In Flight Failures

[joefremont]

Hi Flyers.

As I continue to think through all the things that will need to be updated to get automated pilots working, it does at times cause me to rethink some of the features we have in the platform, and one of those I have been thinking about is in flight failures.

Currently, based on your aircraft repair status its possible to get an engine, gear or flaps failure while in flight. As a pilot you need to deal with getting the aircraft down safely without those systems, but one you get on the ground those systems are already repaired and you can go on with your next flight immediately. But should that be?

Should we require the plane be grounded for a period of time until repairs are made? Should we require at least an A check at that point or would something less be sufficient? Maybe some time of interim/lesser repair that just increases repair by 1% and pushes off the next by a few months, or may be just a fix to the effected system that takes a few hours? Should a failure of a system decrease the status of that part of the aircraft by more than a normal flight?

For the automated pilots, the odds of a failure will be the same but what happens then? Would a flaps failure mean a hard landing? a gear failure mean a 'gears up' landing and an engine failure be a diversion?

What are your thoughts?

[Cat]

I am not exactly sure what failures are available, but here's my 2 cents worth:

Engine Failure - for sure an A Check as that failed engine will need to be changed out and the entire engine mount/cowling wing area inspected with detail to detect any additional damage (such as melted wires). Engine failures do not necessarily mean an evacuation upon landing, in fact many taxi to the gate on one after being inspected by the crash crews for fire.

Gear Up Landing - B check as the aircraft is now pretty torn up and will need some down time to resolve the actual cause of the gear up issue as well as repair the airframe/propeller(s) (if applicable) and/or engine cowling damage created as the plane slid down the runway. Also such an event would be cause for an on-runway passenger evacuation and rearming and installing those emergency slides takes time and lots of money. In many real world cases, the aircraft in question is never put back into service but picked apart for parts to keep others in the fleet flying. It just depends on that aircraft's age and how the insurance adjuster feels.

Hydraulic system failure: hmmmm could be something as simple as a loose fitting and then refill /recharge the system. Maybe a new maintenance check that downs the aircraft only 12 hours, not the full 24 of an A check and costs 50% less? This 'quick repair' would only bring the airplane back to no more than 98% as only the affected system is being fixed. Also, you could not use a "quick repair" for a lease turn in, it would only become available after a failure was registered.

Any avionics failure: same as the hydraulic failure, they can usually swap out avionics modules fairly quickly.

I dont think FSA would have any depressurization failures as that would be hard to implement given all the different sim formats and aircraft available. Heck in most sims you can fly happily on with the pressurization system set to OFF and never know you have a problem. Only the expensive payware have working pressurization panels and I'm not sure they would affect flight - just trip the annoying cabin alert alarm.

The trick to avoiding ANY random failures is to keep your airplanes in good working condition and serviced regularly!

Regarding the bots: any competent pilot should be able to perform a flaps up landing without bashing the gear through the belly. I'd have penalties the same as listed above but yes the bot pilot should divert nearest "capable" field (runway length) for the aircraft in question.

Additional failure to consider: Brakes/tires ... no brakes on landing could be interesting in the sim. Brake failure triggers could be attached to recent hard landings..... yeah it didn't show up today but a few flights later ..... whoa nellie! I said whoa! LOL Those hard landings could crack a brake line or component that doesn't get checked closely on the line other than the "flashlight walkaround". If you keep it out of the mud with no other damage, then just the 'quick repair" puts it back into service.

[Cat]

With all the recent issues with birds, maybe throw in a totally random (nothing to do with maintenance status) "bird strike engine failure".... LOL that will wake up a sleepy pilot in the sim.

[joefremont]

With all the recent issues with birds, maybe throw in a totally random (nothing to do with maintenance status) "bird strike engine failure".... LOL that will wake up a sleepy pilot in the sim.

Might be cool, but given how many of our pilots leave the cockpit unattended on long flights, (note the auto submit conversation) we could have some very unhappy long-haulers who are distressed that they came back and there aircraft had crashed somewhere.

Right now we just have the three failures in the system, gear, flaps, engines, and with just having released 2.6 I am not in a hurry to start developing a new version of the client, but this is certainly possible in the future.

I think your idea of a required 'maintenance check' is good, say 1/4-1/2 the cost of an A-check that takes 4-6 hours (instead of 24 hours for an a-check), that increases repair status by 1% but does not change the time when the next A-check needs to be done.

[Cat]

that'll work. Yeah I was just throwing crazy ideas out there. I am also one to take a nap on a long flight, but I have my Virtual CDU app on my Kindle so I can check progress from the nightstand. LOL connects via wifi to sim computer.

[joefremont]

Ok, here is an idea.

If any of the following events happening on a flight, the aircraft will enter a "needs maintenance" status and require some type of service before it can be moved (i.e. flown or transferred)

"Crashed"
"Engine Failure"
"Gear Failure"
"Flaps Failure"
"Very Hard Landing"
"Serious Ground Accident"
"Gear Up Landing"
"Water Landing"

The service can be any type of the normal checks (A-D), but we will be adding two new types of checks

Maintenance Service: Increases repair status by 1%, can only be done once a month and only if repair status is 95% or greater.
Maintenance Inspection: Does not increase repair status but does clear the 'needs maintenance' status.

These with both cost 1/4 the cost of an A-Check and take 4 hours, neither of them will change the requirement of an A-Check every so often.

I have been toying with the idea that the service would somehow extend when the next service is required but have not figured out a way to do it without opening a door for members to game the system.

I had though about including 'Hard landing' in the list of events that can trigger the 'needs maintenance' status but in checking over 3% of all flights in the last year are considered 'hard landings' and requiring a maintenance after each might be a bit oppressive.

[Cat]

Just had my first in flight failure - flaps. And on long final coming into KLAS so just a matter of changing the vRef's for a flaps up landing and letting it roll out on the reversers until whoa'd up to normal braking speeds. The CRJ2 was coming here for an A check anyway (97.3%) so good timing.

Actually kinda fun to have a "sim ride check" with something going wrong at an inconvienent time. thanks Joe!

[joefremont]

Just had my first in flight failure - flaps. And on long final coming into KLAS so just a matter of changing the vRef's for a flaps up landing and letting it roll out on the reversers until whoa'd up to normal braking speeds. The CRJ2 was coming here for an A check anyway (97.3%) so good timing.

Actually kinda fun to have a "sim ride check" with something going wrong at an inconvienent time. thanks Joe!

Glad you made it down safe!