U.S. Safety Board Urges Realistic Smoke Emergency Training for Airline Pilots After Southwest Incidents

By Zoey

Federal aviation safety investigators are calling for major changes in pilot training after concluding that airline crews are not adequately prepared to handle emergencies involving thick smoke filling the cockpit, a potentially catastrophic situation that has occurred multiple times on Boeing 737 Max aircraft following bird strikes.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued new recommendations Wednesday urging airlines to adopt more realistic simulator training that exposes pilots to the kind of severe visibility problems experienced by a Southwest Airlines crew forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans in December 2023.

Investigators said the pilots involved in that incident described conditions inside the cockpit as far more intense and disorienting than anything they had encountered during routine airline training exercises. The NTSB warned that a similar emergency occurring at night or during poor weather conditions could have disastrous consequences.

According to the agency, smoke-in-cockpit emergencies remain a serious and recurring threat in commercial aviation, yet current industry training standards often fail to replicate the confusion, limited visibility and time pressure pilots face during actual incidents.

The Federal Aviation Administration receives reports involving smoke in aircraft cockpits almost every day, investigators said. Despite the frequency of such events, the NTSB noted that airlines are generally not required to provide pilots with realistic smoke-filled simulator scenarios. Existing instruction frequently consists only of classroom discussions or procedural reviews rather than hands-on emergency simulations.

The FAA did not immediately comment on the recommendation.

The Southwest Airlines incident at the center of the investigation occurred shortly after takeoff from New Orleans when a bird strike damaged the aircraft’s engine and smoke rapidly spread into the cockpit. Pilots reported having difficulty reading flight instruments and emergency checklists as visibility deteriorated.

The crew quickly put on oxygen masks, declared an emergency and safely returned the aircraft to the airport. None of the 139 passengers and crew members aboard were injured.

Investigators said the event exposed weaknesses in pilot preparedness for rapidly evolving smoke emergencies, especially in situations where pilots may lose visibility of critical controls or experience heightened stress while attempting to maintain control of the aircraft.

The New Orleans emergency was not an isolated case. Earlier in 2023, another Southwest-operated Boeing 737 Max departing Havana, Cuba, experienced a similar smoke event after a bird strike. In that case, smoke spread into the passenger cabin shortly after takeoff, alarming passengers and prompting another emergency response.

The repeated incidents drew attention to a design issue involving the CFM International engines used on Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

According to investigators, a safety feature installed in the engines to minimize damage after bird strikes can unintentionally contribute to smoke entering the aircraft. The system releases oil into parts of the engine following a bird strike, and the resulting oil burn can generate large amounts of smoke.

On the 737 Max, airflow from the left engine is routed directly into the cockpit, while airflow from the right engine moves into the passenger cabin. That design means smoke generated after certain engine malfunctions can quickly spread through occupied areas of the aircraft.

Last year, the NTSB urged Boeing and engine manufacturer CFM International to accelerate development of a software modification intended to reduce the likelihood of smoke entering the cockpit or cabin after a bird strike activates the engine safety system.

Representatives for both Boeing and CFM said work on the software update remains underway. The FAA has previously indicated the repair will become mandatory once development and certification are completed.

Aviation safety experts say the incidents demonstrate why pilots need more immersive emergency training.

Steve Arroyo, a former United Airlines pilot and aviation safety specialist, said smoke emergencies leave crews with very little time to react and can quickly overwhelm pilots who have not experienced realistic simulations.

He said pilots should repeatedly practice handling smoke-filled cockpit scenarios during recurrent training sessions so emergency procedures become instinctive under pressure.

“Smoke in the cockpit is a very serious and time-critical emergency,” Arroyo said. “Creating pilot awareness through realistic training is essential to reducing this potential safety threat.”

Arroyo added that repeated simulator exposure helps pilots develop the “muscle memory” needed to locate switches, isolate airflow systems and safely land aircraft even when visibility is severely compromised.

Southwest Airlines said it is reviewing the NTSB recommendation and emphasized that the carrier already evaluates and updates its pilot training programs regularly through its internal safety management systems.

Company spokesperson Lynn Lunsford said Southwest informed pilots after the 2023 incidents about the effects of certain engine malfunctions and reinforced the importance of following established emergency procedures.

“Southwest routinely evaluates and enhances pilot training as part of its robust Safety Management System,” Lunsford said in a statement. “As part of that effort, Southwest notified its Flight Crews about the effects of certain malfunctions following the two events in 2023 and reiterated the importance of following established safety procedures that are part of the company’s pilot training program.”

The Airlines for America trade organization, which represents major U.S. carriers, did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the release of the NTSB findings.

The latest recommendations come amid broader scrutiny of aviation safety standards in the United States following several high-profile incidents involving close calls, mechanical failures and emergency landings over the past two years.

Safety investigators stressed that while the Southwest crews successfully landed their aircraft, future outcomes may not be as favorable if pilots are confronted with smoke emergencies in more difficult circumstances, including nighttime operations or severe weather conditions where instrument visibility becomes critical.

The NTSB said enhancing simulator realism could significantly improve pilot performance during one of aviation’s most dangerous in-flight emergencies and reduce the risk of future tragedies.