If there is engine fire, pilots need to:

- increase the work of running engine

- shut down affected one

- activate fire extinguishing system

- stop fuel and hydraulic liquid supply

- close air conditioning supply from the engine

- start APU for auxiliary electrical power

- start emergency descend

- set squawk 7700

- declare Mayday

- proceed to the nearest suitable airport

ATC needs to act quickly

• Evaluate the situation ( receive pilot’s report as for emergency: reason, consequences)

• Provide safe separation with other aircraft in this sector

• Impose radio silence if necessary

• Inform supervisor and military services

• Give aircraft priority for landing

• Ask if dangerous goods on board

• Ask for number of Persons On Board (POB)

• Inform landing aerodrome

• Clear RWY when ACFT 50 track kilometres from touchdown

• Keep safety strip clear

• In case of diversionary or forced landing, record last known position and time

• Alert emergency services

• If needed, inform pilot about:

• Next suitable aerodrome

• Aerodrome details as soon as possible

• RWY in use, length, surface, elevation, ILS- and NAV-frequencies

• Weather information of landing aerodrome

• Observed fire and/or smoke in order to help pilots from what side it is better to start evacuation of passengers.

ATC has to be aware of:

1. In case of fire a flight crew does not have very long time for communication - time is critical. The crew will commence descent immediately and begin planning an emergency landing possibly without controller’s clearance

2. Putting an aircraft on the ground within 15 minutes of a fire being detected is a challenge for the pilot of a modern passenger jet at cruising altitude, so expect the descent to be rapid.

3. After the initial emergency call, and having declared their intentions, the crew will turn their attention to isolating and fighting the fire, and may therefore not respond to calls. The controller will need to be patient and try to anticipate the actions of the flight crew

Fuel problems

Fuel system is of vital significance for the safe completion of the flight. Without fuel supply the engines will cease operating and without the power produced by the engines the aircraft can not be in the air. Thus fuel system is of paramount importance.

Fuel problems may be caused by variety of factors:

• Adverse weather conditions

√ unexpected severe headwind ( it reduces the speed and increases fuel consumption;

so, the fuel remaining may became critical and not enough for reaching the destination)

√ encountering thunderstorm activity zones (so, circumnavigation of the areas with

CB clouds and diversion to an alternate aerodrome may result in fuel shortage)

• Technical problems presuppose different system malfunctions

√deficiencies in pipe and pump systems (which can result in fuel leakage)

√ fuel gauge/ fuel measurement system failure

√ fuel consumption system failure

√ fuel contamination with ice, water or metal chips and as a result blocking of fuel filters

√metal fatigue

√low pressure in the system

• Human factor contains

√ wrong fuel calculation ( due to various measuring systems which use different

measuring units, e.g. in litters, pounds, gallons )

√ fueling the aircraft with not appropriate quality of fuel

√ poor maintenance service on the ground ( when the technical stuff forgets to close

the fuel filler and pilots fail to check it; when due to ground personnel foreign

objects appear in the fuel )

√ pilot’s error in feeding the engines with fuel during the flight

√ pilot’s mistake ( e.g. going around due to missed approach )

√ ATC’s mistake ( e.g. keeping the aircraft in holing pattern for considerable time ,

for example due to government flights etc.)

Effects:

Fuel problems may have multiple side effects, possibly impairing the pilots ability to fly and land the plane safely. Without fuel one or both engines can be expected to fail, which may in turn result in a forced landing short of the RW or short of the airport itself.

There are various fuel problems such as fuel leak, fuel starvation, fuel exhaustion, fuel contamination.

In case of fuel leak pilots need to stop fuel supply from the affected tank in order to prevent ignition. Fuel exhaustion can result in engine failure as it can’t operate without fuel. If there is exhaustion only in one tank cross fuel procedure will take place (fuel from one tank will be transferred to another in order to eliminate fuel imbalance).

Fuel exhaustion- is situation when the aircraft runs out of fuel completely and the tanks are empty that leads to engine failure. It is considered to be an emergency situation.

In this case forced landing outside the aerodrome or ditching is possible. Radio

Vectoring to the nearest aerodrome is recommended.

Fuel starvation- is situation when there is fuel in the tank but there is a supply problem which either fully or partially prevents the fuel from reaching the engine. Causes may include a blocked fuel filter or more commonly water-contaminated fuel. In this situation pilot is not sure that remaining amount of fuel will be enough for safe completion of flight. He can switch off the fuel pumps on affected tank and supply both engines from another tank. Fuel imbalance – is the situation when the remaining of fuel in one fuel tank is bigger or smaller than in another. In this case pilots have to assess the situation (as the the engines may consume different amount of fuel due to age or some other parameters) . So the crew checks the reason of imbalance. If there is no fuel leak – cross fuel procedure has to take place in order to equalize the fuel (the fuel from one tank is transferred to another). But if there is suspect of fuel leak, it is possible to supply both engines from one tank. Fuel contamination- is a situation when there is water, metal chips or some other foreign objects in the fuel. It can lead to engine failure, not stable work of the engine, fuel system failure, possibly forced landing out of aerodrome or ditching. The are different forms of contamination that can exist, for example- bacterial, microbial, foreign object, water, dirt, sand, ice

In cases when maximum landing weight of the aircraft is exceeded fuel dumping or fuel burning are required.

Fuel dumping (or a fuel jettison) is a procedure used by aircraft in certain emergency situations before a return to the airport shortly after takeoff, or before landing short of its intended destination to lighten aircraft's weight.

Special dumping area should be requested and entered.

More sophisticated aircraft are not equipped with fuel dumping. Thus only fuel burning is possible.

Sometimes in-flight refueling may take place.

In-flight refuelling is also called air refuelling, air-to-air refuelling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) during flight.

This procedure allows the receiving aircraft to remain airborne longer extending its range or loiter time on station, it also gives opportunity to the aircraft to take off with bigger amount of cargo as less fuel is carried while take-off and the plane is topped up when in the air.

The first in flight refueling was in 1949 when American plane B50 performed the first non-stop flight around the world which took 94 hours. It was possible due to air- refueling.

At this moment in-flight refueling is used only for military aircraft.

In case the crew faces with fuel exhaustion or fuel leak, pilots immediately have to identify the source of the problem and eliminate it, if it’s impossible - notify ATC, declare an emergency and request priority for landing at the nearest airport or if they can’t make it to the airport – perform landing ahead of the aircraft at any suitable surface (ditching may be possible).

If critical fuel status is reported to the ATC, his actions include the following

• Ask if the crew declares emergency

• Vacate the air space below the affected aircraft

• Provide safe separation with the other airplanes in this sector

• Impose radio silence ( if necessary)

• Keep ACFT high (in order to save fuel)

• Avoid GO AROUND instructions

• Inform landing aerodrome

• Ask if dangerous goods on board

• Ask for number of Persons On Board (POB)

• Offer out of wind landing if more expeditious

• Clear RWY when ACFT 50 track kilometres from touchdown

• Keep safety strip clear

• Towing equipment on standby as appropriate

If needed, inform pilot about:

• Next suitable aerodrome

• Aerodrome details as soon as possible