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IFALPA. . Aircraft Design & Operation

Boeing Volcanic Ash Advice

This briefing leaflet is comprised of two parts the first is a selection of pages from the Boeing Commercial Airplanes publication
Aero and deals with advances in volcanic ash avoidance and recovery the second part is based on the Flight Operations Technical
Bulletin issued by the company on 21 April 2010.
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The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet
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The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet
11ADOBL02 I.F .A. L.P.A
The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet
I.F .A. L.P.A
The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet
11ADOBL02 I.F .A. L.P.A
The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet
11ADOBL02 I.F .A. L.P.A
The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet
11ADOBL02 I.F .A. L.P.A
The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet
11ADOBL02 I.F .A. L.P.A
The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet
11ADOBL02 I.F .A. L.P.A
The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet
11ADOBL02 I.F .A. L.P.A
The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet

BOEING COMMERCIAL AIRPLANES

FLIGHT OPERATIONS TECHNICAL BULLETIN

NUMBER: 707-10-1
727-10-1
737-10-1
747-18 (747-100/200/300)
747-59 (747-400/-8)
757-78
767-80
777-28
787-2
DATE: April 21, 2010

This bulletin provides information which may prove useful in airline operations or airline training. The information provided in
this bulletin is not critical to flight safety. The information may not apply to all customers; specific effectivity can be determined
by contacting The Boeing Company. This information will remain in effect depending on production changes, customer-originat-
ed modifications, and Service Bulletin incorporation. Information in this bulletin is supplied by The Boeing Company and may
not be approved or endorsed by the FAA at the time of writing. Appropriate formal documentation will be revised, as necessary,
to reflect the information contained in this bulletin. For further information, contact Boeing Commercial Airplanes; Chief Pilot -
Flight Technical and Safety; Training and Flight Services; P.O. Box 3707; Mail Code 14-HA; Seattle, Washington 98124-2207;
Phone (206) 544-9700; Facsimile (206)544-9687; SITA: SEABO7X Station 627.

SUBJECT: Specific Flight Crew Actions Required in Response to Volcanic Ash Encounters

ATA NO: 05-50

APPLIES TO: All 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, 787, DC-8, DC-9, DC-10, MD-10, MD-11, MD-80, and MD-90
Airplanes

REFERENCES:
/A/ Boeing Multi-Operator Message MOM-MOM-10-0277-01B Dated 16 April 2010 GMT
/B/ AERO Magazine No. 9, 1st Quarter 2000
/C/ Boeing Multi-Operator Message MOM-MOM-10-0280-01B Dated 19 April 2010 GMT
/D/ Boeing Multi-Operator Message MOM-MOM-10-0281-01B Dated 21 April 2010 GMT

BACKGROUND:
As a result of volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajoekull, Iceland area, all flights in and out of the United Kingdom and several other
European countries have been suspended. Flight operations may be impacted for several months. The Reference /A/ message is
a guide to operators and covers both airplane protection during this event and the actions necessary to return airplane to service
following potential volcanic ash contamination.
This message is for dispatchers, flight followers, and flight crews and is a synopsis of the Reference /B/ article. Further, ground
operation considerations and precautions have been added. The following information is general in nature; flight crews should
refer to their company’s operating manuals for more details.

OPERATING INFORMATION:
Operational guidance about volcanic ash is divided into three parts: Avoidance, Recognition, and Procedures.

Avoidance
Preventing flight into potential ash environments requires planning in these areas:
Dispatch needs to provide flight crews with information about volcanic events, such as potentially eruptive volcanoes and
known ash sightings, that could affect a particular route.
Dispatch needs to identify alternate routes to help flight crews avoid airspace containing volcanic ash.
Dispatch also needs to identify escape routes in the event of an unplanned descent due to an engine failure or cabin
depressurization.
Flight crews should stay upwind of volcanic ash and dust.
Flight crews should remember that airborne weather radar is ineffective in distinguishing ash from small dust particles.
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The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet

Recognition
Indicators that an airplane is penetrating volcanic ash are related to odor, haze, changing engine conditions, airspeed, pressuriza-
tion, and static discharges.
Odor. When encountering a volcanic ash cloud, flight crews usually notice a smoky or acrid odor that can smell like
electrical smoke, burned dust, or sulfur.
Haze. Most flight crews, as well as cabin crews and passengers, see a haze develop within the airplane. Dust can settle
on surfaces.
Changing engine conditions. Surging, torching from the tailpipe, and flameouts can occur. Engine temperatures can
change unexpectedly and a white glow can appear at the engine inlets.
Airspeed. If volcanic ash fouls the pitot tube, the indicated airspeed can decrease or fluctuate erratically.
Pressurization. Cabin pressure can change, including possible loss of cabin pressurization.
Static discharges. A phenomenon similar to St. Elmo’s fire or glow can occur. In these instances, blue-colored sparks
can appear to flow up the outside of the windshield or a white glow can appear at the leading edges of the wings or at
the front of the engine inlets.

Procedures
Procedures are divided into two parts: In-flight Operations and Ground Operations at Airports Impacted by Volcanic Ash.

In-flight Operations
Flight crews should do the Volcanic Ash non-normal checklist in the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). This checklist includes
the following information:
Exit the ash cloud as quickly as possible. A 180-degree turn out of the ash cloud using a descending turn is the quick-
est exit strategy. Many ash clouds extend for hundreds of miles, so assuming that the encounter will end shortly can be
false. Climbing out of the ash could result in increased engine debris buildup as the result of increased temperatures.
The increased engine buildup can cause total thrust loss.

If volcanic dust fills the flight deck, the flight crew may need to use oxygen. Use flight deck oxygen at the 100 per-
cent setting. If requested by the cabin crew, the flight crew may consider manual deployment of the passenger oxygen
system. Flight crews should remember that the passenger oxygen system will deploy automatically if the cabin altitude
exceeds 14,000 ft.

Turn the autothrottle(s) off. This prevents the autothrottle(s) from increasing thrust. Ash debris in the engine can
result in reduced surge margins and limiting the number of thrust adjustments improves the chances of engine recovery.

If conditions allow, reduce thrust to idle immediately. By reducing thrust, engines may suffer less buildup of molten
debris on turbine blades and hot-section components. Idle thrust allows engines to continue producing electrical power,
bleed air for pressurization, and hydraulic power for airplane control.

Turn on continuous ignition, if available.

If an engine flames out or stalls, attempt to restart the engine(s). Confirm that autostart is on, if available. During
restart, the engines may take longer than normal to reach idle thrust due to the combined effects of high altitude and
volcanic ash ingestion. If an engine fails to start, immediately try restarting it again. Flight crews should remember that
the airplane may be out of the airstart envelope if the encounter occurs during cruise.

Turn on engine and wing anti-ice devices, and all air conditioning packs. These actions improve the engine stall
margin by increasing the flow of bleed air.

Start the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), if available. The APU can power systems in the event of a dual/multiple
engine power loss. It can also be used to restart engines using APU bleed air. Flight crews should remember that mul-
tiple APU start attempts can shorten battery life.

Monitor engine Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT). Because of potential engine debris buildup, the EGT can climb
excessively. The flight crew should prevent EGT exceedances. Shut down the engine and restart it if the EGT is
approaching limits similar to a hung start.

Monitor airspeed and pitch attitude. Watch for abnormal indications from pitot static system indicators. If neces-
sary, follow the non-normal checklist for flight with unreliable airspeed.
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The Global Voice of Pilots
Aircraft Design & Operation
Briefing Leaflet

Ground Operations at Airports Impacted by Volcanic Ash

Remove ash from the airplane prior to flight. Prior to flight, the operator must ensure that critical components such
as inlets, probes, and static ports are free of volcanic ash. Volcanic ash will be similar in appearance to talcum powder.
If ash is detected on or in the vicinity of a parked airplane, Boeing suggests that operators clean the areas of the airplane
where ash is present, including the fuselage crown, horizontal surfaces, inlets, and exposed chrome common to the land-
ing gear, to remove all traces of ash. Boeing strongly advises against water or detergent washing of the engine gaspath
as this can cause accumulation of foreign material in the engine cooling flow passages. Operators should follow the
engine manufacturer’s recommendations for engine gaspath cleaning. Operators should pay special attention to the
removal of volcanic ash from engine and APU inlets; areas around probes, ports, vents and drain holes; as well as ram
air ducts and all windows. Operators should be aware that airplane washing processes, without proper sealing of ports
and tubes, can introduce ash debris or water into pitot static systems. If there are no signs of volcanic ash, normal oper-
ations may be conducted.

Remove all covers and blanking material prior to flight. Flight crews should ensure that all materials used to mask
or blank inlets, probes, and ports are removed.

Determine safe ground routing. After an airplane is free from any volcanic ash contamination, the operator should
coordinate with the local airport authority to determine which ramps, taxiways and runways are clear of ash contamina-
tion. This information must be passed to flight crews prior to beginning ground operations.

Prior to departure, flight crews should review the airspeed unreliable, volcanic ash, single engine failure,
dual/multiple engine failure, and engine in-flight start non-normal checklists.

IFALPA provides this data for information only, In all cases pilots should follow their company’s guidance and procedures.
In the interests of flight safety, reproduction of this bulletin in whole or in part is encouraged. It may not be offered for sale or used commercially.
All reprints must credit IFALPA.