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NTSB: US airlines need to improve their pilot training in the event of smoke in the cockpit

After a 2023 smoke-in cockpit incident, the?National Transportation Safety Board recommended on Wednesday that pilots be better prepared for such emergencies.

The?board cited a Southwest Airlines flight in December '2023 of a 737 MAX after a bird flew directly into the engine. Smoke quickly filled the cockpit. The NTSB warned that if such an incident occurred during nighttime or under instrument meteorological conditions the results could be disastrous.

Southwest has not yet commented.

The NTSB reported that the Southwest flight crew had difficulty seeing the instruments and items on the checklist as the visibility decreased within seconds. The pilots put on oxygen masks and completed emergency procedures. They declared an emergency, returned safely to the airport, and declared an emergency. The 139 passengers on board were not injured.

The NTSB stated that passenger airlines do not have to simulate realistic smoke in cockpit training, even though the Federal Aviation Administration is notified of near-daily in-flight emergencies caused by smoke in the cockpit.

The NTSB stated that "existing training is often verbal discussions of a smoke-event rather than immersive simulations involving reduced visibility and?elevated work load".

The board recommended the FAA work closely with industry in order to "develop realistic, standardized smoke-in cockpit simulation training for pilots" and integrate that training into its guidelines for overseeing "airline training programs."

The FAA decided not to take any immediate action in 2024 after convening a board of review to?consider the concerns regarding Boeing 737 MAX engine, including the '2023 incident.

A bird strike caused smoke to fill the passenger cabin of a Southwest flight departing Havana in March 2023.

Boeing published a bulletin in February 2024 to alert flight crews about possible flight deck and cabin impacts associated with severe engine failure. (Reporting and editing by David Shepardson)

(source: Reuters)