Out of the Ashes

Airliners and volcanic ash don’t mix

The ominous ash clouds that spewed forth from Mount Agung hung ominously over the island of Bali, threatening the residents and their homes. Those same clouds impact upon the world of aviation in a variety of ways and for many it stirs memories of the British Airways Boeing 747 Flight Nine, or ‘Speedbird 9’, which lost thrust on all four engines one night over Indonesia in 1982.

From the strategies put in place by airlines to the tactics employed by pilots should an encounter with volcanic ash occur, the underlying message is that when airliners are concerned, prevention is the best Policy.