READ ON?

My own personal incidents during the last 30 years.

I will shortly post five tales from my last 30 years, I hope they will be of interest!

1. Double engine failure in a PA31 and dead-stick landing into Middle Wallop in the UK.
2. Diversion from San Francisco in a Boeing 747-400, due to Snoopy!
3. Rejected take-off in a Boeing 737-500 at Prague, only time Inshallah would have been appropriate!
4. Engine failure in a Boeing 747-400 on the climb-out from Seoul.
5. My last flight from Lagos on the DC10-30 as it started to fall to bits.....

I will advise on my Facebook page (just look for Alan Carter's page) when these have been posted.
I hope you'll enjoy them.......more than I did at the time!

My diary during training at Asiana!

CHAPTER XXX (DEAR DIARY)

 

Dudley said yes! Great news my Virgin Atlantic Chief Pilot had approved my six month secondment to Asiana Airlines in South Korea. He was the perfect Chief Pilot, a go-between and often punch bag between ‘his’ pilots and the company’s non flying management. If he thought that you were right, then he would back you all the way. If you were wrong then he would call you a ’dickhead’ and then move on. A man who held the respect and loyalty of all his pilots and of a kind I have sadly never met again.

So with more than a little apprehension I headed off to Seoul and six months wearing the brown uniform of South Korea’s second largest airline. I was to be employed as a Boeing 747-400 Captain, temporarily flying Asiana’s aircraft around the globe whilst they trained their own local pilots to fly this fabulous aircraft.

The contract was for six months, though as there was no interview, I would be employed should I successfully pass their simulator check-ride in Seoul. Being only 33 years old and a Boeing 747-400 Captain I was told by my agent might raise the Koreans eyebrows.

Deciding that it was cheaper to keep a diary than constantly call my wife, being 1997 e-mails and computers were still in their infancy, the following is a word for word account of my first month. Apologies in advance for the grammar and spelling!

 

 

Me off to Manila on-board an Asiana B 747-400

 

 DAY 1.

Only six days to go, or possibly 5 months and 30 days to go.

Welcome to Seoul, more like welcome to Sole, as so far it impresses you like something on the bottom of your shoe. Maybe..... the hotel will be an improvement; Alas no.

However, ideal for getting around as it’s strategically located between two freeways. Well, the brochure says it has two restaurants, a cosy pub and fitness room. Also, the hotel have a courtesy bus for running you around. Wrong, on all counts. The pub and restaurants are closed and have been for some time. The courtesy bus is no longer working, and the fitness room is a sauna for Koreans, and not the round-eyes.

The mini-bar only has soft drinks; and the air-conditioning is either on (but only six hours a night) or off, so you either boil, or freeze in an icy wind.

Maybe it’s only first impressions. Sad news today, Princess Diana has died in a car crash.....was Prince Philip driving?!?

P.S. Three meals in the coffee shop today.

 

DAY 2.

Only five days to go, or possibly 5 months and 29 days to go.

No, first impressions were definitely correct.

Joy of joys today I get to leave the hotel. So a taxi ride to the airport and then a bus to head-office for paper-work checking. Made all the more enjoyable as you have to wear a jacket and tie; this is okay as it’s only 90 degrees Fahrenheit and 100% humidity. Claire, please send more deodorant.

Well, after handing over licences, passports and 20 photos they (the slant eyes) still don’t believe who I am. So after explaining my life story from short trousers and spots to four gold bars (and spots) no they are still unsure. Nevermind, they say I can go back to the hotel, deep joy.

Oh well back to the coffee shop for more spaghetti. Yum Yum......

Maybe tonight I can sleep through to 3:00 am, which compared to last night will be a lie in.

 

DAY 3.

Only four days to go, or possibly 5 months and 28 days to go.

Guess what, day off today, to allow time to prepare for tomorrows simulator. Good news though, an Aussie has turned up whom I’m paired with in training; at least a drinking partner. Stupid me, no he has hepatitis, caught in Bombay, and can only eat vegetables and only drink soft drinks.....deep joy.

Oh well after all day studying out for dinner. A local Chinese restaurant, surprisingly edible, the first plus point.

By the way I slept in till 1:30 am last night; aren’t time changes and jet-lag wonderful.

Excellent telly tonight Minder on the Orient Express.....but in Korean though. Arfur’s not quite the same, you expect him to drop kick Chisolm whilst speaking at 10 words per second.

Oh well tomorrow should be either interesting or soul destroying. I can’t help but have a hunch......

Did I mention that they have an entire T.V. channel dedicated to the korean version of draughts which runs for 24 hours a day, you have to ask why? How sad eh.

 

DAY 4.

Only 3 days to go, or possibly 5 months and 27 days to go.

 

JUDGMENT DAY.

       FAIL-------Go Home-------Yipee!   

       PASS-----STAY--------Help!

 

Bad start, training Captain wants proof that I am who I say I am. I’m starting to wonder if my aviation career was possibly just a dream.

Oh well here we go. Must have been the busiest simulator I’ve ever done. Not helped by sarcastic comments from training Captain like, what excuse do you have for doing that. All positive comments no? Funny really coming from a country which kill more people in aeroplanes each year, than the I.R.A. do every 20 years.

Big black mark though, I didn’t eat lunch with the training Captain. I wasn’t being rude but I prefer my food groups not to include animals with either antennae or tentacles. It gets worse.........

..........I pased the simulator. But.......tomorrow I have to report to the ‘headmaster’ and the personnel department to surprise, surprise have a face-to-face chat to explain that yes I am who I am and can I provide proof. Maybe DNA testing and a personal recommendation from Interpol would suffice, but I doubt it.

I am starting to think that I could possibly be an imposter, who has embarked on a masochistic holiday, of the worlds worst eateries. Tonight proved it was true.

Never, and I mean never, be persuaded to try a typical korean restaurant.

I thought I was safe with strips of beef to be cooked on my own personal Bar-B-Q. No, unless you like scrag end, accompanied with about 10 indescribable dishes; one of which was suspiciously like a monkeys hand in some sort of sauce. My soup had spring onions, and oh, two baby daddy-long legs, an accident or on purpose I will never know. By the way the main dish the waitress called ‘pup’, need I say more.

Can’t wait for tomorrow, it’s bound to be a real hum-dinger.  

 

DAY 5.

Well, 5 months and 26 days to go, or possibly 1 month until end of training.

More importantly only two more dinners to go before changing hotels. Hopefully I won’t be sharing my bed..........with bed bugs in the new one.

So much for my interview with the ‘headmaster’ he was an admin manager in his early twenties; who has taken my log book to check that I’m once again not an ‘imposter’.

This afternoon was spent with the United Nations of Asiana. Steve from Oz, Casea from Mexico, Vladomir from Bulgaria, Mark from Los Angeles and Kapoor from India. Still no other Brits. After hearing the horror stories of what’s been happeninh here no -one from the ex-pat world can understand why no Asiana airliner has gone down yet. But at the moment it seems inevitable.

‘The pub is not closed’. Good news, not. We were told it’s closed, but is actually a brothel closed to the round-eyes......No great loss.

Excellent Chinese tonight, again..........

 

DAY 6.

5 months and 25 days to go; or still one month until end of training, and then being sent home or allowed to stay. I’m no longer bothered either way.

I forgot, yesterday Mr P.J. Lee asked if after 6 months has elapsed, would I like to extend my contract. Words could not explain my delight and excitement at this prospect. I think not somehow.

Great excitement today back to the airport to open local bank account, at last a positive reason for being here. We were told yesterday that Lufthansa pilots were used to start the airline up 8 years ago. And 8 years ago they were paid $27,000 U.S. per month; where have we gone wrong, that should just about suffice for the penance of being here and putting up with the Korean trainers, or so I’m led to believe. I think best I make my own mind up; but somehow I can’t help think that I’m in for a short sharp shock.      

 

DAY 7.

5 months & 24 days to go. Who knows when training’s going to end, not me.

Today was so boring, what can I say except good night.

 

DAY 8.

5 months and 23 days to go. Can’t wait to get home now.

We had a lecture today about how to find local Korean bookstores, and also a Korean folk village up in the mountains. I just can’t wait but we had to look interested and enthralled.

Not a lot more to say except good Italian tonight, now that’s pretty boring. A bit like life here.

I’m not quite at the point where they have to take away my razor blades or shoelaces to protect myself. But watch this space.                                                                                                                                                                                   

      

 

DAY 9.

5 months and 22 days to go. I’ve given up to working out when I’m finished here.

At last we get to learn something from a Boeing Test pilot Jack. But mainly about what we discussed was how to survive and cope with the korean crews. Best of all at least I don’t have to eat korean food in the canteen to prove that I’m ‘culturally adjusted’.

Boring evening the locally ‘Wendys’ is rubbish.

Oh well lethargy has set in I’m off to bed.

 

DAY 10.

5 months and 21 days to go.

Another test to day Korean Air Law, we’ve now just found out that Korean Law’s a bit stricter than what we’re used to. They have everything from fines up to the death penalty; more good news, not......

One more day of box ticking. Again, ground school took 1/2 hour this afternoon on a topic Virgin would take two days.

Korean Air lines nearly lost another aircraft in Guam last week we’ve found out. The Yanks have banned them from flying at night to Guam. Hoping that they won’t hit the mountains during the day; some hope.

Good Chinese tonight but cost an arm and a leg.

Oh well, I’m listening to my first cassette of Coronation Street and Eastenders with a commentary from Claire. Now this is sad.

 

DAY 11.

5 months and 20 days to go.

Well, what can I say another total waste of time al day spent at the administration building talking to incompetents that can’t make decisions, or unwilling to do so. Spent three hours going around in circles. However, we got our rosters which are totally unworkable/unfriendly.

No passport, no I.D. pass, no medical certificate, no visa, no uniform. A complete shambles.

Already my contract (re. days off) is being ignored. But according to ASIANA  a contract is a broad outline, and not binding, I think not.

Groundschool non existent we turned up, but were asked to sign an attendance sheet, and go back to the hotel. More box-ticking.

Hey-ho tomorrows’ another day off in paradise. Cheesed off of korea signing off.

 

DAY 12.

5 months and 19 days to go.

Excellent breakfast, average lunch, at Wendys hamburger ‘restaurant’, and a passable dinner in the coffee shop. This was interspersed with spending all day going through the manuals and working on the simulator profiles which we’ve been given. If nothing else you can’t say that I’m not prepared. You can also say that today was once again mind-boggingly tedious.

There’s at least a Chinese laundry underground behind the hotel as my four shirts (in two weeks) are now looking, and probably smelling, a bit shabby.

I can’t say much else except that I’ve survived another day here.

GOODNIGHT.

 

DAY 13.

5 months and 18 days to go now.

Would you believe it, back at the administration building, they were prepared, well almost, for us. Licence, passport (plus a dodgy visa) and our uniform were ready, no mean feat to get all this in one morning.

Also, I received my roster which takes some working out due to criss-crossing the international date line. For example; returning to Seoul from Los Angeles if you meet at the airport to fly home, (this must be bad/sad I’m now calling Seoul home, will someone please hurry up and get me out of here.), say on a Tuesday you land after an 11 hour flight on a Thursday.

Hey-ho, back to the training centre for day 1 of simulator training.

Yep, you guessed it all the revision and preparation a total waste of time, as the training Captain (Whom, I must say was a total Gentleman of the first order.) wanted to evaluate us. Basically, trying to find out if I was a Captain, now where have we heard this before.........

What this guy was trying to teach us was at times down-right dangerous and totally out of place. But we’ve been briefed to nod and agree; and come out with comments like “I’ve not thought of doing it that way before” or, “that’s a very good alternative way of doing this”.

Oh well, it’s just another hoop to jump through. I’m going to be excellent at croquet after this, or I should be ale to get a job in a circus; as I’ve never jumped through so many hoops.

Guess what day off tomorrow. Best have an early night; because tomorrow is bound to be pretty hectic! Oh well another 24 hours of pure delight and excitement to look forward to.

I can’t help but feel that I’m turning into a cynic here.

Exasperated of Seoul,.......signing off.....

By the way the uniform would impress the most introverted Mexican, as I’ve never seen so much gold braid; and the hat, well it’s got to be seen (certainly not worn) to be believed.

 

DAY 14.

5 months and 17 days to go now. But who’s counting, eh!

Day off today. Achieved absolutely nothing today most things are close, as it’s ‘Chusok’, korean thanksgiving and they have four days of national holidays. So nowt to do except go for a walk and read a book.

Maybe tomorrow will be a bit more inspiring.

However, in four days time I’ll be in Los Angeles, can’t wait.

It seems like I’ve been here for an eternity, and not just two weeks.

 

DAY 15.

5 months and 16 days to go now.

Day 2 of simulator training, no problems here, everything went well. Apart from that not, a lot else except we managed to get our medical certificate, so now we’re completely legal. Whatever that could mean here. Where rules are made to be bent and I’m sure everything is run or obtained on a corrupt basis. Uh, oh, I’m becoming cynical again; but then again I have been here more than two weks.

Oh, well i’s now just an eternity and one day. Civilization in Los Angeles is only three days away. I can’t help but think that word’s come down from somewhere to look after us (us, being ex-pats) as so far everyone has treated us fairly and, dare I say it, humanely.

 

DAY 16.

5 months and 15 days to go, nearly finished the contract, but that’s probably just wishful thinking.

Well up at 5:30 am for more simulator. I’m doing more time in the ‘box’ than I did on conversion training in the U.K.

Today we get to fly with the Chief Pilot, I can’t help but feel that the knives are out and being sharpened today. This was especially true as I was told that my performance was to also be judged by the head of ‘standards’, now that has to be a contradiction in terms, in Korea. All went well, and both instructor pilots said that I did a good job. This was extremely positive. I believe (but this is either paranoia, or cynicism once again) that again, because of my age, nobody or no one person wanted to be responsible for releasing me to line flying. I reckon this was probably a more important session today, than our checkride tomorrow.

Met up with Howard Taylor one of the two ex-B.A. guys. He took us to the pizza parlour. Unfortunately they had run out of salad for the salad bar, and also run out of pasta; well it’s not Rome, nor Naples I suppose.

So we ended up in ‘Wendys’, at least the foods recognisable here, but bland.

Ah, I forgot we (Ian and I) had to have lunch with the two simulator instructors. You guessed it once again I wouldn’t feed this to Henry my King Charles spaniel. They had an alternative on ‘whitebait’ it was dried baby fish but more like eels. No way thanks.

 

DAY 17.

5 months and 14 days to go. Or once again another hoop to jump through as this is our checkride.

Up again at 5:30 am, at least we finish early.

The training Captain seemed like a reasonable and friendly guy. All bodes well, but watch this space...........

..............I flew what I thought was the best simulator detail that I had flown throughout my 15 year career. You name it, everything was thrown at me in 2 1/2 hours, and everything was thrown back.

Ian unfortunately didn’t fly very well, I thought that we were going to crash a couple of times, and also run off the runway a couple of times. It got to the point where I was really starting to feel for him, as we all have off days.

Well, we left the simulator and our training captain went for a chat with the ‘head of (so called) standards’. I thought this didn’t bode well for Ian, as I thought he he might have failed.

How wrong could I be.

We were told that we had both passed the checkride, BUT. I was told that there were many criticisms of my flying, my management of the flightdeck and also my crew-relation skills. I was debriefed on everything; the only positive comment was that my flying of the aircraft was, Okay. I very nearly told him to shove it; but I thought that this is what he wanted, as he couldn’t break me in the simulator so he would try in the debriefing.

On the othe rhand Ian was complimented mainly, and his debrief took about three minutes, mainly talking about his military flying!

We refused lunch, and I an said that he was virtually ‘gob-smacked’ by our debriefing, and said that he reckoned it was only going to get worse for me.

I bumped into Jack in the hotel on our return (He was the Boeing training captain) and explained what happened. He stated also that it’s going to get worse on route-training. Deep joy, watch this space. I won’t let the B******S win though!

 

DAY 18.

5 months and 13 days to go.

Todays the day; Escape from Hell, sorry Seoul. We get to leave and go to Los Angeles. Hopefully I won’t have a shouter or a screamer today. Just in case my bags are packed; and Ian has strict instructions that if I don’t return to send my bags on, there’s positive thinking for you!

Well, someone likes me Captain Park-Dong-Min, an absolute gentleman is the training captain today. Twelve hours time and I should be meeting Claire....................at last.

Nothing more to add except at last things are going my way. I’ve got Claire...........................and also Western people and Western food.

 

DAY 19.

5 months and 12 days to go.

Still in L.A. Life is at last wonderful again. The only downside is that we leave and go our separate ways.

Uh oh we managed to get Claire’s ring, as I said to the jeweller....Wow....!

 

DAY 20.

5 months and 11 days to go.

All good things come to an end, today we part and go home. But I’ve had the best time in the last two days than I’ve had in the last three weeks. At last I’ve stopped being cynical; or is writing that being cynical.

It’s been great being with Claire again, it’s also been nice to see the guys from Virgin again. Being in Seoul and working for Asiana certainly concentrates your mind, and makes you realise what your giving up at home. I just hope it’s all worth it.

 

DAY 21.

5 months and 10 days to go.

Well on my way back to Seoul, today doesn’t really exist as we cross the international date line. Don’t ask me how it works.

 

DAY 22.

5 months and 9 days to go.

I think todays Tuesday, nope I’m wrong it’s Wednesday. Today we landed back in Seoul, a good trip with nice people.

Nothing to do with the rest of the day except eat and sleep. Oh well back to my usual boring routine. I don’t think anything else happened.

 

DAY 23.

5 months and 8 days to go.

I can’t believe I’ve been here nearly a month, even though it certainly feels like it. Joy of joys nowt to do today. Caught up with Ian, and compared notes on our flights, so far so good. Lucky guy is going home to Sydney.

I have to go to the admin building today. At last I’ve gt my log-book back. Major row with Mr. P.J.Lee, told him in no uncertain terms that I have ten days off next month. Great, route-training isn’t going to finish until November, deep joy. Well, it didn’t take long, cynicism is back to stay.

Not a lot to say, today has to have been the most boring day out here so far and that’s saying a lot. I even cleaned my hotel room, why? Also, I’ve done more washing. God, get me home soon.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better, but only if....if....if.....So what, it’s going to be the same me thinks.

 

So that was my diary from the first 23 days in Seoul. In the next chapter I will expand on what I have written and add the value of hindsight to my comments. I will also explain in more depth about Seoul, my training my flights and why Korean Grandparents were told by their government to look behind their sofa for U.S. Dollars!.

Looking back it can’t have been that bad, as three years later I returned to Seoul to work for Asiana’s nemesis, Korean Airlines. They said once you’ve been brown you can’t go blue but I did!