Seventeen tourists refused to fly after many hours of aircraft repair. Airplane decompression. Bad weather conditions
What to say about the cause of the disaster is premature.
Design office, airline or airport - "Paper" learned from experts who is responsible for technical condition aircraft, how long the vessel must fly and whether the passenger can find out if it has passed all the checks.
How and who checks the plane before departure
There are several types of aircraft maintenance. The most basic checks - operational maintenance - are carried out after each landing, before takeoff or during short stops. The aircraft is inspected for mechanical damage, the landing gear, engine input and output parts, electrical equipment, headlights are checked.
Now most of transport aircraft flies without a flight engineer: the crew includes only two pilots and flight attendants. Therefore, aircraft checks at airports are carried out by local technicians with whom the airline has entered into an agreement. Large companies may have their own staff of specialists at foreign airports, but this depends on the frequency of flights.
Vladimir Dobrynsky, specialist in deciphering the means of objective control ("black boxes"):
There are small companies that are not able to maintain a staff of technicians to maintain their aircraft in transit airports. In this case, they enter into service contracts with airports that have a license and specialists to carry out such work. But an airport is an enterprise that has an air terminal and runway. They are not responsible for the technical condition of the aircraft. The main responsibility for the technical condition of aircraft lies with the airline that operates them.
The crew must always have on board necessary set documents confirming the technical condition of the aircraft. Any airport in the world can conduct an unscheduled "field check" for the compliance of the aircraft and crew with the requirements international organization civil aviation(ICAO).
What other types of maintenance are there
Other types of checks include periodic maintenance, special maintenance, storage maintenance (when, for example, the aircraft is not in operation). In different classifications, the check steps can also be called A-, B-, C-, D-check, depending on the regularity and level of complexity. The airline is responsible for the condition of the aircraft and ensuring that it undergoes maintenance on time.
Maintenance of foreign-made commercial aircraft. Illustration: Katerina Churakova / “Paper”
At different stages, all aircraft systems are checked: air conditioning, automatic control, electricity and water supply, fenders, communications equipment, emergency equipment, windows, hatches and doors, fuselage and more. Depending on the age of the vessel and flight hours, repairs may be covered by the manufacturer under warranty or by the airline itself.
Where and how often planes are checked
There are standards for how, what and how often to inspect: this is written in the technical regulations separately for each type of aircraft. Terms and requirements are determined design department and manufacturer.
Georgy Saveliev, aircraft mechanic:
To determine what maintenance is needed, consider the number of landings or flying hours. Some units are rated by flight hours, and some related to landings, such as landing gear, are rated based on the number of landings. Some destruction can not be seen on the ground. There are methods of magnetic control of the aircraft, which are done on large forms of service, for example, after 5000 hours or 5000 landings. These are deeper control methods, they check the main nodes.
Periodic checks are carried out at the bases to which the aircraft are assigned. These can be either the manufacturer's bases or those that have received maintenance permits for this aircraft model. For example, at the end of September, the Aeroflot A320 aircraft for the first time passed the D-check, that is, the most difficult type of inspection, in Russia, at the S7 Engineering enterprise. The holding's specialists dismantled all the elements of the aircraft, including kitchens and toilets, in order to find corrosion there. In 2014, the A321 aircraft of the Kogalymavia airline passed the same test.
Can passengers find out about the condition of the aircraft
In fact, passengers do not have the opportunity to learn about aircraft checks: as Vladimir Dobrynsky explains, air fleet regulated so strictly that the volume of reporting is too large, and the procedures are detailed.
Vladimir Dobrynsky, specialist in deciphering the means of objective control:
Nobody will answer you. You need to go to a special department, pick up the documents and look at them, what work was carried out. No one will remember this by heart, the amount of work is colossal. There are technological cards that are described in the regulations: they detail how to unscrew the nut, where to put it, how to lubricate it - everything to the smallest detail.
How many years can an aircraft operate
The life span of an aircraft differs for different models and determined by the technical regulations. The limits depend on several parameters, including the number of flight hours, takeoffs and landings, typical flights, age. However, the operation can be extended: for this, after the aircraft has exhausted its limit, it is sent to the design bureau, which can appoint extra hours flight.
In addition, experts note that during the operation of the aircraft, many elements can be replaced, including the engine, so that it can be used longer.
In 2010, the US Federal Aviation Administration introduced strict limits on the age of aircraft. The agency obliges manufacturers to set boundaries for use air transport, which airlines are not allowed to exceed without additional checks. “Cracks can appear in the metal structures of the aircraft as a result of the rise and fall in pressure that occurs during each flight,” the agency said in a statement. For Airbus and Boeing, for example, the maximum flight time varied between 30,000 and 75,000 flights. A passenger plane can fly about 10–16 hours every day.
Hello dear friends! Vladimir Raichev is with you and today, at the request of the workers, as they say, we have another not only interesting, but also very useful article. Again, in my subjective opinion.
A regular blog visitor, my colleague, Andrey Puchkov at one time he asked me to write an article on how to visually and with the help of publicly available information assess the safety of an upcoming flight, in other words, how to find out if the aircraft is in good condition before and during the flight.
I can tell you right away that no way, and on this we can go about our business. But that won't suit you, will it? At least I really hope so. Otherwise, I would not have spent a lot of time searching and analyzing this information.
I will not pour water for a long time, but I will clarify that the plane is very difficult vehicle equipped enough big amount various systems that ensure flight and its safety. Therefore, even an expert cannot visually assess the technical condition of the aircraft.
And right now I was prompted to publish this article by the news that the Airbus A321, which took off in the domestic direction, returned back to the airport because it had a crack in the glass of the cockpit.
So, I present the material in the form of a conversation with experts in the question-answer mode. It seems to me that this format is somewhat easier to understand. It's just more familiar to us. Well, shall we get started?
The recent A321 crash killed 224 people, and this tragedy has made the topic of air travel safety one of the most discussed in our country and in the world. Potential tourists massively refused tours to Egypt, handing over tours and tickets.
Questions from passengers and answers from experts
Ordinary passengers, ignorant of the intricacies aviation industry, are interested in: is it possible to determine on their own whether the aircraft is working or not? What should you pay attention to, what should alert both before landing and already in flight?
Here is what experts, pilots and auto experts answer to questions from passengers.
- I went on board and noticed that the covers were worn in the chairs, and in general the appearance of the seats was unpresentable. Perhaps we are all in danger, because the plane is old?
Every passenger should know that there are very few things by which an amateur can determine the malfunction of an aircraft. And here causeless panic moods are possible.
In this case, do not rush to be tormented by thoughts of an imminent accident! New cars are common in many domestic flights, that is, when flying within the country.
And this applies not only to Russia, but also foreign countries, even the United States, so there is no cause for alarm. New cars for prestige are put mainly on international flights.
- But still, for safety, probably, you need to ask the crew members the year of issue? Suddenly, the expiration date is over, why should we all be in danger?
It is not so much the expiration date itself that is important, but proper care: you need to make repairs in a timely manner, including preventive maintenance, update, keep the aircraft in order, and carefully undergo a pre-flight inspection.
Under such conditions, it can fly for a very long time. Of course, it is not forbidden to ask the year of issue, but this figure can sometimes say nothing even to an expert, since this will only be a reference, nothing more.
It is also worth considering that in some cases an “older” aircraft is more reliable and safer. A prime example the TU-154 built back in the USSR can serve.
- If any sounds are heard during the flight, will this be a harbinger of a crash? And what else can be regarded as a sign of problems?
See what sounds you hear. In general, if you do not have special knowledge, you are unlikely to be able to figure out whether the sound is “good” or “bad”. But speaking in general, the smooth buzz of the motor is normal, but the whistle is a signal of trouble.
This sound is usually caused by depressurization and is so harsh and loud that any passenger can hear it. The object of your attention, if you decide to be vigilant, should be portholes, in particular, cracks in the glass.
If you find them, call the flight attendant - this is an alarming sign! During the movement of the vessel, given the pressure drops, holes may form in the glass, which will lead to depressurization.
Will I be able to spot something dangerous outside the airliner?
If you notice a trickle of oil coming out of the engine while the plane is still on the ground, tell the airport staff immediately. A passenger sitting at the window can find a part of the skin that is not tightly adjacent to the wing, and there have been such cases!
But, of course, there are only a few of them for thousands and thousands of flights. During the flight: the flaps began to tighten this layer, as it were. If the skin is not all right, inform the flight attendant immediately.
- And what "alarm bells" can be in the engine?
It is the engine that is the main part of the aircraft, and here failures are given paramount attention. The smoke from engines always scares passengers, it is justified, although not always.
The fact is that in very humid air, for example, in the tropics, smoke is quite normal. But if it is observed when flying somewhere in central Russia or in its central part, this bad symptom.
- Where is it safer to sit: probably in the tail? This is how it is considered...
This would indeed be the case if all planes fell invariably on the front. But this does not always happen, so the statement is controversial. If we're talking about safe place, then the center of the aircraft is somewhat stronger.
In the history of aviation, there were cases when a "thieves" passenger flew to luggage compartment and the only one who survived the crash. But this is more a curiosity than the truth: only a miracle will help to escape when falling thousands of kilometers.
Estimation of the number of air crashes of the carrier
If we return to what is allegedly based on the history of the carrier, we can conclude that the flight is reliable. Friends, this is not true at all. emergency situations happen with all airlines, but this is just a matter of chance.
And carriers have become much smarter. In order not to spoil its reputation and image, the carrier does not have to change its name. So this kind of security assessment will not bring us any result.
Today I have almost everything, it remains only to give you some of the most helpful advice, which I traditionally left for last. Friends, take your safety seriously. Pay attention to any little things on the plane. There are no trifles in security.
If you liked the article - share it with your friends, I'm sure they will not refuse information that will allow them to evaluate the safety of the flight. Subscribe to blog updates - there is still a lot of useful and interesting ahead. Until we meet again, bye bye.
Incredible Facts
Air liner or airplane is one of greatest achievements modern era. A masterpiece of engineering, a high-tech invention, amazingly complex, however, accessible to each of us.
Millions of people travel to the most remote corners of our planet, thanks to this marvel of modern engineering.
And few of us think about how much technology was used before a person could conquer the unimaginable heights of the sky and in a matter of hours get from one point the globe to another.
And it seems that we know everything about these air giants. However, there are things that even those who travel constantly do not suspect. Some features associated with the life of airliners are still unknown to us.
Aircraft explosive charge
1. There are explosive charges inside the engines
Forget for a moment that the inside of an airliner's wing is filled with flammable fuel (yes, the fuel is in this part of the plane).
In the engine of any airliner there is one or two charges of explosives, the so-called pirozapal. Surprisingly, this pirozapal is necessary in order to prevent engine combustion.
Immediately after igniting, this charge dislodges the sealed container, which is under high pressure, and flame retardant chemicals can extinguish any flames in the engine casing.
As a rule, aircraft are equipped with two pyro-igniters, although theoretically, one charge is enough.
This is provided for insurance purposes: if the situation gets out of control, a second spare charge will help the liner win a few seconds until the plane finds a suitable landing site.
Fire extinguishing systems in aviation cargo compartments operate in a similar way.
Aircraft breakdowns
2. Your plane may be crashed and you won't know about it.
It is no secret that any airline strives to operate its aircraft to the maximum, so that airliners carry a huge number of passengers as often as possible.
When one of the liners has one or another breakdown, and he can not fly, the company loses money; a plane that is not in the sky does not bring profit. Therefore, when a problem arises, airline employees try to fix it as soon as possible in order to send the liner on a flight.
However, sometimes the repair takes from several hours to several days. Sometimes there are problems of a completely minor nature. For example, the failure of the coffee pot or a broken light bulb is not so important.
How to understand how serious the breakdown of the aircraft is, and who decides whether the aircraft should operate the flight if a problem is detected?
The answer is in a special document, the so-called PMO ("Minimum Equipment List"). All possible failures are recorded in it.
The same list describes the actions that the pilot must perform in case something goes wrong on board.
According to the PMO, the aircraft can take to the skies, even if only half of the available standard systems are working. Theoretically, it is, of course, safe. However, in case of failure of the working half of the systems, there will be nothing to insure the liner.
Ultimately, it is the captain of the airliner who decides whether or not to take the plane into the sky. But the airline can hire a less picky pilot at any time.
In the midst of intense summer season the carrier company cannot afford to frequently fix these or other breakdowns, therefore, repairs are usually postponed indefinitely. This means that the equipment of many aircraft is much worse than we can imagine.
3. The air in the aircraft cabin comes from the engines, and not from the outside.
It is no secret that the air inside the liner is not the same as outside. At the altitude that airliners fly, the air has the same composition as on the ground (20 percent oxygen).
The only difference is that the air high in the sky is very rarefied, and a person can neither breathe nor be conscious.
The solution that aviation engineers have found is to use air taken from the engine, which is already compressed and compressed by the engine. This air is enough for passengers for the entire duration of the flight so that they can breathe freely.
Otherwise, the difference between the pressure outside and inside the liner would be noticeably large. Therefore, it is necessary to find a middle ground in this matter: the air that a passenger breathes in the cabin is on the ground only if you rise to a height of 2400 m.
The disadvantage of this system is that everything that passes through the engine of the aircraft ends up in passenger compartment. Ultimately, we breathe it all.
For example, if the engine catches fire, poisonous smoke, antifreeze smoke, or toxic compounds from burning lubricating oils enter the passenger compartment.
Airplane decompression
4. Emergency decompression is much worse than you might imagine
When flight attendants ask passengers to use an oxygen mask, they are not playing a prank. As you know, high in the sky, the air is very rarefied.
If complete decompression occurs, the lungs cannot withstand a strong load and cannot provide the brain with the amount of oxygen that is necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
Due to the lack of oxygen, a passenger can lose consciousness in as little as 35-40 seconds, depending on the physical condition, health status and altitude at which the airliner is flying.
Under decompression conditions, a person experiences dizziness, euphoria, then he simply loses consciousness.
Brain decompression
It seems that just one minute spent without oxygen is not a lot. However, each of us needs to get oxygen as quickly as possible. Otherwise, due to its lack, side effects may occur, such as brain hypoxia, the so-called oxygen starvation.
The situation is worsened by the fact that more height, topics colder air. Temperature -60 degrees is considered normal. Decompression can contribute to the destruction of the aircraft body, and then a kind of fog will begin to form, which can shock many.
Therefore, do not neglect the oxygen mask. In which case, you should immediately resort to its use.
Airplane oxygen masks
5. Oxygen masks won't last long
Familiar to every passenger, the small yellow masks work in a completely different way than it seems to most of us. Passengers think they are breathing in cool, pure oxygen, the kind found in a diving tank.
However, this is misleading. Each set, which includes four to five masks, is attached to a so-called chemical generator, which is a piece of flammable metal. One has only to pull one of the masks, and you will get that very burning, which is the source of that very necessary for passengers oxygen.
However, this oxygen will have a not quite familiar smell: you will smell and taste smoke, rather unpleasant and even slightly burning.
And since metal cannot burn for a long time, the effect of the oxygen mask ends after about 12 minutes. By this time, the pilot should have lowered the aircraft to a level where it is possible to breathe normally.
In addition, it should be remembered that oxygen mask leaky and has no filters. Therefore, it does not protect against various vapors and smoke inside the aircraft. However, as mentioned above, in the event of an unforeseen situation, an oxygen mask will save the passenger.
Pilots have full oxygen tanks in the cockpit. Pilots can breathe freely for two hours. During this time, they manage to land the plane if the need arises.
6. Inflatable boats and inflatable ladders work differently
If the plane crashed into the ocean, the passenger must sit in a dry and warm lifeboat. However, this is ideal. In practice, this does not always work out.
It is advisable to carefully read the safety instructions before flying. As a rule, airliners need to be equipped with only emergency ladders, thanks to which passengers will be able to get to the ground.
It is worth noting that the ladder-raft weighs more than a conventional inflatable ladder, which means extra weight on board the aircraft. This brings additional inconvenience.
Transatlantic flights of airliners are always equipped with real inflatable boats.
Why are there no parachutes on planes?
7. Basically they are useless in passenger airliners
Statistically, an airplane is the safest means of transport. Why passenger airliners not equipped with parachutes?
There is an international rule not to issue parachutes due to the high cost of their use. This is both extra weight and extra space for storing parachutes. In addition, at the time of the disaster, an unprepared person in most cases cannot use it. At the same time, 90% of all crashes occur during takeoff or landing - when the use of parachutes is generally impossible.
Panic on the plane
8. Panic is the culprit
It's no secret that it is the panic on board the airliner in case of emergency that leads to the most negative consequences. In all artificially created situations, pseudo passengers were calm and calm. Nobody panicked or got nervous. The evacuation of passengers took place quickly, clearly and smoothly.
However, as everyone knows, the reality is not so smooth. Most passengers succumb to panic, which causes the evacuation to be much slower.
Experts say that if people did not panic, it would be much easier to avoid a huge number of human casualties in certain situations.
9. All possible electronic gadgets do not affect the operation of aircraft systems
The good news is that the myth that personal electronic devices on board can interfere with aircraft systems has finally been debunked.
Passengers can use gadgets at almost every stage of the flight.
The exception when you may be banned from using mobile phones or tablets may be bad weather. In low cloud cover, fog and precipitation, pilots use special navigation signal systems to land the aircraft.
Of course, this is a good reason to turn off your cell phone. The version that portable electronic devices can interfere with the landing is quite popular.
However, there is no hard evidence to support this theory. Therefore, you can use mobile phones when taking off the plane, and during the flight, and landing.
10. …but pilots' mobile phones can be a nuisance.
However, a mobile phone can cause an emergency. This is about mobile phone if its owner is one of the crew members.
A mobile phone can simply distract the pilot and at the most crucial moment, if the phone rings, he may be mistaken. As a rule, such errors become fatal.
There is a known case when, distracted by a phone call, the pilot forgot to release the landing gear during landing.
Another airliner had just taken off into the sky when the pilot's phone rang. Answering the call, the pilot forgot to perform the necessary maneuver, which almost led to tragedy.
How much fuel is on the plane?
11. Not enough fuel is not scary
Perhaps most passengers will be intimidated by the fact that, as a rule, airlines refuel their liners with the minimum amount of fuel.
If there is more fuel in the tank than required by a specific distance, the aircraft uses up all the fuel. This is disadvantageous for the carrier. In addition, a large weight gives a strong load on the engine.
However, the so-called "minimum fuel" does not mean that there is strictly enough fuel to fly from point A to point B.
Aircraft fuel consumption
12. There is always a supply of fuel
As prescribed by international aviation rules, there must be fuel on board for a flight from one point to another. In addition to the main, there must also be "free" fuel, which is approximately 3.5 percent of the amount of the main fuel.
It is used in emergency cases, for example, when the main fuel leaks, or, if for some reason, it is not possible to land quickly. Spare fuel is enough for another 30 minutes of flight.
Do not worry. If you have a trip ahead - feel free to choose it. Plane crashes are extremely rare, mainly due to a fatal combination of different circumstances. What are the reasons for the plane to crash?
Many people are afraid to fly due to the fact that, supposedly, there is no chance of surviving in a plane crash. This is nothing more than a myth. The probability of staying alive is approximately 95%. Thus, even if, by incredible chance, your plane has an accident, you will have a good chance of survival. Now that we have calmed down a bit, we can move on to the causes of plane crashes.
Most of the air crashes occur in a fairly short time interval. These are the first 3 minutes of the flight and the last 8. In aviation parlance, this concept is known as Plus Three/Minus Eight. 80% of all aviation accidents happen in those 11 minutes. The reason may be any of the following factors, or a combination of them.
Becomes the cause of 22% of air crashes. Despite the most thorough technical inspections before each flight, there is always a minimal probability of failure of any of the components of the most complex unit. To understand how tiny this probability is, imagine the work of flight attendants. They have been making daily flights for many years, but their profession is not even close to being on the top of the most dangerous.
A technical malfunction may be the result of a bird strike. But, again, this probability is extremely small. No wonder the classic example of such an accident is still considered to be the 1962 hit of a swan in the engine of a United Airlines aircraft.
2. Pilot error
Humans tend to make mistakes. That is why the participation of the pilot in the management of modern aircraft, thanks to technology, is minimized. Despite this, the notorious "human factor" causes 50% of aircraft accidents. It can be both excessive self-confidence, and a sudden heart attack. 
3. Weather conditions
Heavy wind, fog, snow are the cause of 12% of air crashes. Despite the most accurate algorithms, weather forecasts sometimes turn out to be erroneous. In most cases, the maximum that threatens passengers is varying degrees However, in rare cases, the consequences can be more severe.
4. Intentional acts
In 9% of cases, planes crash, like in detective thrillers. This includes terrorist attacks, hijacking attempts, planted explosive devices.
5. Other reasons
7% of air crashes happen due to other factors. These are dispatch service errors, aircraft collisions, navigational errors, insufficient calculation of the fuel supply ...
Now you know why planes crash, as well as the fact that this happens quite rarely. So fly to your health.
