Richard and Michel von Reth (in front of his favorite indigenous artwork). Sydney 2011

Introduction (by Richard de Crespigny)

It is rare that I find myself in absolute awe in the presence of a professional who sets the best example for all his peers.   But I feel this awe when I am near Cabin Service Manager Michael Von Reth.    During QF32, Michael lead his team of 22 cabin crew, taking control of the passengers and working outside the square to calm and control everyone during the QF32 event.   The QF32 book details Michael’s actions but does little to expose the man and his knowledge and experience.

So this is Michael’s story, written by Michael.   He misses one aspect, that he is fluent in five languages, but spoke in eight “tongues” to our diverse group of passengers.

After you read this, there should be no doubt why Michael had the background, experience and skill to lead his crew and passengers over our four hour event, and why the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) awarded Michael its prestigious “Professionalism Award in Flight safety” – the first time this award has been presented to a cabin crew member in the FSF”s 64 year history.

Michael’s Story

I joined Qantas Airways as a Flight Attendant on 03 February 1986 in Sydney, Australia. I am now a Customer Service Manager with the Company on the Airbus A380 with previous experience on Airbus A330, Boeing B747, and B767.

Other positions I held previous to this one was Cabin Crew Lufthansa German Airlines and Condor Airlines in Frankfurt/Germany, flying on Airbus A300, A320, Boeing B707, B727, B747, and McDonald Douglas DC-10.

I served as an German Airforce NCO within the Nuclear Planning Group at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in Mons/Belgium, as well as an NCO at the German Airforce (GAF) in Hamburg and Cologne/Germany. Prior to this I was employed within the German Public Service at the Federal Chancellery in Bonn/Germany, and the German Space Research Association (GfW) in Bonn/Germany.

Occupational Health and Safety as well as operational safety in the aviation industry has always been of particular interest to me and therefore received a great deal of attention throughout my carrier within that industry.

Curriculum Vitae

Several Languages Aircraft Accident Investigation Courses at

• University of Cranfield, United Kingdom
• Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) Canberra, Australia
• FAA Civil Aviation Medical Institute, Oklahoma City, USA
• Qantas Airways Corporate Safety, Sydney
• Australia Occupational Health and Safety Training at WorkCover Authority of NSW, Sydney and  Qantas Corporate Safety, Sydney

Qantas Airways

• Aircraft Cabin Safety Investigator
• Cabin Crew Technical Working Group
• Aircraft Cabin Reconfiguration Group
• New aircraft design, lay-out and service introduction group
• In-flight Services Division Safety Summit
• Regulatory Affairs
• Occupational Health and Safety Committee

Employee Representative

• OH&S Chairperson of the International Division, Sydney
• OH&S Chairperson of the International Division, nationally
• OH&S Chairperson of the Combined International and Domestic Divisions, nationally
• Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA)
• Federal Occupational Health and Safety Officer International Transport Workers Federation (ITF)
• Aircraft Cabin Design Task Group
• Cabin Safety Group
• Regulatory Affairs Group
• Cabin Crew Licensing Group
• Flight Duty Time Limitations

Boeing Company

• Aircraft Cabin Design Task Group
• American Flight Attendants Association (AFA)
• Cabin Design Task Group
• Cabin Crew Licensing

Joint Aviation Authority (JAA)

• Very Large Transport Working Group
• Regulatory Affairs Group

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

• Cabin Crew Licensing Group

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

• Regulatory Review Group
• Cabin Crew Licensing Group
• Flight Duty Time Limitations Group Founding Member and Chairperson of the Asia Pacific Cabin Safety Working Group (APCSWG)
• Member of the Australian Society of Air Safety Investigators (ASASI)

On QF32

Despite all the training received, all the skills and knowledge acquired throughout all these years, one is never prepared to expect the unexpected on such a scale like this occurrence was, during a seemingly normal operation being executed on a daily basis many times over throughout the entire aviation industry worldwide.

When the Unthinkable Happens

Yet the unexpected did happen on this flight.  No matter how much you are being ‘primed and trained’ to act/react in a certain manner if you are confronted with an ‘out of the ordinary’ life threatening emergency, one can only hope that the relentless, thorough and repetitive training in the emergency procedures training centre over all these years has given you the tools to react in a manner that is most appropriate, confident, cool, calm and collected, when it is your time to respond to a serious challenge.

You are doing well if you can ‘perform as desired’ e.g. decisive, cool, calm, collected and appropriate for the situation (for which there might be no text book procedure in how to respond) .

In this particular case the entire technical and cabin crew have performed well an ‘text book like’, with a very positive/good outcome for all parties involved.

I received the following correspondence from Dr Derwyn and Carolyn Jones – passengers on QF32. In the spirit of the “glass being half full, not half empty”, I echo their thoughts and share them below:

“When written in Chinese the word ‘crisis’ is composed of 2 characters. One represents ‘danger’ and the other represents ‘opportunity’. I have always taken this to mean that, during or after any critical event, there is the possibility of going in one of two directions – or perhaps more accurately – we need to experience true despair prior to achieving a realisation of the opportunity being offered by the experience.”

John Bartels (QF32 page 27)

John – the Captain of QF30 that suffered an explosion of the oxygen cylinder on 25 July 2008.   John and his technical crew were faced with about 30 checklists to complete.  He diverted to and made a successful emergency landing at Manila airport.

How did he manage this unprecedented event?   It’s all documented in this recorded interview here that is a “must listen” for every pilot.  The ATSB report is also great reading.

I spoke to John shortly after his ordeal.  The lessons he passed to me were a help when I was in the seat of QF32.

John is a remarkable pilot who has upheld the the highest traditions found in aviation.   He is also one of the best examples of a pilot who is keen to share his experiences to help others.

John Bartels in a Boeing 747-400 (QF30)     (Photo: John Bartels)

John Bartels with his Royal Australian Navy A-4 Skyhawk.  (Photo: John Bartels)

I have just added one more memory to my list of life’s great experiences.

I spent many hours yesterday with Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the captain of US Airways flight 1549 that successfully ditched in the Hudson in 2009 and the captain who saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew.

Sully is a quiet and humble man who nevertheless tours the world trying to improve aviation safety and the health of our airlines.  He has more knowledge and experience about Human Factors, Management and Leadership than any other pilot I know.

Sully and I discussed our respective flights; the good, the bad and the lessons learned.   He explained why we must value knowledge, training and the wisdom of experience and he  continues to project these values via public forums – to serve a greater good for everyone.

Sully is a world treasure and we are fortunate to have him as a credible aviation spokesman.

Sully’s new book “Making a Difference” is a must have reference that identifies the “elements of leadership”. Unlike theoretical leadership books, Sully gathers stories of courage and inspiration from America’s best leaders then reflects these against his experiences and litmus tests to show where these best practices are used in the worlds safest industry – civil aviation.

During the time I spent with Sully yesterday, I quickly became aware of why Flight 1549 was one of the greatest successes in aviation.    It was not due to luck.  Sully was prepared, simple as that!  Sully had been practicing for that four minute flight for his entire 40 year career.  When both engines failed (and this was the first time Sully had ever experienced an engine failure), he had to instantly synthesize 40 years of flying knowledge and experience to solve a Black Swan problem.   His flying skills were remarkable, his situation awareness and management was brilliant.   But most of all Sully’s leadership skills were impeccable.

Sully’s book dovetails his learning and experience with advice from other famous leaders from Gene Kranz (Apollo 13) through to Jim Sinegal (Costco).    There is an interesting coincidence here as Sully’s and my book (QF32) both laud Gene Kranz for his remarkable leadership skills that contributed to saving Apollo 13 from disaster.  Indeed, QF32’s Chapter 18 is entitled “Apollo 13″!

Sully’s new book “Making a Difference” includes priceless nuggets of knowledge for all of us in areas such as:  Ego, Responsibility, Authority, Risk, Confidence, Courage and Initiative.

I was fortunate to spend time with Sully yesterday.   I felt I already knew him well via reading his books, and it turned out that I was right.   WYSIWYG*.  To read Sully’s book is to look into his mind, his moral foundation, experience and beliefs.  What a great read!

* WYSIWYG  – what you see is what you get

20 October – International Day of the Air Traffic Controller

Today is the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller.

I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the profession of Air Traffic Controllers to the safety of our aviation industry.

Throughout my career I have trained, developed and worked along side this band of professionals who make pilots like me and my friends look good.

(Mackay Tower – Courtesy of Air Services)

(Australian Olympians returning home  – Courtesy of Air Services)

Air Traffic controllers don’t just work in the control towers at airports – they

Boeing E-3A AWACS Early Warning (air-boyne.com)

• control civilian and military  (air intercept controllers) aircraft.
• build air routes, approach and departure paths
• sequence aircraft operations (departure, en-route and arrival slots) to reduce congestion
• separate aircraft (see videos for world wide ,  north America)
• control ground traffic at airports
• control lower and upper air spaces
• plan new technologies such as SESAR

(Brisbane Centre – Courtesy of Air Services)

(Radar at Paraburdoo –  – Courtesy of Air Services)

The safety of our skies relies upon the skill and expertise of our Air Traffic Controllers to  sequence our operations, optimise our performance and keep us separated.  Pilots and controllers work together as a finely tuned team – the teamwork is exceptional.

So on behalf of the 2.8 billion civilians that flew in 38 million flights last year (or about one million civilians in the air at any one time), congratulations and thank you to Air Services (Australia), EuroControl (Europe) and all other ATC agencies that have made our profession the envy of the world’s safety professionals.

Crisis, Social Media and Citizen Journalists

There is a saying that if the media is reporting your story, and if there is a hole in the story, then someone else will fill that hole if you don’t.   And if someone else fills it, then they’ll own it, forever.

British Airways brand new A380 at the Paris Air Show – 2013 (Courtesy Richard de Crespigny)

Many crisis managers take advantage of the “Golden Hour” during a crisis.

The Golden Hour (although traditionally used in medicine for optimising survival after  trauma)  is the the critical first hour following a crisis.   During this Golden Hour, it’s imperative that any information voids are prevented from being filled by (foreign) mis-information and speculation.    The “Golden Hour” tactical response includes:

• contact the media
• establish yourself as the trusted source
• define the story
• anticipate
• consider providing full and open disclosure
• shut down false leads, unhelpful rumours and speculative theories.

Ariane 5 Rocket (Paris Airshow 2013) Courtesy Richard de Crespigny)

The “Golden Hour” no longer exists.

When a crisis strikes, every person with a mobile phone that has an inbuilt camera becomes a journalist.

Twitter, Facebook and other social media announce and  broadcast users’ news in seconds, creating holes in the process and opportunities for hijackers to fill the holes and take control.

You now don’t have an hour to respond to a crisis, you have only minutes.

QF32 Kills the Golden Hour

The QF32 incident was the watershed event that killed the golden hour.  News of the incident spread across social media before a press conference or media statement could be initiated.  “[the] QF32 incident changed the way the airline thinks about managing the media” said Qantas brand, marketing and corporate affairs executive Olivia Wirth.  “We first found out about the QF32 incident when our share price fell and news of the incident had gone nuts on Twitter.  That’s not a good way to find out about a disaster.”

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the company had missed the “whole social media end of communication” during the QF32 incident.

Some industries did not learn from the QF32 event.   The hacked and incorrect tweet of Obama being injured at the White House on 23 April 2013 caused the S&P 500’s value  to fall $136b before the tweet was disclosed as fake.

See also

In relation to the actions of the pilots and cabin crew, the final ATSB report provides excellent detail about most of WHAT happened.  The critical “HOW they happened” and even more important “WHY they happened” were not included in the report as the outcome was already known and the investigators believed that these analyses would have unnecessarily complicated and lengthened the report.

A few HOWs might have helped explain some of our unconventional actions and why 469 passengers and crew returned home without a broken toe nail.

HOW and WHY – more food for thought for another day..

Golden Circle

Invert your logic.

When trying to achieve a goal, don’t focus on the WHAT (the outcome), focus on the WHY (the motivators).

Understanding our core values and beliefs and motivations explains WHY we think the way we think, and WHY we do the things we do.    When we understand the WHYs,  the HOWs then become self-explanatory.   Finally, the HOWs explain the final outcome – the WHATs.

The WHY, HOW, WHAT view of the human condition and behavior is not a personal view, it’s a well documented approach (Golden Circle) that explains why Apple Corp can sell iPhones and PCs whilst Dell and HP languish.

Click here to view Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle video (18 minutes) here.

The Golden Circle explains that the WHY is the seed that determines the HOW that in turn explains that WHAT.

It is SO important to KNOW and ESPOUSE the WHYs.

The Golden Circle is a concept that we see in the actions and behaviors of great leaders like Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi  …..  It works.

Most of the QF32 crew

Passengers Derwyn and Carolyn Jones

Qantas Uniform 1940s (Courtesy Richard de Crespigny)

Passenger Claire Ryan (and Costa)

Nancy-Bird Walton

Passenger Johanna Friis

Stewart McAlister

Neil Armstrong (Courtesy Richard de Crespigny)

Nancy-Bird at her 90th Birthday Party with her namesake A380 (Courtesy Heather Parker)

Dad – 1943

The beautiful coastal retreat of Byron Bay means two things to me:

Byron Bay (in my dreams!) (iStockphoto)

• A week after the QF32 event, when I was exhausted, my friends Simon Ford and John Connolly took me to Byron Bay to help me relax, escape the media and to try to teach me how to surf!       Byron Bay has great reliable surf, a quiet sophisticated culture and almost perpetual sunshine!   I am a downhill skier, not a “boarder”, so as hard as John tried, he ultimately gave up with the lost cause that I was.
• Two and a half years later, I am heading back to Byron Bay to attend a writers’ festival.

Byron Bay Writers’ Festival

The Byron Bay Writers’ Festival is held over the three day period 2-4 August 2013.  With up to 50,000 attendee sessions, it is one of the biggest and best writers’ festivals in Australia.

I am participating with a remarkable A Grade list of authors, speakers and entertainers who present in many concurrent streams to thousands of authors, journalists, would-be-writers, publishers and readers.

The festival is an opportunity to touch shoulders with industry greats.    (click here for more information)   I’ll be looking forward to meeting Maxine McKew, Peter Carey, Judith Lucy, Archie Roach, politicians, publishers and scores of keen readers.

Come join the festival and say hello to Coral and me.

My Part at the Festival

I will also be contributing in two panel discussions:

“When things don’t go as planned – qualities essential for effective leadership in a crisis”

(iStockphoto)

Saturday, 3rd August, 11:45 – 13:00

 Edna Carew chairs a panel with Major General John Cantwell (rtd), Matthew Mitcham and me:

• How a well developed culture that promotes knowledge, training, experience and teamwork provides resilience that can help save lives when things go catastrophically wrong;
• Keeping calm when others around you are losing it.  How to prevent panic and the startle effect;
• Post Traumatic Stress.    Can you have PTS even after a good outcome when no-one is hurt?    Is  “toughen up Princess!” the correct response to help PTS sufferers?      How long do PTS memories last?   Recovering from PTS.
• Empathy – why you can’t lead, manage or function effectively without it.
• Physiology of resilience:  rational thought, confidence, herd instinct, fear, panic, dread, fight, flight, paralysis, risk taking, heroism

“What makes a hero?  Perception and misconception”

Sunday, 4th August, 14:30 – 15:45

Janet Steele, the Associate Professor  at the School of Media and Public Affairs, Washington DC chairs the discussion with Major General John Cantwell (rtd), Belinda Hawkins, my cousin Robin de Crespigny and me:

• The Hero/Anti-Hero paradox – it’s all in your perceptions.
• What is a hero in the modern day?
• What makes a hero?  (Factors: age, sex, reward, domicile, friendship, personality, morals, values, orphan, ….)

Update

IFALPA says “Stop speculating about MH370“

The Empirical Skeptic

Viewers of last night’s Air Crash Investigators program (Australia on Channel 7) have asked me many questions including:

• Why didn’t we evacuate the A380 immediately after stopping on the runway in Singapore?
• What are my views about the Malaysian incident?

My answers centre around how I gather, judge, store and use data.

Empirical Skeptic

I am an Empirical Skeptic.

Sully Sullenberger

I am motivated by facts, not by presumptions, assumptions, bias nor group think.    I assess new information for its authenticity, provenance and trustworthiness before judging whether to accept or to reject it.   In this regard I adopt Richard Dawkins’ view:

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

In today’s society where everyone with a mobile phone is a journalist, the Golden Hour has gone and there has never been a greater need for full and open disclosure and personal guarantees.   We should also remember Ronald Reagan’s words:

“Trust but Verify”.

 So the next time you hear about something that scares you, look for data.  Be suspicious of absolute numbers that are provided without references, or no numbers at all.

QF32

Critics have commented: “de Crespigny should have evacuated the QF32 passengers quickly down the slides rather than delay and disembark them down the steps.   The fuel pooling under the aircraft should have caught fire”.

Constellation – painted by one of the world’s best aviation artists – Jaak De Koninck (www.jaakdekoninck.be)

Roy Ford, my wonderful father-in-law often tells me:  those who “assume” make an “ass” of yo”u” and “me”.

We had a different reality on the “front line”. The firemen and ground engineers were our eyes and ears to the aircraft for the two long hours that we sat on the ground before the last passenger disembarked the aircraft. The firemen gave us information about the fuel leaks and any presence of fire.   They kept us informed.  We kept the passengers and crew informed.

We waited to be told if there was fire.   We were never told that there was fire.

We had assimilated much knowledge over our long careers that would perhaps become relevant:

We knew that the aircraft was certified to evacuate 873 passengers and crew through half the 16 exits in just 90 seconds.   In reality Airbus did not just satisfy this requirement, they excelled by evacuating everyone 12 seconds faster than certification required!   In our case we had all  16 exits available.  We carried only 440 passengers and 29 crew.  So theoretically, it could have taken between 21 to 25 seconds to evacuate 469 through all the doors.

Gasoline and jet fuel have very different qualities. Jet fuel is actually very hard to ignite and keep alight!

• Jet fuel has a “flash point” (fuel temperature at which vapour can be ignited) that is at least 80 degrees Celsius higher than the flash point of gasoline.

• Jet fuel “blows out” like a candle flame in a wind of just 40 kmph.     Frank Whittle, the inventor of the gas turbine engine, discovered this as he was unable to stabilise flames inside his first engine until he enlisted Shell’s help.   Keeping the engine alight is still one of the greatest challenges in today’s latest generation jet engines.     Inside an A380’s $20m Rolls-Royce  Trent 900 engine in the cruise, the outside air must be slowed from 925 km/hr (500 knots) to swirl around each of the 20 fuel nozzles in the combustion chamber at no more than about 35 km/hr!  The F111’s classic dump and burn at Sydney’s Olympic Closing Ceremony, was only possible because the engines’ after-burners were engaged to  constantly ignite the jettisoned fuel.
• A moving flame front over jet fuel spreads at only 10% of the speed that a flame front spreads over gasoline.   The “flame spread” speed of military, normal jet fuel and gasoline is about 6/30/230 metres per minute respectively.   The “Die Hard” fantasy film’s scene that showed a “fuse” of flame moving along a track of jet fuel training behind the hijacker’s aircraft is just that – fantasy!

  Inside one of QF32’s 11 fuel tanks.  Anti-static leads earth all fuel pipes to prevent static discharges.  Enlarge this image to view a fraction  of the massive shrapnel damage to the aircraft.   (Photo ATSB Report)

• Jet fuel has a much higher electrical resistance than gasoline.   In our case this means that passengers walking through the pools of fuel can generate sufficient friction to create static discharges within that fuel.   The principle is the same as as the electrical discharge that you feel when you walk over carpet then press an elevator button.   Even the friction of jet fuel flowing through fuel pipes is sufficient to create discharges inside those pipes – hence the reason for the many grounding leads inside fuel tanks as per the photos opposite.  (Click here to see static discharges in volcanic plumes)

Eight fire trucks surrounded our aircraft.   The fire trucks were loaded with foam and water to extinguish fire around the aircraft and passengers.

Trying to drown engine #1  (Source: ATSB QF32 Report)

Evacuations are dangerous.   My studies  show that about 15% of the passengers are injured when evacuating normal jet aircraft.   In our case, almost all our A380’s doors are higher than doors on normal aircraft.  We had elderly and wheelchair passengers and a toxic scene outside.

(Four percent of the passengers were injured in the latest Avro RJ100 passenger evacuation at London this week.  (RJ100 door sills are about one quarter as high as A380 door sills).

To evacuate or not to evacuate – that is the question

The previous points are relevant because we faced new threats when we stopped our A380 on the runway.  We needed different knowledge, training and experience to identify, rate and process these new risks and to make the best decisions.

The escape slide from the 3 story (8 metre) high upper deck door sill. Rocket powered venturi pump inflates slide within 6 seconds (2/3 is fresh air). Withstands 25 kts (46 kmph) wind blasts.

We faced two significant threats; the possibility of fire and the toxic environment outside if we evacuated down the slides.  Timing was critical.

• If fire had been confirmed, then we were prepared to evacuate the passengers down the slides under the protection from the eight fire trucks and emergency services.   It’s not a pretty thought of the elderly and wheel chair passengers jumping onto, then sliding down a 45 degree sloped slide from an 8 metre (3 story) high floor.
• We tried to mitigate the toxic environment outside the aircraft.   We called for aircraft steps to avoid the injuries that would result from an evacuation using the slides.   We also  requested buses to ensure that we would keep the passengers away from the pooling fuel, the running engines and the fire trucks.  We tried to shut down number one engine that was still running.  Fire services was spreading foam over the spilled fuel and water over the hot brakes.

The threats reduced rapidly as the fire services covered the fuel and cooled the brakes.   The passengers and crew were still safer on board our aircraft than outside the aircraft.

The rest is history.  There were no injuries.

Armchair Quarterbacks

Building  a plan in the absence of facts can result in incorrect decisions and actions and potentially dangerous outcomes.

QF32’s Brake Temperatures after stopping.   Brakes 1, 2, 5 & 6 are located on the left wing gear.  (The left body brakes (9, 10, 13 & 14) absorbed more energy as a consequence.   (Source ATSB Report page 240)

Just before my book went to print, the ATSB informed me that after we had stopped, that the four brakes on the left wing slightly inboard from Engine 2 (and under the fuel leaks) were COLD.    All four brakes were between 30-40 degrees (ambient) Celsius!

Source: ATSB QF32 Report

We did not know on the day of the event that these brakes were cold.  We didn’t know that the brake’s sensors and wires had been damaged by the explosions.  We did not know that these four brakes would also be 100% useless for stopping us on the runway that day – but that discussion is for another day.

I was not able to include this information about the COLD brakes in my book “QF32″.   It would have been a Criminal Offence to release this privileged information before the ATSB published its Final Report on QF32.   The left wing brake temperatures are now shown in the ATSB report at page 240 – although the reader would have to look carefully to notice it, and few have.

We reacted to the enemy (threats) that faced us on the ground that day; what we saw, what we knew, but never what was presumed.     We did not presume that a fire was present or that it would erupt.    We wanted proof.   We knew the environment was toxic outside the aircraft, so we mitigated the threats.

300 KVA in 6 phases of 115Volt AC power cables cut and shorted. AC (Photo: ATSB QF32 Report)

How many passengers and crew would have been injured if  we had evacuated on the presumption that there would be a fire?

Reflection

It’s now three years after QF32 and only a few weeks after the shocking Malaysian tragedy.

I share the world’s grief.

I am continually asked: “what do you think?”

My answer has never changed:  I’m an Empirical Skeptic.   I react only to facts and I don’t have enough facts!

I don’t know!

I’ll then repeat these guiding words from Robert Heinlein:

What are the facts? Again and again and again — what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what “the stars foretell,” avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable “verdict of history”

What are the facts, and to how many decimal places?

You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts! 

See also

The Golden Hour

The Media Circus around MH370

IFALPA says “Stop speculating about MH370“

Delivery team for VH-OQD “Fergus McMaster” (QF founder & first Chairman) delivered SIN-SYD 24 Aug 2009.

Sunrise from the ISS (Photo NASA)

We are in safe hands! Australia’s future women pilots. (Photo RDC)

I am excited to announce my next book <name withheld>.

The timing of this next book now unfortunately requires that my Big Jets book, that was 30% completed when the QF32 event occurred, must now be pushed down the queue.   Many readers have been waiting for the Big Jets book so I regret the delay.

Click here to see the Press Release from The Fordham Company.   The text is repeated below.

DWA Ambassadors Jess Gallagher (beauty) and the beast!

Thank you for your support that you have given to Coral and me over the last few years.   It has been an exciting journey travelling and meeting diverse groups around the world.  Coral and I have felt especially proud and privileged to be able to help others and “pay back” the hospitality that others have given to us.   Our travels enable us to connect people and muster support to help the aeronautical industry and organisations such as Disabled Wintersport Australia, the Charles Sturt University and the Uiver Restoration Trust.

I am also passionate to further the interests for STEM literacy in the minds of Australia’s government, corporate leaders and school children.

My Niece Jorja Ford playing physics with helium balloons

I am the 28,000th STEMNet Ambassador registered in the UK.  This means that Australia should have (pro rata) 10,000 STEM Ambassadors.  Professor Ian Chubb (the Australian Chief Scientist) and I have a lot of work to do.   I’d be happy to be STEM Ambassador #1 in Australia and welcome all volunteers who wish to join me and lay the foundations for the future for our next generations.

Follow your passion Sam Harris, work hard, reach for the stars and come fly with me! (Photo RDC)

This work is not my job.  This work is my passion and I hope that I will be able to help and motivate others in the process.

My next book is just another stepping stone along that path.

I’m loving being head-down putting it all together and I hope that you will ultimately enjoy it.

Good health and best wishes to you all,

Richard

2013 IPC World Cup Thredbo (Photo RDC)

Captain de Crespigny Signs New Book Deal

Captain Richard de Crespigny, the award–winning author, internationally-acclaimed speaker, coach and Qantas A380 pilot has signed his next book to Penguin Australia.

Arguably one of the finest keynote speakers on the national and international circuit, de Crespigny has addressed many of the world’s largest companies and organisations in Australia, Asia, USA and Europe.

Numerous global television specials continue to flow from the success of his best-selling book “QF32″; highlighting team performance that saved 469 lives on board the world’s largest aircraft in late 2010, and reinforcing Richard de Crespigny as an expert in leadership and crisis management.

Mode Control Panel light (Photo: RDC)

de Crespigny’s next book, which will be released in 2016, will further cement his reputation as one of the most respected authorities on leadership, risk, crisis management and communication.

Richard de Crespigny is exclusively managed by The Fordham Company.

13-15 LITTLE BURTON ST
DARLINGHURST NSW 2010 AUSTRALIA
T +61 2 9332 9111 F +61 2 9332 9122
http://www.thefordhamcompany.com.au

The Office (Photo RDC)

I enjoyed being interviewed by Mark Bouris this week about “Resilience at the edge of chaos”.   We discussed issues ranging from the neuroscience of leadership to survive ‘Black Swan events’, to future technologies  and how robots will impact business and employment.  markbouris.com.au/episode-14-mark-bouris-podcast

Mark’s Podcasts

Mark’s fascinating podcasts are downloaded by about 275,000 listeners every week.

Each week he summarises the current financial climate  before introducing his guest speaker.

I recommend Mark’s recent interview of Angela Mentis.  Angela is the Group Executive that runs the $30b Business Banking division at  the National Australia Bank.  Angela “walks the talk” and steers NAB to remain one of the most respected business bank in Australia.

Mark’s Interview with me

I met Mark at 7:30 am on Wednesday morning when he arrived at the recording studio with his communications and PR team.  He was impressively dressed in his gym clothes having come straight from a boxing session that started his day.   The interview started two minutes later.

Mark shares my fascination for neuroscience.  So we discussed the brain, the mind and how it relates to everyday subjects such as business resilience, trust, disclosure, brand, decision making, surfing the edge of chaos, crisis management, knowledge, leadership, mechatronics, sentient robots and finally recruitment companies for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Terminators”.

I recommend all of Mark’s weekly podcasts.   I hope that  you enjoy listening to Mark’s 14th podcast with me.

Note:  At the 22 minute mark I should have said that Micro-Managing (not delegating) is the cancer for junior staff and teamwork.

About Mark Bouris

Mark Bouris is an Australian icon and successful entrepreneur.  He has built many disruptive businesses that challenge the status quo and provide alternative solutions that improve our lives.  (Mark’s WHY)

Mark is currently the Executive Chairman of the Yellow Brick Road Group, a financial services group in Australia.   He also launched Eagle’s Nest, his program that incubates and supports future entrepreneurs.

How ‘Mark Bouris’ and ‘The Art of Charm’ give meaning to Podcasts

“Knowledge”  Painting by Coplu (Coplu.Com)

Report on Resilience

“Resilience – Recovering pilots’ lost flying skills”

The Royal Aeronautical Society, London has published the report that I produced after I opened the Flight Simulation Conference at the RAeS in London in November 2014.

(Data FSF)

My report studies the flight safety statistics from 1942 until 2014 and the implications for flight simulation industry.

The future trend for Aviation flight safety (hull losses/year) can take three paths:

1. extrapolates to zero by 2025, or
2. levels at the incidence of Black Swan Events, or
3. increases as a result of many factors.

My report then analyses three methods to mitigate for senario 3 (an increase in the aviation accidents):

1. (ODG osterhoutgroup.com)

   more hands on flying time, and

2. Stress Proof Deliberate Practice, and
3. cloud hosted high fidelity low cost personal simulation anywhere anytime.   Note:   ODG and Oculus Rift have key technologies that form the basis for hosted VR simulators.

RAeS Airspace, June 2015 p32

Captain Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger  (US Airways Flight 1549)  and Commander Jim Lovell (NASA Apollo 13) kindly contributed to the report.

My report was published in the June edition of “Aerospace” (pp 32-37).

Click here to download the report

Optimism (Painting by Coplu (Coplu.Com))

Three Video Interviews

Black Swan Events: Interview with Richard de Crespigny

Captain Eric Auxier has a very good aviation web site Adventures of CAP’N Aux

Captain Eric Auxier with Coral and me as an Oshkosh 2015 sunset.

Eric recently conducted a long interview with me about values and beliefs, leadership, teamwork, training, resilience, decision making, crisis management, open disclosure and personal guarantees.   Eric then edited the interview to make three separate videos.

Links to Eric’s three interviews are below:

• Interview 1(13 minutes)
• Interview 2   Discussing Responsibility, Corporate & Personal Culture, Teamwork, Challenging Authority (managing upwards / STOP!) and Control Checks. (13 minutes)

• Interview 3 – on Swiss cheese, advice fo aspiring pirates and flying lawnmowers

(Eric Auxier)

The interviews are also being printed in the July, August and September 2015 editions of the Airways Magazine.

Meaning of Life  (Painting by Coplu (Coplu.com))

Presentation in the Woods at Oshkosh

Oshkosh 2015

The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the World’s premier fly-in airshow in the USA.  The airshow ran from 20-26 July 2015.   The air traffic control is the busiest air traffic control in the world.

EAA chairman Jack Pelton said that:

• more than 16,200 airplanes landed at Oshkosh, a ten year high,
• more than 3,000 aircraft arrived on some days, and
• about 550,000 visitors attended the event, most of whom arrived in automobiles rather than light airplanes.

I presented twice at Oshkosh:

• Theater in the Woods at the Oshkosh Airshow on the opening evening (7 -9 pm) on Sunday 19th July 2015  (AOPA trailer re my talk)
• Monday 20th July at Forum Stage 7.

Commander Jim Lovell, Fred Haise presented to a packed audience at the Theatre on Wednesday night 22 July.

Commander Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, Bill Reeves (Apollo program flight controller) and Milt Windler (one of the four Apollo 13 Flight Directors)

I had the pleasure to fly many Australians who had attended Oshkosh, home from Dallas to Sydney.  We all agreed that the EAA (Oshkosh) airshow is the best fly-in airshow in the world.

• Oshkosh statistics
• Captain Eric Auxier’s video summary of Oshkosh 2015.

Rort Air (Painting by Jaak de Koninck http://www.jaakdekoninck.be)

Your Highness Ms Universe by Coplu (Coplu.Com)

Mike asks:

Hi Richard,

Having read your book QF32 and a number of resources available online, please let me ask one question regarding  your video interview on youtube.

During the interview, you talk about the decision whether to follow the ECAM instructions to switch off the ENG 4 hydraulic pumps (“5 and 6″), and how you suggested that “everybody think about this for some seconds” before pressing the guarded pushbutton, to figure out if it makes sense to reduce redundancy on the still working yellow hydraulic system.

A380 Overhead Hydraulics Panel lit up in “test mode”.  Faults are displayed in amber font.  Push button actions are displayed in white font  (Photo RDC)

The journalists asks you whether, in hindsight, you have found an explanation as to why ECAM would prompt you to switch those pumps off, and your answer is somewhat along the lines of, you were not allowed to disclose those details at that time, but it would be in the final report, and we should be surprised when reading the answer.

Of course, I have also read the final report, but obviously I missed the respective answer (it is quite an overwhelming read; I cannot even imagine what kind of experience that must have been for you in the real-life situation).

So I would kindly like to ask, whether you could today share a few technical insights into that question (i.e. if it is legal for you today). Why was it sensible to switch off the ENG 4 HYD pumps?   ;-)

Thank you very much,
Mike from Germany

Richard Answers

Hi Mike from Germany,

Thanks for your question. I am now able to discuss two critical pieces of information that I was not able to include in my book.

Airline flying is a very professional business that is unforgiving of mistakes.

1. Background

Andrew Eccles in the Concorde simulator at Brooklands, UK (Photo RDC)

The A380 has two independent hydraulic systems named “Green” and “Yellow”.  (Interestingly these colours were inherited from the Concorde over 50 years ago, that had three independent hydraulic systems named Green, Blue and Yellow, but that is another story).

• The 120 litre Green hydraulic reservoir is located in pylon 1, above Engine 1 on the left wing.  The Green hydraulics are powered by a total of four engine driven pumps on engines 1 & 2.   The green system contains 585 litres of Skydrol hydraulic fluid.
• The 120 litre Yellow hydraulic reservoir is located in pylon 4, above Engine 4 on the right wing.  The Yellow hydraulics are powered by a total of four our engine driven pumps on engines 3 & 4. The yellow system contains 545 litres of Skydrol hydraulic fluid.

A380 Overhead Hydraulics Panel during normal flight (Photo RDC)

Skydrol  (or an alternate fluid called “HyJet IV”) is a specially coloured hydraulic fluid that is authorised to be used in the A380.  Skydrol is dangerous.  It is so dry and acidic that it burns flesh-eyes.  Any hydraulic leaks in the A380’s 5,000 psi system is extremely dangerous as the stream of high velocity oil acts as a knife capable of cutting through flesh, bones and thin metal.   The good thing is that this fluid self ignites at a very high temperature of about 507 degrees Celsius (engine oil self ignites at about 280 deg C, so you might find it interesting to re-read QF32 at page 320).  Skydrol costs $25 per litre!

Oshkosh 2015

2.0  The Hydraulic Situation on board QF32

The hydraulic problems we faced on QF32 are described at QF32 page 200.

Engine number 2 had exploded.  The ECAM checklists instructed us to shut down the Green hydraulics.  It then told us to shut down half of the Yellow hydraulics.

Example A380 Hydraulic layout (Airbus)

Matt’s hand reached up towards the overhead panel to disconnect the drive shaft for the fifth and sixth pumps out of the total of eight pumps in the Green and Yellow hydraulics.   Pumps 5 & 6  were located on Engine 4.  If Matt pressed the disconnect push button for this engine, then the pumps would not have been recoverable and we would be left with just 2 engine driven hydraulic pumps on Engine 3 to power the entire aircraft.   (The A380 also has electrical hydraulic pumps at some flight controls but some of these were also inoperable.)

A380 Overhead Panel lit up in “test mode” (Photo RDC)

2.1 What we did

Uncontained turbine failure – QF32

“Stop!   Can we all please think about this for ten seconds?”   I called this to stop Matt irreversibly shutting down hydraulic pump s that might affect our destiny without first giving the ECAM and our situation more thought.

My reasoning was obvious.   Why are we shutting down hydraulic pumps on Engine 4 located at the extreme of the right wing when engine 2 exploded on the left wing?   It did not make sense!

I used a rapid decision making method to poll the crew for their thoughts, but the decision what to do with pumps 5 and 6 would be mine.   I was responsible for the lives of 469 passenger and crew.

2.2 Why we did it

I decided to have the two engine driven hydraulic pumps at engine 4 disconnected because:

• Perhaps metal filings or other contaminants or other problems had been detected in the engine 4 hydraulic pumps that might spread and damage the two pumps on engine 3.
• The engine 3 hydraulic pumps must be protected at all costs.

Matt completed the ECAM actions.   This left Nancy-Bird Walton with just two engine driven hydraulic pumps and a couple of small electrical pumps at a few controls.

3.0  What we later found out about the hydraulics

The ATSB report on QF32 had not been released when I wrote my book “QF32”.    Federal laws prohibited me from discussing the following until the ATSB report was published.  Even when it was released, this high level “consumer friendly” ATSB report omitted lots of detailed and fascinating information.  I can now explain two surprising facts.

3.1  The Green hydraulics reservoir was full

Hydraulics – How does the Sequoia tree (world’s largest tree) pump water to the canopy 300′ above the forest floor? Is there 8 atm (120 psi) of water pressure at the roots? Is the 300′ tree height limited due to hydraulic pressure?  (Physics for the Coffee Table)

This is fascinating!  All the pilots that day saw the ECAM checklists and watched the hydraulic System Display show the bleed air pressure in the green hydraulic reservoir (to stop pump cavitation) fail, then the hydraulic fluid level reduce to zero and then the Green Hydraulic system fail.

We discovered six months after the flight that the green reservoir was in fact full at the end of the flight, suggesting that the indications we saw and the ECAM warnings were wrong, and that perhaps we might not have needed to turn off the hydraulics on Engine 1.

3.2  The Yellow hydraulics system was operating normally

We did not need to disconnect the two engine driven hydraulic pumps on engine 4.   Again, the severed wires and quadrax cables limited our view, the ECAM’s assessment and our understanding of the aircraft’s status.   Engine 4 had degraded to an ALTerNate mode with its maximum thrust reduced as a consequence.   The severed-shorting wires (communications and logic)  probably reduced the ECAM’s ability to understand the Yellow hydraulic system.

Coral asks – are there extraordinary hydraulic pressures inside this large Sequoia tree (Sequoia National Forest, CA, USA)

The ECAM checklist instructed us to disconnect the engine driven hydraulic pumps on Engine 4.  I initiated a discussion amongst the pilots whether we should follow ECAM’s suggested  actions.

I ultimately decided that we did not know the status of the aircraft as thoroughly as ECAM did. So in this case, with acceptable hydraulic reserves remaining, I decided that we should follow the ECAM procedures and disconnect pumps five and six.

Our logic was that disconnecting hydraulic pumps five and six would protect the last two remaining hydraulic pumps on engine 3.

Today I still think that our logic that we applied on the 4th November 2010 was correct, based upon what we experienced and deduced.

Damaged forward wing spar & fuel tank – left wing

3.3 Why the confusion?

There is no explanation for this confusing and contradictory information other than my and the ATSB’s guesses that some of the 650 wires and Quadrax (4 aluminium wire duplicated twisted pair ) network cables were severed and shorting.  This meant that incorrect, reduced or no hydraulics information was delivered to the independent Hydraulic System Monitoring computers, ECAM’s flight warning computers, the overhead panels and schematic displays.   (We also received reduced or incorrect information about the brakes, fuel, engines and many other systems.)

I am not criticising  aviation certification standards, Airbus nor the A380.   Aviation learns through failures and we are fortunate to be able to analyse these failures with the intention to improve safety.

3.3.1 Very technical

First stop on the Jossie Harris & Clint Berry honeymoon – the A380 cockpit (VH-OQD) (Dubai 27Aug15)

Aircraft and engine manufacturers sometimes use the automotive twisted pair CAN bus and ARINC 429 (an aviation extension of the CAN bus) protocols for insecure computer-sensor communications.

Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines use the CAN bus for many communications to the A380’s Input/Output Modules.

These simple two wire twisted pair protocols might not be resilient to hacking or sensor and open circuit failures.  For example, earthed automobile engine oil pressure transducers connect via just one single wire to the oil pressure indicator.   These instruments cannot differential between an open circuit and a zero.   So a car’s oil pressure indicator will incorrectly display zero oil pressure when the engine is running if the wire is disconnected from the pressure transducer.

100s of cut belly wires, cables and air pipes

Severed belly Quadrax cables and pipes

More secure, advanced and resilient communication (such as Quadrax cables in an Airbus AFDX network) are used for critical communications.  These complex systems offer additional resilience to errors such as open circuit and sensor identification-presence, failures and hacking.  Unfortunately many of these quadrax cables were severed during the QF32 incident.

4.   Apollo 13 – Sensor Failure!

Let’s solve the problem, team … let’s not make it any worse by guessing”

My honour to meet and interview the NASA legend Gene Kranz (2015)

We were in a mind space during QF32 after the explosion that was similar to the mood of the controllers at Houston during the Apollo 13 mission.   The NASA controllers were making no progress after after the oxygen tank exploded.

The controllers were living in a “fog of war”.  Virtually every controller had problems and no one could see a pattern in it all.  Gene Kranz said it was like “living a bad dream”.

Gene told his team “Let’s solve the problem, team … let’s not make it any worse by guessing”.

The controllers looked at two of Apollo 13’s failing power systems.  They initially thought they had lost the instrument readings due to a high gain antenna alignment problem.  Eventually, with his team’s help, Gene Kranz made sense of the parameters.

Failure was not an option

Gene decided to permanently shut the reactant valves in two fuel cells to preserve oxygen for the third fuel cell.  It was a courageous decision and the best decision in the circumstances, and similar to our decision on QF32 to disconnect hydraulic pumps 5 and 6 to protect pumps 7 & 8.

In our case the remaining hydraulic pumps on Engine 3 worked faultlessly.  However in Apollo 13’s case the oxygen leak and confusion continued, and Commander Jim Lovell  was now facing a total loss of the electrical and oxygen systems  …

Commander Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, Bill Reeves (Apollo 13 Flight Controller) and Milt Windler (one of the four Apollo 13 Flight Directors) at Oshkosh 2015

Gene’s team had to quickly decide how to return Apollo 13 to Earth.  Failure was not an option.  They had the choice of a high-risk fast (U turn) abort that could get the astronauts home in 34 hours, or to conduct a rocket burn to rejoin the free return trajectory that would get them home two days later.    The fast return assumed the main engine would still function, something that Gene correctly resisted.

Gene’s low risk and conservative option turned out to be the correct choice and a great exercise in crisis management and decision making.  With the help of his team, Gene made the courageous decision just 57 minutes after the oxygen tank exploded to commit to the longer trip (around the moon) home.

5.  Back to QF32

You are a lucky man Clint Berry! Congratulations (see Jossie above)

There was confusion with QF32.  QF32’s aircraft communications, networks and computers were so damaged and disrupted that we could never have expected to fully appraise the hydraulics systems from the ECAM messages, the overhead panel displays, nor from the System Displays (that each normally use independent sensors).

Computers and automation:  A case of “Pearls in – Pearls out”, or “Garbage in – Garbage out”?

Faced with the deluge of warning messages being received at Mascot, the engineers on the ground thought that the ECAM had failed and that it needed to be reset.    But unlike Apollo 13, QF32 had lost its satellite voice communications.   Any decisions we had to make on the aircraft, we had to make on our own.

Mike, if you felt overwhelmed when reading QF32, then I can assure you that the pilots were also operating at their limits in the cockpit that day.  We were also living in our “fog of war”.

Solve the problem but don’t make it worse by assuming, presuming or guessing

I wrote in my book QF32 how the fuel system overwhelmed me, which is why I prepared for the Armstrong Spiral to mitigate a loss of all engines.   The ATSB investigators later told me that the Fuel Quantity Management System computers were so compromised that ECAM would never have made sense of the the fuel systems nor give us valid guidance about the fuel systems on QF32 that day.

The hydraulics systems however were a bit easier to understand than the fuel systems, and a lot more manageable.

6.  Did we do the right actions?

I am proud of the knowledge reasoning and calm that the crew exercised on QF32 when we faced the confusing sets of ECAM checklists, overhead panels and systems displays.

Airline flying is a very professional business that is unforgiving of mistakes.  Our handling of this ECAM checklist was an example of how we delayed actioning an ECAM checklist until we had analysed the system, the procedure and its consequences – whether it made sense and whether it was the right thing to do.  This was an example of why pilots must have a deep knowledge and understanding of their aircraft’s systems.

Ignorance is never an excuse. Know your machine inside out.

With the power of hindsight, the actions that we took five years ago still make sense today (based on what we faced in the cockpit back then).    None of this information that we received months after the flight makes me think that our logic was wrong on the day when we disconnected the hydraulic pumps for engines 1 and 4.

I am always keen to receive advice and learn from others, and happy to admit if I have made a mistake.  There are many armchair quarterback critics that have different views to mine and who criticised our actions. However if I was faced with the same black swan event today with the failures, displays and ECAMs today, that we had on QF32, then I would do the same actions again today.

7.  Summary

Mike I hope that this long reply answers your question.

I have equally complex answers to the questions of why we did not land quickly after the explosion, and why we chose not to order the passengers down the evacuation slides after landing.  These discussions are all food for thought.

Karl Stefanovic with Dave, Harry, me, Matt and Mark taken during a 60 Minutes interview (Photo: 60 Minutes)

QF32 was an example of team excellence, where 8 teams pooled their knowledge, training and experience working to survive a black swan event.

• I am proud of the pilots (Matt Hicks, Dave Evans, Harry Wubben and Mark Johnson).
• I am proud of CSM Michael Von Reth and his cabin crew

QF32 Customer Service Manager – Michael Von Reth

I think QF32 was a “successful failure” because all 469 passengers and crew were returned home to their loved ones without injury after a black swan event.  It was also a “successful failure” for the lessons learned.

Risk is the price of progress and discovery.  We have to have the courage to accept risk and to continually push against the boundaries of science if we are to grow and develop to become a wiser and kinder manager of our planet.  We also need the knowledge, experience and teamwork to conquer the unknown.

Finally, we need inspired leaders at the leading edge like Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Eugene Kranz who could identify, rate and work with risk and prove resilient in the Fog of Battle.

Many of the fabulous QF32 cabin crew. Thank you!

By definition, you cannot train for a black swan event.  However you can prepare for the unexpected.  Resilient people anticipate failures and understand how systems fail.  Because prevention is impossible.  So you will have to mitigate the failures and use your knowledge and teamwork to counter-attack.  Because when you have the confidence to make the courageous decisions, that’s when you will become intrepid leaders of intrepid teams, and that’s when you will become bullet proof and not gun shy and best able to survive the “unknown unknowns”.

Some of the professional, competent and handsome cabin crew from QF32

I have the highest respect for my airline, Airbus, Rolls-Royce and the A380.

• I have the highest respect and confidence for the Rolls Royce Trent 900 engine.
• I consider the A380 is still the biggest most comfortable, most quiet and greatest passenger jet aircraft in the sky.

Come fly with us and we’ll show you WHY!

A380 closing @ 1,800 kilometres per hour 4,000 feet above (RDC)

See also

• The Empirical Skeptic

Side by Side: Two “birds in a gilded cage” (by Coplu, coplu.com)

I am honoured to present the inaugural Nancy-Bird Walton Lecture on behalf of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS)  at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Headquarters Assembly Hall, Montreal from 6 pm on Monday, 25th January, 2016.

Nancy-Bird walton (photo: Sue Stafford. Reproduced courtesy of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences)

ICAO was created in 1944 to provide administration and governance for 191 UN Member States and industry groups.

ICAO is the pinnacle of aviation organisations.  It will be my career highlight to present to friends and representatives from organisations that include:

• IATA, Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transport Association of Canada – airlines,
• IFALPA, Air Canada Pilots Association, Retired Airline Pilots of Canada  – pilots,
• RAeS, GAPAN aviation organisations,
• NASA, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics,  Canadian Space Agency – space
• FSF safety organisations,
• FAA,  EASA, CAA, CASA  regulators ..
• NTSB, ATSB, BEA , ISASI accident investigators  ..
• Royal Canadian Air Force,
• NASA, DARPA, ODG, McGill University–  researchers,
• CAE – industry
• Airbus,  Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer – aircraft manufacturers,
• GE, P&W, Roll-Royce engine manufacturers, and
• many more …

Nancy-Bird Walton Lecture

I will talk and take questions about:

• QF32
• Resilience  (the focus of my next book)
• Nancy-Bird Walton
• and my life’s love of aviation..

Australia Day 2016

Fortunately the 25th January in Canada will be “Australia Day“, the 26th January in Australia.

I hope everyone will be able to mix and enjoy refreshments after the presentation.

Register

Come and join Coral and me in Montreal to celebrate aviation and Australia Day.

Click here (http://www.raes-montreall.org) to view details and register for the evening.

.

QF32 by Jaak de Koninck (https://www.jaakdekoninck.be)

Nancy-Bird Walton

“My God, I’m not going to fly in that. The pilot’s a woman!”  (My God it’s a Woman p214)

I applaud ICAO for honouring Nancy-Bird Walton, one of Australia’s most iconic aviatrices.  Nancy-Bird is a role model for any pilot.    The “Nancy-Bird Walton” named lecture” is the second of just two named RAeS lectures at Montreal.  The “Assad Kotaite Lecture” is the other.

Passengers in KLM aircraft at that time were equipped with a helmet, goggles and hot water bag!  (My God it’s a Woman p124)

Australia’s first subsidised air service was the Adelaide/Sydney flight in 1924. It took two hours longer than the train  (My God it’s a Woman p196)

Sydney Nancy-Bird Walton International Airport

Australia could follow the RAeS and ICAO’s lead and honour Nancy-Bird Walton.

OQA (Nancy Bird-Walton) taking off at Sydney Airport on her first commercial flight after repairs (2012) (Photo, RDC)

I have proposed that the new Western Sydney Airport be named “Sydney Nancy-Bird Walton International Airport” (to honour a great Australian aviatrix) that would sit beside “Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport” (that honours a great Australian aviator).

The Honourable Warren Truss MP, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and the the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development has acknowledged my proposal.

Why am I doing this?

• Many airports are named after famous people,
• Nancy-Bird’s name lives on as a proud part of our heritage,
• It’s time Australia recognised a role model aviatrix
• Nancy-Bird Walton and Charles Kingsford Smith airports should be situated side-by-side, and
• From Nancy-Bird herself:

No matter how foolish, it is not the things in life that you do, but the things that you don’t do, that you regret  (My God it’s a Woman p174)

Another wonderful painting by Jaak De Koninck (www.jaakdekoninck.be)

Below find a link to the High Stakes video, a one hour SBS Insight program in which I join many people discussing how people make high-stakes decisions in the face of life and death.

Decision Making is an extremely complex topic.  Jenny Brockie hosts the discussion, surfacing decisions that many people made and how these decisions changed their lives (for good and bad) forever.

Summary Decision Making

I’d loved to discuss the neuroscience and theories behind decision making – but there wasn’t time.  So I provided SBS with a summary for decision making, the briefest overview of a chapter in my next book.

Post Traumatic Stress (PTS)

This SBS program would be an excellent segue into another program on post traumatic stress.

The atmosphere during the live interviews was was more emotional than portrayed in this video.  One of the guests explained with emotional detail how he still suffers 14 years after an event during which he made critical decisions and saved many lives.

Please believe a person who tells you they are suffering PTS.  PTS is real.  Sully suffered PTS after US Airways Flight 1549.  I suffered  PTS after flight QF32. Both of us sought professional help and returned to full health.

Be empathetic to people who tell you they are suffering PTS.  Care and try to guide them to professional (psychological) help.

There can be growth from trauma.   In the same way that we learn, adjust and improve through failure, there can be growth from PTS.

Verbal Overshadowing eases mental trauma.  So talk to those who suffer and share their grief.  You will speed their recovery.

Happy New Year!  (Thanks to my dear friend Coplu for the rights to display his beautiful art (Coplu.Com))

My last day of 2016 ended with a twenty four hour long tour of duty flying from Melbourne to Dubai International Airport on board my favorite Airbus A380 named “Nancy-Bird Walton“.

Dubai under morning fog – 31 December 2016

Dubai and the 2,800 foot high Burj Khalifa

Dubai International Airport became choked when visibility at three of the five available airports reduced to just 100 metres.  Scores of aircraft arriving from around the world filled a vertical “air park” holding pattern in the sky awaiting their approach.

Short flights from the UAE were cancelled to give priority to the larger aircraft to depart and thus make their parking bays available for arriving aircraft.

Diversions were inevitable.  We diverted to the “newer” Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport.  This airport has five runways on 55,000 acres under construction that when fully operational in 2027, will handle 160 million passengers a year.  This airport is situated just 20 miles to the west of the “older” Dubai International Airport (the World’s busiest airport (passenger count) comprising two runways that support 80m passengers/year).

Pilot’s view of Sydney Runway 34 with simulated 125 metre (minimum takeoff) visibility. A380 operators permit landings with just 75 metres visibility. (RDC)

Within an hour of landing we were refuelled and ready to depart and fly twenty miles to the Dubai International Airport.   Unfortunately we  again joined a lengthy queue to depart from our gate.  We had to stand ourselves down and call for a replacement crew when our forecast tour of duty reached the (Australian Civil Aviation Order #48) limit of 20 hours.

150 metres Runway Visual Range

The co-pilots and cabin crew performed with excellence. The 450 passengers remained calm.  A competition (with the prize of a bottle of champagne) to write the best limerick about our diversion inspired about one hundred submissions.

Thirty children’s submitted A380 drawings in response to their competition.

Drawing prizewinner Eliza Freidel – 31 Dec 2016

Dubai’s shipping terminal under fog – December 2016

We must all be empathetic and caring for our customers, because we never know the full circumstances of those who entrust their lives to us.    Two separate passengers were informed during the delay the family members they were travelling to farewell had passed away during our flight.   One woman told me the delay would cause her to miss her own wedding.  One man would miss the proposal he had planned for New Year’s Eve.

The spirit of the crews in my airline contribute to our great culture.  We turn up to work with the right attitude, present ourselves to the customers and make their day.

Everyone clapped when the replacement crew arrived at the base of the aircraft stairs.  The recovery flight from the Al Maktoum International Airport 20 nm to the Dubai International Airport was probably the shortest A380 flight.

We finally arrived at the Dubai terminal twenty three hours after leaving Melbourne.

No one enjoys being involved in a weather diversion, however in our case the passengers appreciated our efforts to provide full and open disclosure and to ease their stress.  They smiled as they disembarked Nancy-Bird Walton.

113th year of powered flight

It is an honour to be an aircraft commander in the twenty first century.  We have the privilege to operate the most advanced technologies operating over varied engineering, atmospheric, political and geographical landscapes.  We work in companies that espouse the best corporate and human safety management systems and cultures.  We work with knowledgeable, highly trained and experienced crews, teams and professionals.

The best pilots make flying look easy – but it’s not.   Great pilots like Sully and Captain Aux have a chronic unease for the status quo and know their limits. They know the idea that you can study and then have a career in one area of technology is out of date.   They commit to a lifetime of learning and strive for excellence and resilience.  They have an internal motivation from which they derive satisfaction, purpose and meaning while sharing the same aim – to keep their passengers and crews safe.

My honour to meet and interview the NASA legend Gene Kranz

I extend my thanks to all aviation organisations, airlines, their pilots and crews who build, audit and maintain safety.  Aviation is a High Reliability industry that pivots on the values of Gene Kranz, “failure is not an option”.

Despite aviation industry doubling in size every fifteen years, 2016 was the second safest year ever to fly.  Your chance of being in a fatal airline accident is now about one in 3,200,000 (or one flight per 913 years of continuous flying*.

It is an earned privilege to fly.  Pilots and crews will continue their lifetime of study, learning and practice to hone and develop their skills.   I will be checked and recertified seven times in 2017.

Happy New Year!

With 2016 behind us, 2017 opens with more challenges and opportunities.

Coral and I think 2017 will be a great year.  What we get out of live is commensurate with the effort we put in.

Coral and I extend our best wishes to everyone for a loving, safe and productive 2017.

• based on 2.5 hr average flight time.    ie. 1 / 2.5 (hr) x 3.2m (flt/yr)  / (24 x 365)  (hr/day) (day/yr)

Diversions for a Diversion

I am pleased to announce that my next book called FLY! –  Life Lessons from the Cockpit of QF32 is available NOW in Australian book shops, just in time for Fathers’ Day.

Purchase autographed paper copies of FLY! (with optional personal messages) world-wide from FLY-TheBook.com

On Monday, FLY! will be also be available at:

• Paper:  Australian book shops, Booktopia, Amazon,  Book Depository,
• eBook (Kindle):  Amazon
• eBook (Apple):  iBook Store (search for “FLY!” from an iPad, iPhone ….)
• vBook:  Audible (voice version)

Background

During my 44 years of flying in the RAAF and Qantas, I have learned the qualities of resilience – to survive when things go wrong. My life has been one of continual learning, training and gathering the mental and physical skills to learn, adapt, stay ahead and survive in a changing, technical and risk-laden world.

Drawing by Claudia Marks (@CDMarks2085)

The QF32 incident (4 November 2010) was the greatest challenge of my life.  It tested every one of my skills.  And only because of of the remarkable team effort by over one thousand people – 469 passengers and crew survived without a single physical injury.

St Vincent’s Hospital – Patient Safety & Quality Symposium (August 2017)

In the last 8 years I have spoken about resilience to people in company boards, executives, managers and workers in just about every industry.  It is the research, learning and lessons from these experiences that I have compiled into FLY!

What is FLY!

The Elements of Resilience – by Coplu (I will publish a story about Coplu’s extraordinary painting later. Subscribe to Fly-TheBook.com to receive this story.

FLY! details the elements of personal and corporate resilience for any person who wants to build their confidence and courage and fortify their resilience to survive the unthinkable events.

FLY! discusses the basic neuroscience of the mind, then takes a journey through the eight elements of resilience:

1. knowledge,
2. training,
3. experience,
4. teamwork,
5. leadership,
6. crisis management,
7. decision making and
8. risk

FLY! also includes a chapter about Post Traumatic Stress.  I explain what PTS is, why it is a normal reaction to stress, and how we can recover and grow from trauma.

To get a better perspective of what’s in FLY! review the index here.

Who Should Read FLY!

FLY! is designed to help every person find their path and ignite their passion to become tough, confident, competent, disciplined and courageous – the things that catalyse intrepid behaviours and resilience.

FLY! is also designed for teachers who are trying to instil resilience in children.

Geoffrey Thomas, Australia’s most awarded aviation journalist and author wrote:

For a 17-year-old this book is your life bible.
For a 71-year-old it is not too late to get back on course.
FLY! is a must read.

If you want to be a better manager or leader, then FLY! provides lessons I have learned from military and civil cockpits and translates them into lessons, rules and checklists that you can apply to challenges and opportunities in your lives at home, in communities and at work.

Buzz Aldrin – fact checking details of the Apollo 11 lunar landing for FLY!   (Melbourne November 2016)

When writing FLY!

• I shared insights and techniques I’ve built up over decades in the high-pressure and unforgiving world of aviation.
• I interviewed leaders from all key industries including aviation, finance, IT, legal, medicine, mining and security.
• I included personal insights from pilot Sully Sullenberger, astronaut Neil Armstrong, NASA’s Gene Kranz, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and many other leaders who have succeeded under intense pressure.
• I reviewed the remarkable history and the lifecycle of resilience at NASA from the Apollo years to the Columbia disaster.

Neil Armstrong, me, my father Peter on Sydney harbour 2011

Reviews

My honour to meet and interview the NASA legend Gene Kranz (Lead Flight Director during NASA’s Apollo 13, Deputy Director of NASA Mission Operations in 1974, Director of NASA Mission Operations in 1983)

FLY! has been received well:

“It the finest book I have ever read – structure, and flow provide a PhD for leadership” ~ Gene Kranz

“Richard de Crespigny takes us on a fascinating journey through the hearts and minds of resilient leaders, revealing what it takes to overcome life’s greatest challenges” ~ Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger

Sully Sullenberger (stress tested and case hardened skeptic) and me.

“I wish this book had been available as required reading back in my flight training days. The essential Flight Manual for living an empowered life!”  ~ Eric Auxier, A321 International Captain for American Airlines, Airways Magazine Columnist, and Author

“In FLY! Captain de Crespigny explores the science of success and reveals techniques we all can use to enhance our performance and be ready for anything” ~ Christine Negroni author of The Crash Detectives, Investigating the World’s Most Mysterious Air Accidents

“FLY! is as much about aviation and great airmanship as it is about leadership and management under stress and strain and how our brain works in acute crisis situations.
Richard shows how good crisis management, whether in the cockpit of an aircraft or at the helm of a big company, can be learned and how it should be practised and sharpened.
Hence FLY! is a great read for leaders of all walks of life, if should be mandatory for Business colleges, military academies and, of course, Flight schools” ~ Dr. Thomas “Tom” Enders, Chief Executive of Airbus

Click here to read more reviews by industry leaders

Confidence build the courage to be intrepid

Be the best you can be …

FLY! will help you build the confidence and courage to become an intrepid leader of successful teams that survive and thrive.

Learn to FLY!

• Order FLY! from any of these stores.
• Order personalised autographed copies from FLY-TheBook.com

Version 3, Feb 25, 2021

TECHNICAL – FOR PILOT’S EYES ONLY

QF32 follower Riccardo Parachini writes:

Hi Richard,

I’d like to ask a curiosity. Cadet pilots starting their career on a big jet (say A320, A330) sometimes have trouble in energy management on approach. Airbus publishes some diagrams which are very good but specific for a “perfect day” and maybe no ATC speed restrictions. Do you have some tips to plan approach good and flap/gear schedule?

Thanks for your question Riccardo. This is a big topic, but I list below my basic thoughts.

Approach Altitude Gates

Aircraft manufacturers published gates are a ideal targets (ATC restrictions permitting).   Know these gates habitually.   Examples for the big jets include:

• B747 / A380: 250kts / 10,000′ / 40nm  clean. 
• A320: 250kts / 10,000′ / 30nm clean. (Thanks to my friend Captain Eric “Cap’n Aux” Auxier who writes, “I learned this gate early on, and still use it today – about 10nm less than your A380 behemoth, I’m sure because there’s a lot less mass to slow and get down!“

• Be at FLAPS 1 extension speed at 3,000 feet at 10nm (intercepting the G/S).

Deceleration Rates (clean, idle, level)

Know your aircraft level deceleration rate in knots per second.  For the 747 and A380 it is 1 kt/sec.   This helps you calculate the length of the level deceleration phase during your approach.  Add this deceleration distance when calculating your profile.

Getting to the 3,000′ gate

I have a simple way for you to guarantee arriving at your 3,000 ft gate at 10nm at 3,000′ to start the approach.

Within 25nm, have your systems configured to display the distance to run to the 3,000′ 10nm intercept point. This is an incredibly valuable distance to know. (Airbus pilots: when programming the STAR, enter a discontinuity after the last STAR waypoint, followed by the 3,000′ fix).

If you descend at the standard rate of 3nm per 1000 feet, then, divide this displayed distance by 3 to get the altitude you must lose to get to the 3,000′ point. For example, if you have 10nm to run to the 3,000’point, then you should ideally be 10/3 = 3,300 feet above the 3,000 intercept point, so you should be at about 6,300 feet.

If you regularly recalculate this dynamic “mental dead reckoning” ideal height in your head as you approach the final fix, then you will:

• know if you are high/low and calculate the ideal instantaneous ROD for your current location
• be able to update your profile as ATC vectors you around the sky!

Intercepting Glideslope

The many parameters of speed, height, glideslope deviation, configuration, and rate of descent confuse many pilots during approach. 

I reduce this complexity by reducing the number of parameters.  When approaching the cone of the ILS approach, providing you are above the minimum altitudes, get onto the glideslope first and get your self going down at the required rate of descent (half groundspeed +xx…).  When you are locked onto the glideslope, the only parameters left to resolve are the localiser and airspeed.

When flying an ILS to any runway, I pick up the ILS glideslope early and descend on it.  For the remainder of this approach, you just then need to manage thrust, drag and flaps to reduce slowly to the final approach speed.

Follow your manufacturers guidance about flap extension during approach. As a guide for a relaxed approach in an A380, I plan:

• ILS from 3,000′ – intercept the glideslope with FLAPS 1 running.
• ILS above 3,000′- intercept glideslope as detailed above
• ILS from below 3,000′- because there is less time to become stable, consider being partially/fully configured before intercepting the glideslope.
• If you expereince any malfunction that affects your situation awareness, free mental space or performance, then extend the ILS/GLS intercept out from 10nm to give you more stable time on the glideslope. (During QF32, we required and intercepoted final at 20nmn)

Vertical Offsets

1. If high/fast, be unafraid to use speed brakes, gear and flaps to slow down (ensuring you do not break any speed limits).  Be unafraid to operate these surfaces up to, but not exceeding, their max speeds.
2. Flaps and Slats increase the coefficient of drag (Cd) more than they increase Cl.  So if high on final approach, its better to slow down to enable deploying flaps earlier than to speed up and rely on increases drag (at a lower flap setting) to get you down.
3. Know the restrictions of using speed brake with flaps.   If it is permitted then use them, being aware that speed brakes decrease the wing’s Cl and so increases the minimum speeds.

Rate of Descent during final approach

During the approach, given the glideslope angle and your approach speed, you should be able to dynamically calculate the required rate of descent during that approach.

It’s important to be able to calcualte your expected descent rate. Because when you set and maintain an attitude (the first loop to maintain this calcualted ROD, and then to keep on the glide slope), then the aircraft will be more stable than if you “chase” the glideslope position index.

Note 1: If you imagine the ROD as a “velocity”, and the glideslope index as a “position”, then you can see why flying to set the derivative of position is much more accurate than flying to set a “position”.

Note 2: On an Airbus aircraft on a smooth day, you can be incredibly accurate flying by taking your hand off the sidestick, and hitting the sidestick to make tiny inputs to the flight control software. This is because Airbus sidesticks have an extraordinary integrator function, that converts a short-sharp lateral input into a reequest for a small change in bank angle (yes, bank angle, not roll rate). This integrator calculates a desired bank angle according to the size & duration of the stick input (Ref 1). I found that two hits to the stick laterally are converted into a roll change of 1/2 degree. Think of these “hits” as the third derivative of position, that is acceleration. Note, this feature is not documented in Airbus manuals.

Note 3: Certainly, the new flight directors smooth out the required inputs to deliver a constant trajectory, but they only work when correctly coupled to the correct flight mode at that time, and sometimes, they fail.

Given a 3 degree glideslope, the target rate of descent is equal to the addition of:

• GS x 5 (or halve GS then add a zero), plus at least
• GS / 3

To keep it simple (but to 99% accuracy), just remember one of these rules for your aircraft type.  If your normal approach ground speed is:

• 80 kts, then ROD = 400 + 25 feet/min
• 100 kts, then ROD = 500 + 33 feet/min
• 120 kts, then ROD = 600 + 40 feet/min
• 150 kts, then ROD = 750 + 50 feet/min

Note: These ROD figures are correct at the threshold. To be accurate, due to the curvature of the Earth, to remain on the G/S, increase the required ROD pro rate with distance from the threshold – from 0% at the threshold to 5.3% at 10nm, to 7.7% at 15nm to run.

Here is my spreadsheet of data for a 3 degree ILS/GLS approach flown at 150 kts. Notice the increased required ROD due to the Earth’s curvature. Contact me if you wish to receive data at a different glide slope angle or ground speed.

Stable Approach

When you stand in a court of law explaining why you were involved in an accident, playing victim to air traffic control is not an option.

Most landing accidents occur at the end of unstable approaches.  

Know your requirements for a stable approach, and go around if they are not met.   The good airlines have a culture of no jeopardy for go arounds (though they might like to know the reasons for their records).

If your airlines ‘stable” requirements vary for Instrument (higher) and Visual (lower) conditions, then (to maximise situation awareness) it’s a good idea to verbalise your stable status when passing the higher of the two limits

Air Traffic Control or Air Traffic Service?

I think Air Traffic Control should be renamed to Air Traffic Service.

Refuse any instructions that you cannot achieve or that you think will compromise safety.

When things go wrong, tell ATC what you want to do. ATC wants to help you, so your requirements make it easy for ATC to help and clear the skies for you.

PAN PAN PAN, Qantas 32, engine failure , maintaining 7400 and current heading…… we’ll keep you informed and get back to you in five minutes…

(QF32 page 163)

You are in charge of the aircraft, so take control of it. Do not become a victim to ATC. When you stand in a court of law explaining why you were involved in an accident, playing victim to air traffic control is not an option.

Summary

These are my simple rules that I use when planning an arrival and approach.

In my 45 year flying career, I observed many pilots flying missed approaches for many good reasons. Though I have no problems with, and applauded many others for going around, during my 33 year QF career I proudly watched just two of my first officers go around (because Dubai’s runways were occupied). Curiously and (especially) fortunately, I never needed to fly a missed approach outside the QF simulator.

See also:

https://calculators.io/curvature/

Curvature of earth (miles depression) = r – sqrt(r^2 – dist^2) = 3863 – Sqrt(3863^2 – dist^2) (Simple to calculate using Pythagorean theorem)

References

Ref 1: Captain Jacques Rosay, Airbus Chief Testr Pilot, presentation at A319/A320/A321 Operational Liaison Meeting – Seville 2000