NTSB Urges Airlines to Add Realistic Smoke-in-Cockpit Training for Pilots

The National Transportation Safety Board recommended Wednesday that airlines develop realistic training to prepare pilots for smoke filling the cockpit. The recommendation was prompted by an incident in December 2023 in which a plane encountered heavy smoke after a bird strike.

The pilots who landed the aircraft in New Orleans told investigators the conditions were far more challenging than anything they had experienced in training, the NTSB said. “If such an event occurred at night or in instrument meteorological conditions, the consequences could be catastrophic,” the NTSB determined.

The Federal Aviation Administration receives reports of smoke in the cockpit almost daily. However the agency still does not require airlines to conduct realistic smoke-in-cockpit simulations in training. Instead the training usually consists only of a discussion of procedures. The FAA did not immediately respond to the recommendation.

2023 Incident Details The pilots involved in the December 2023 event reported difficulty seeing their instruments and checklists because of the smoke. They donned oxygen masks, followed emergency procedures and landed the plane safely. None of the 139 people on board were injured. The company involved and the Airlines for America trade group did not immediately respond to the report.

Last year the NTSB urged Boeing and engine maker CFM to develop a software fix for engines on the 737 Max. The fix is intended to help prevent smoke from entering the cockpit or cabin after a safety feature activates following a bird strike. The plane and engine makers did not provide an update on the status of that fix.