Safety
OEMs Advise Cautious Approach to Volcanic Ash
Operators of turbine-powered aircraft must avoid flying through volcanic ash clouds, according to engine and airframe manufacturers, but if ash is encounte

Operators of turbine-powered aircraft must avoid flying through volcanic ash clouds, according to engine and airframe manufacturers, but if ash is encountered in flight, there are specific techniques that pilots should use as well as post-flight maintenance procedures. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there were 100 documented encounters of aircraft with airborne volcanic ash from 1973 through 2000, but the Survey doesn't believe that aircraft operators have reported all such encounters. “Severity of the encounters has ranged from minor (acrid odor in the cabin and electrostatic discharge on the windshield) to very grave (engine failure requiring in-flight restart of engines). Engine failures have occurred 150 to 600 miles from the volcanic sources. Fortunately, engine failure leading to crash has not occurred,” according to the Survey.  

Loading…