NAT Conundrums Volume IV: Contingency Procedures

By OPSGROUP Team & Alex Gries

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OPSGROUP Team & Alex Gries

OPSGROUP Team & Alex Gries

Alex Gries is a Boeing 777 Captain and Chief Pilot Technical Advisor.

2 Comments

  • Christoph Greiner says:

    Hello OpsGroup!
    Thank you very much for your continuing outstanding work! I would like to raise the question what ICAO or your experts do recommend as a procedure in case of an actual ash cloud encounter in NAT HLA. Follow the procedure deacribed in your article which is suitable for any contingency I can think of (medical reasons, technical reasons etc.) or follow the industry standard procedure of an immediate 180 degree course reversal with an idle thrust descent? I tend to think that the higher degree of safety is maintained by applying the ICAO prescribed procedure and abandoning the abnormal procedure implemented by the aircraft manufacturers in this special case. What is your take on this?

  • GEORGIOS REKLEITIS says:

    hi opsgroup,
    i would like to raise my concern about some words just read in this article.
    in the key takeaways you say that: “If you can maintain altitude, adjust your altitude by 500 or 1000 feet and then make a lateral turn to insert yourself between the traffic in the NAT-HLA”.
    with this wording, it can be implied that you can begin your diversion and steer your aeroplane outside your current route without clearance inside the HLA just because you offset 500 feet, which is not according to the intent of the regulation.
    as far as i know, you have to exit the HLA in order to divert without reclearance, that is why we have to descend below 290.
    please, correct me if i am wrong

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