The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday urged airlines to prepare pilots for emergencies in which smoke fills the cockpit through realistic simulation training, not just discussions of what to do. The board tied the recommendation to what it described as pilot feedback after a December 2023 Southwest Airlines incident and to the risk it said those conditions could pose under certain flight and visibility environments.
In the NTSB’s account, the pilots who landed the Southwest aircraft safely after smoke filled the cockpit told investigators the situation was far more challenging than anything they had experienced in training. The NTSB also said that if a similar event occurred at night or in instrument meteorological conditions, the consequences could be catastrophic.
The NTSB said the Federal Aviation Administration receives reports of smoke in the cockpit almost daily, but that FAA requirements still do not include realistic smoke-in-cockpit simulations. The NTSB said airline training often amounts to discussing procedures rather than exposing pilots to smoke-filled conditions in ways that reflect how they would actually affect visibility and workload.
Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, a former United Airlines pilot, supported the recommendation and said pilots need preparation for smoke emergencies and should quickly shut off the valve letting smoke into the cockpit. He said it would be beneficial for pilots to experience dealing with smoke during recurring refresher training to build what he described as “muscle memory” for rapid response.
Arroyo described smoke in the cockpit as a serious, time-sensitive emergency, saying, “Smoke in the cockpit is a very serious and time-critical emergency,” and, “And I think creating the pilot awareness through real-life training is essential to reducing this potential safety threat.” The NTSB’s determination echoed that concern, saying the scenario could become catastrophic in night or instrument conditions.
The report also looked beyond the December 2023 New Orleans incident. It described an earlier Southwest Airlines occurrence nine months before, when smoke filled the cabin after a bird strike after takeoff in Havana, Cuba.
Southwest spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the airline was reviewing the NTSB’s recommendation. In a statement, Lunsford said, “Southwest routinely evaluates and enhances pilot training as part of its robust Safety Management System,” adding that the airline notified its flight crews about effects of certain malfunctions after the two 2023 events and reiterated the importance of following established safety procedures in its training program.
The underlying issue tied to those 2023 events involves 737 Max engine design, the report said. The NTSB said last year it urged Boeing and engine maker CFM International to develop a software fix for the engines to prevent smoke from filling the cockpit or cabin after a safety feature activates following a bird strike, while spokesmen for the plane and engine makers said the software fix is still being developed. The report said a safety device CFM added releases oil after a bird strike, generating smoke, and that air from the left engine flows into the cockpit while air from the right engine flows into the passenger cabin.
The Associated trade group Airlines for America said airlines work with the NTSB and the FAA with a “continual focus on maintaining safety as the highest priority.” Meanwhile, the FAA said last year that the repair would be required as soon as it is ready, and in Wednesday’s update, the FAA did not immediately respond to the new NTSB recommendation.