NTSB urges airlines to train their pilots to deal with smoke in the cockpit

Safety experts recommended Wednesday that airlines develop realistic training to prepare their pilots to deal with smoke filling the cockpit, similar to what was experienced after a bird strike on a Southwest Airlines plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilots who landed the plane safely in New Orleans told investigators that the situation they encountered was far more challenging than anything they had experienced in training.

“If such an event occurs at night or under meteorological conditions, the consequences could be catastrophic,” the NTSB said.

The Federal Aviation Administration receives reports of smoke in the cockpit almost daily, but the NTSB said the agency still does not require airlines to conduct realistic cockpit smoke simulations. Instead, training usually consists of a discussion of what to do in this situation. The FAA did not immediately respond to the new recommendation Wednesday.

Southwest pilots who were at the controls during this incident in December 2023 said they had difficulty seeing their instruments and checklists. They quickly donned oxygen masks and followed emergency procedures for landing. None of the 139 people on board were injured.

Southwest and the Airlines for America trade group did not immediately respond to the new report.

last year, NTSB encouraged Boeing and engine manufacturer CFM will quickly develop a software fix for the 737 Max’s engines to help prevent smoke from filling the cockpit or cabin after a safety feature is activated following a bird strike.

Airplane and engine manufacturers did not immediately provide an update on the fix Wednesday.