Simulators help pilots prepare for unexpected problems

Question: In simulator training scenarios, how many simultaneous problems do you face (e.g. one at a time, most likely combinations, or pile-’em-on until the aircraft disintegrates)?

– bobbi@MKE

Answer: In the old days, multiple failures in the simulator were common. Some instructors wrongly assumed that adding more and more failures was a good technique. We later learned that it was negative training, and the practice has been stopped.

Today, pilots usually will deal with a single failure. If, during training, a pilot does not execute a procedure properly, it can cause another failure, or certain actions will have an effect on multiple systems. An example is activating an engine fire switch, which will cause an engine loss, loss of a generator and loss of a hydraulic pump.

Q: Can a fully loaded aircraft continue to fly if it loses an engine right at takeoff?

– John Burkart, Georgia

A: Yes, every airliner can climb, cruise and safely land if an engine fails. The most critical time for an engine failure is just as the airplane lifts off. For this reason, pilots regularly practice engine failures in simulators.

Q: Is water landing training being conducted as a result of Capt. Sully’s experience?

– Joe Pollard, The Villages, Florida

A: There are general guidelines about ditching, but it is not a maneuver that is trained in the simulator.

John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.