[Guest_Poster]

BigDog

A walk-around check is mandatory before every flight, but if you ever get close to an A319, you will find that the engine pods are close to the ground and it is not so easy to see if the latches are in place on the cowls. Some are fitted with devices to hold them open, if unlatched and some are painted in bright colours to help. It should not happen, but if you look at the record of cowls leaving aircraft, it is sadly something that happens from time to time.

[travelworld]

Absolutely extraordinary- shades of the Herald of Free Enterprise back in the 1980s (when the ship left the port with the bow door open, although that was rather more obvious). Fortunately in this instance there was no loss of life- well done to the crew for getting the aircraft home.

[BigDog.]

Guest_Poster @ 15:01
I am a layperson so accept what you say. However the bulletin does note, (including a stock photo) that a visible gap could be seen prior to push-back.

” Following the event photographs of the aircraft, taken
prior to pushback, were provided to the AAIB. These
photographs show the fan cowl doors unlatched on both
engines.”

[Guest_Poster]

BigDog

I am not trying to excuse the unlatched cowls, just passing my opinion on the challenge of seeing the latches in place, due to the ergonomics of the situation. This incident will make a good case study for Human Factors training, how did more than one set of experienced eyes miss it?

Fortunately, this incident resulted in no injuries. Another (infamous) incident of incorrect latch fastening (on a cargo door) resulted in several hundred deaths (the THY DC10 that crashed outside Paris.)
Sadly human errors are difficult to eradicate from complex systems.

[BigDog.]

@Guest_Poster 15:16 Yes I agree. Am a touch surprised given the problem has previous then there isn’t an auditory alarm as @DerekHodgson 14:35 suggested. Or maybe having circuitry so close to fuel lines could create an different problem.

[SimonS1]

Martyn – this might help with the path.

http://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW762/history/20130524/0655Z/EGLL/ENGM/tracklog

Looks an interesting ride, up, down, up, down etc.

[Tim2soza]

I was inbound on BA192. After circling for 30 mins, we diverted to Stansted. The crew were very informative, and the Captain came down to speak with us after landing.

While on the ground in Stansted, I asked to disembark, but BA has no PAX processing facilities at STN.

A cup of tea was provided by a hard working crew who hid their tiredness.

We were parked at a gate and airport WiFi was available. (I was at the front.)

After a refuel and approx 40 mins on the ground, we took off and flew for 12 mins back to LHR. On landing in LHR the terminal was chaos. The queue for transfer passengers backed up so far that those heading for passport control had to cross the queue, and that was causing upset and aggro.

I have never been a fan of T5, which I think is a design failure in terms of the flow of passengers through the terminal, but it was looking utterly grubby and really is not appealing. Whoever designed the route from passport control to the Heathrow Express forgot to give clear signage .

The crew were great, and despite disruption to many people’s day, not a single murmour of complaint. We all knew BA did their best in the circumstances.

BA F photos for anyone interested. (Taken over a number of flights.)

[MartynSinclair]

I don’t think there are sensors for unsealed / unpressurised latches…. engine cowls just need closing, cargo doors need sealing….

Errors and mistakes will always happen, but something as basic as an engine cowl latch…….. missed by ground crew and walk around pilot…

[Tallinnman]

To be fair to the pilot conducting the walk around, the cowling, although unlatched is apparently completely flush as it would be when physically closed. For the pilot to check they would be required to lie on the ground directly under the engine and physically check they are locked by attempting to hinge the cowling upwards.

Reckon a few have been tempted to do this recently!

Some airlines have a additional checks in place when these type of cowlings are opened requiring a additional inspections and sign off.

[MartynSinclair]

Tallinnman – as any student pilot will tell you, one of the first things you learn in pilot school is to check engine cowling latches are secure. it is no defence to state the latches are hard to view or inaccessible. Its forms part of the standard pre flight walk around…

I have not viewed the BA preflight walk around ops manual, so do not know whether this is the job of the pilot of ground engineer, but I am sure one of the current airbus pilots on here will confirm…

[SimonS1]

Tim – I don’t really follow the bit about “PAX processing facilities” in Stansted. Surely if you are travelling with hand luggage you just show your passport? I can understand if you had hold baggage, then again surely there is a contingency plan? Or if the delay had been longer would you have been detained indefinitely?

[MartynSinclair]

Have a look at this clip from about 3.35 when the pilot does the walk round by the engine (Air Canada)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2i8TZ5TvB4

[Xuluman]

MartynSinclair,

Please understand the walk round on a turn between sectors is much reduced compared with the initial check before you accept an aircraft.

For example, the cowl doors will not have magically become unlatched during flight without reason so why would they check this?

Can feel the pax watching closely – Little bit of knowledge is dangerous. How many pax have complained recently that their pilot hasn’t checked the latches to their taste?

[Tim2soza]

SimonS1- I was hand baggage only. The CSD tried, to no avail.

[SimonS1]

Sounds like typical BA bureaucracy. I’m not sure what ‘processing’ the had to do.

Bad enough closing Heathrow down, you would have thought they could have shown some sense.

[Author]

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