Driftdown

and Oxygen
Procedures Over
High Terrain
An Airline Perspective
Paul Tate

Manager
Flight Technical Support Services
British Airways
September
September 2003
2003

W100l2.1

Driftdown Scenario
ISB-LHR
777-200IGW GE90-85B
British Airways procedure
Top level down procedure
Level of detail increases as required

British Airways

W100l2.2

Requirements to
Calculate Driftdown
JAR-OPS 1.500 en route one engine Inop
JAR-OPS 1.505 en route two engines Inop

British Airways

W100l2.3

British Airways

W100l2.4

British Airways

W100l2.5

British Airways

W100l2.6

 MSA in Flight Planning System based on 20 nm

either side of track and distance between points.
Highest MSA from Flight Planning System is
27,600 ft.

British Airways

W100l2.7

 TOW ~ 250,000 kg, wt @ crit point ~240,000 kg

Net level-off height ISA = 18,000 ft
Net level-off height ISA+10 = 16,000 ft
Net level-off height ISA+20 = 14,000 ft
MSA 27,600 ft
Driftdown analysis required

British Airways

W100l2.8

 MSA may be improved by inserting ghost waypoints.

Doesnt help in this case
Need to look at band width

British Airways

W100l2.9

Flight Plan MSAs

30,000

Peshawar

Chitral

Firuz

Dinar

25,000

Paddy

20,000

Topaz

Gerry

Altitude,
15,000
ft

Ura-Tyube
Mirzo

10,000
5,000
0

Syrdarya
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Distance from ISB, nm

British Airways

W100l2.10

 ATC constraint - Min FL310 by Paddy and

constant FL required
TOW limitation
Climb Distance limit, not Altitude capability
Agreed special departure procedure with ATC

British Airways

W100l2.11

British Airways

W100l2.12

Developed a Spreadsheet Tool to

Handle All Data and Analyse Profile
Terrain information
Climb and cruise data
Driftdown
Profile

British Airways

W100l2.13

Flight Crew Procedures

TOW restrictions
Flight level restrictions
Correction to crit point for wind
Offset following failure
Fuel jettison

British Airways

W100l2.14

Other Things to Check

Geometric height versus pressure altitude
Fuel jettison
Escape routings
Flight crew understanding (advisory material)
Simulator check

British Airways

W100l2.15

Oxygen Scenario
ISB-LHR
777-200IGW GE90-85B
British Airways procedure
Top level down procedure
Level of detail increases as required

British Airways

W100l2.16

Requirement to Oxygen
JAR-OPS 1.760 - First Aid Oxygen
JAR-OPS 1.770 - Supplementary Oxygen Pressurised aeroplanes

British Airways

W100l2.17

Flight Plan MSAs

Worst case scenario
Max pax and crew
Time and distance at minimum flight levels
Cruise at or below 10,000 feet

British Airways

W100l2.18

Flight Plan MSAs

30,000

Peshawar

Chitral

Firuz

Dinar

25,000

Paddy

20,000

Topaz

Gerry

Altitude,
15,000
ft

Ura-Tyube
Mirzo

10,000
5,000
0

Syrdarya
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Distance from ISB, nm

British Airways

W100l2.19

 Reduction of band width

15 nm, 10 nm, 5 nm
Simplify flight crew procedure
Same crit point
Simple let down
Flight crew understanding (advisory material)

British Airways

W100l2.20

 Summary
Driftdown and Oxygen Procedure Airline perspective
Lessons learnt
Future?
Flight Planning System calculations

British Airways

W100l2.21

British Airways

W100l2.22