Fly - By - Wire Failure, Part 2

Fly - By - Wire Failure, Part 2

Author: Aviation International News November 20, 2017 Duration: 21:37

While flying an Airbus A330 at FL370 over the Indian Ocean from Singapore to Perth in 2008, pilot Kevin Sullivan found himself dealing with malfunctioning primary flight control computers. The aircraft began to pitch down over the water, which injured some of the 303 passengers on board. Fortunately, Sullivan's past experience as a Navy pilot helped him navigate to safety. In this second part of this AIN's The Human Factor episode, Sullivan continues his tale of Qantas Flight 72 and how he was able to land the aircraft at the military field at Learmonth Airport. He also speaks about how the experience affects him today.


There’s a story behind every landing, a decision in every cockpit, and a human element in every flight log. AIN's Tales from the Flight Deck, from Aviation International News, pulls back the curtain on those moments. This isn't about dry technical briefings or theoretical scenarios. Instead, each episode sits you in the jumpseat for candid, first-person narratives from pilots, controllers, and aviation professionals who have been there. You’ll hear the subtle tension in a voice recounting an unexpected weather encounter, the thoughtful pause before explaining a critical split-second choice, and the relief in sharing a lesson learned. The conversations are intimate and detailed, focusing on the real-world application of procedure and the nuanced judgment calls that define safety aloft. By prioritizing genuine experience over lecture, this podcast builds a profound understanding of aviation safety from the ground up. It’s for anyone fascinated by the realities of flight, whether you’re a seasoned aviator, an aspiring pilot, or simply someone who looks up at a passing airliner and wonders about the skill and stories inside. Tune in for a compelling, human-centered perspective that goes far beyond the headlines.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 34

AIN's Tales from the Flight Deck
Podcast Episodes
Otto's Pilots Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:46
Unable to discern the fate of the small American delegation trying to win the freedom of an injured American college student from North Korea, a Phoenix Air flight crew decides to launch on its own. Says the pilot, "I'm…
Otto's Pilots Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:46
A call for help from Washington, DC to Phoenix Air, based at a tiny airport in Cartersville, Georgia: Can you fly a medivac mission right away? The destination: North Korea. This is the first of a two-part episode on the…
Connecting Planes in Trouble with Ships at Sea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:15
A World War II era bomber pressed into transoceanic service as a freighter is lost. It's night. The water below is frigid. Whether the crew survives depends on how close to a ship they can ditch their aircraft. Now, a ne…
Episode 19: Flight Deck Automation after Indonesia and Ethiopia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:06
After the Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, the question is whether cockpit automation is working for pilots or pilots are working for the automation. We talk with the pilot of Qantas Flight 72, An Airb…
Flight Deck Extra - Do You See What I See [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:29
Listen as these aviation professionals discuss how critical it is to not just understand weather but to understand how to know the limits of weather depiction. As you will hear, that can vary depending on where you are s…
Into the Storm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:25
What makes an otherwise safe pilot believe he or she can pick through the cells of a thunderstorm? In this episode, Wilson Khors and his copilot become so transfixed on making it through a tiny hole in a line of convecti…
Emergency Response [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:51
When an aircraft emergency situation strikes, as a pilot, how prepared will you be to deal with it? For both an experienced aviator with thousands of hours of stick time and a novice on the first solo flight, proper trai…
When it all Goes Sideways [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:37
Having reached their 43,000-foot cruise altitude, the crew of a corporate Citation XLS had their world almost literally turned upside down. Like a rogue wave far out at sea, clear air turbulence can come from nowhere, an…
Familiar Departure, Busted Altitude [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:50
After an unanticipated en route stop-over throws a curve to an experienced crew, they fall victim to an error of omission that could have been disastrous. Leaving Denver International Airport for their homeward leg, they…
One Turn of the Wrench Exposes SMS Flaws [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:07
While safety management systems (SMS) are powerful tools that are now seeing widespread adoption throughout the aviation industry, if not fully utilized and embraced from the top to bottom of an organization, and without…