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VOLCANIC ASH

VOLCANIC ASH. IMPACT ON AVIATION SAFETY. Leonard (Len) J. Salinas Manager - QA Dispatch and Operations United Airlines Flight Safety (WHQFS) (847) 700-3707 Leonard.Salinas@united.com. Daniel (Dan) J. Watt Aviation Meteorologist United Airlines Weather Center (847) 700-3099

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VOLCANIC ASH

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  1. VOLCANIC ASH IMPACT ON AVIATION SAFETY Leonard (Len) J. Salinas Manager - QA Dispatch and Operations United Airlines Flight Safety (WHQFS) (847) 700-3707 Leonard.Salinas@united.com Daniel (Dan) J. Watt Aviation Meteorologist United Airlines Weather Center (847) 700-3099 Dan.J.Watt@united.com

  2. IMPACTS • OVER 100 JET AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED ASH IN THE PAST 25 YEARS • ASH NOT DETECTABLE BY RADAR • ASH IS CAPABLE OF SERIOUS DAMAGE

  3. IMPACTS • JET AIRCRAFT TRAVELING OVER 500 MILES/HOUR (6-8 MILES/MIN) • MOUNT ST. HELENS ASH ASCENDED AT 5000FT PER MINUTE. • ONLY FIVE MINUTES FOR ASH TO REACH CRUISE ALTITUDES

  4. AIR-TRAFFIC TODAY 30 Aircraft in Circle 25-30 UAL A/C Enroute 10-15 A/C On Ground

  5. NOTABLE ENCOUNTERS • BRITISH AIRWAYS B-747 NEAR GALUNGGUNG, INDONESIA 1982. • LOST ENGINE POWER TO ALL FOUR ENGINES, RESTARTED THREE ENGINES AND LANDED AT JAKARTA • KLM B747-400 NEAR REDOUBT IN ALASKA, 1989. • ALSO LOST POWER TO ALL FOUR ENGINES, RESTARTED ALL FOUR AND LANDED SAFELY AT ANCHORAGE. (AN $80 MILLION LOSS)

  6. COOLING TURBINE WITH MELTEDVOLCANIC ASH

  7. IMPAIRMENT TO LIGHT COVERS

  8. AIRLINE OPERATIONS (UAL) • THE UAL WEATHER CENTER ACTS AS THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR ALL VOLCANIC ASH EVENTS ON A GLOBAL SCALE • ASSIST PILOTS AND AIRCRAFT DISPATCHERS IN VOLCANIC ASH AVOIDANCE WHEN PLANNING FLIGHTS

  9. FLOW OF INFORMATION ASH EVENT REPORTED TO VAAC VAAC RECEIVES REPORT AND DISTRIBUTES TO MWO AND TO AIRLINES Ash to FL230 VAAS / SIGMETS RECEIVED, INFORMATION IS DISTRIBUTED TO DISPATCH AND TO CREWS INFORMATION RECEIVED BY FLIGHT DISPATCH -- SENT TO ACTIVE FLIGHTS OR USED FOR FLIGHT PLANNING INFORMATION RECEIVED BY PILOTS AND USED IN PLANNING STAGES

  10. AIRLINE OPERATIONS (UAL) • METER AND GRAPHIC FOR VOLCANIC ASH EVENT CREATED FOR USE BY FLIGHT CREWS AND AIRCRAFT DISPATCHERS IN REAL-TIME • IDENTIFIES EVENT AS A HAZARD EITHER TO AIRWAYS OR TO TERMINAL OPERATIONS • TIMELINESSIS ESSENTIAL

  11. Ash at Local Airport in Ecuador

  12. CONCLUSIONS • COMMUNICATIONOF VOLCANIC ASH EVENTS IS VERY CRITICAL TO AIR CARRIERS • HIGH COST FACTORS IF ACFT IS DAMAGED OR IF IT DIVERTS • U.S. DIVERSION COST - $10,000 • INTL’ DIVERSION COST - $100,000

  13. ONE LAST THOUGHT • BETWEEN1989 AND2004 AIRLINE OPERATIONS WERE IMPACTED ON ELEVENSEPARATE OCCASIONS BY VOLCANIC ASH EVENTS • EACH INCIDENT OCCURRED NEAR TENDIFFERENT VOLCANOES • WHILE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REDUCED THANKS TO THE VOLCANO COMMUNITY, INCIDENTS STILL HAPPEN

  14. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?

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