WASHINGTON, May 13 – Federal aviation safety investigators issued new recommendations Wednesday for enhanced pilot preparation to handle cockpit smoke emergencies, prompted by a frightening incident last year.
The National Transportation Safety Board referenced a 2023 Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8 flight where the aircraft struck a bird with its left engine, causing smoke to quickly flood the pilot area. The safety board warned that “If such an event occurred at night or in instrument meteorological conditions, the consequences could be catastrophic.”
