DANGER Volcanic Ash

Volcanic Ash clouds are a serious hazard to aircraft. The famous incident at Jakarta years ago with A BA jumbo jet comes to mind. The aircraft flew into a volcanic ash cloud. All four engines flamed out the aircraft glided down from a high cruise flight level to FL120 before they could get them restarted. It was dark the pilots were not aware they were in the cloud. They made an emergency landing in Jakarta. The windscreen was badly pitted and the pilots could not see out except for a small crack on the Co pilot's side. The co pilot directed the captain on finals looking through the crack. Yes you guessed it the ILS was not working. On landing they had to be pulled by tug to the stand as they could not see to taxi. On inspecting the damage the paint was also missing on the outside. An amazing bit of Airmanship which won the crew high praise and many awards.

The amazing humour side was Captain Eric Moody put out a Mayday stating all four engines had failed and Jakarta Control said Speedbird *** Jakarta control have you got a problem ?. The voice transcript on the black box made interesting listening when Eric spoke to the co pilot afterwards. I will leave you to draw your own conclusions  what Eric said. It went something like all four engines are out we are a glider possibly crash landing in the sea full of sharks and he asks have we got a problem.

For Interest

  What a Volcanic Ash Warning For Mt Etna looks like

Document: 6880 | Created: 09:56 11/06/2002 UTC | Help#:1-877-280-2811 | Page: 01
Description: Ash Cloud Forecast       | Toulouse VAAC
________________________________________________________________________________
FVEU01 LFPW 060402
VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY
ISSUED:
06NOV2002/0400UTC
VAAC:
TOULOUSE
VOLCANO:
ETNA 0101-06
LOCATION:
N3744E01500
AREA:
ITALY
SUMMIT ELEVATION:
3350M
ADVISORY NUMBER:
2002/43
INFORMATION SOURCE:
SATELLITE IMAGERY AND WEBCAM AT CATANIA
AVIATION COLOUR CODE:
NIL
ERUPTION DETAILS:
ASH EMISSION SINCE 27TH OCTOBER 2002  0200 UTC. CONTINUOUS PLUME UP
TO FL180
OBS ASH DATE/TIME:
05NOV2002/1900 UTC (ON IR IMAGES)
OBS ASH CLOUD:
DUE TO CLOUDS COVERING THE AREA, ASH CLOUD CANNOT BE SEEN ANY MORE
ON  SATELLITE  IMAGERY,  BUT ACCORDING TO LATEST INFORMATIONS, ASH
EMISSION IS STILL CONTINUOUS.
FSCT ASH CLOUD+6H:
ACCORDING TO SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS FORCASTED IN THE AREA , BLOWING UP
TO 25-35KT BELOW FL180,  ASH CLOUD WILL BE  DRIFTED NORTHEASTWARD.
A DENSE ASH PLUME SHOULD EXTEND THAT WAY ABOUT 120 TO 150 NM FROM
SUMMIT WITHIN NEXT 6 HOURS.
FSCT ASH CLOUD+12H:
FSCT ASH CLOUD+18H:
NEXT ADVISORY:
WILL BE ISSUED THE 6TH  NOVEMBER 2002 AT ABOUT 1000 UTC.
REMARKS:
PLEASE REFER TO SIGMETS FOR CURRENT WARNINGS=

FVEU01 LFPW 060951
VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY
ISSUED:
06NOV2002/1000UTC
VAAC:
TOULOUSE
VOLCANO:
ETNA 0101-06
LOCATION:
N3744E01500
AREA:
ITALY
SUMMIT ELEVATION:
3350M
ADVISORY NUMBER:
2002/44
Document: 6880 | Created: 09:56 11/06/2002 UTC | Help#:1-877-280-2811 | Page: 02
Description: Ash Cloud Forecast       | Toulouse VAAC
________________________________________________________________________________
INFORMATION SOURCE:
SATELLITE IMAGERY AND CATANIA WEBCAM
AVIATION COLOUR CODE:
NIL
ERUPTION DETAILS:
ASH EMISSION SINCE 27TH OCTOBER 2002  0200 UTC. CONTINUOUS PLUME UP
TO FL180
OBS ASH DATE/TIME:
06NOV2002/0800 UTC (ON WEBCAM)
OBS ASH CLOUD:
DUE TO CLOUDS COVERING THE AREA, ASH CLOUD CANNOT BE SEEN ON
SATELLITE  IMAGERY, BUT THE WEBCAM SHOWS CONTINOUS ASH EMISSION,
DRIFTED NORTHEASTWARD.
FSCT ASH CLOUD+6H:
ACCORDING TO SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS FORECASTED IN THE AREA , BLOWING
UP TO 25-35KT BETWEEN FL120 FL180, ASH CLOUD WILL BE  DRIFTED
NORTHEASTWARD. A DENSE ASH PLUME SHOULD EXTEND THAT WAY ABOUT 120
TO 150 NM FROM SUMMIT WITHIN NEXT 6 HOURS.
BELOW FL120, WINDS FORECASTED IN THE AREA ARE MAINLY WESTERLY 10KT
SO DIFFUSE ASH IS EXPECTED BELOW FL120 BETWEEN 15E AND 20E AND
BETWEEN 37N AND 42N.
FSCT ASH CLOUD+12H:
FSCT ASH CLOUD+18H:
NEXT ADVISORY:
WILL BE ISSUED THE 6TH  NOVEMBER 2002 AT ABOUT 1600 UTC.
REMARKS:
PLEASE REFER TO SIGMETS FOR CURRENT WARNINGS=

Exit