What happened to flight SA222?

What happened to flight SA222?

Guidance for Completion of Interactive Activity – Aviation Students

Students should be divided into four teams, with each team responsible for developing one interconnected scene of the scenario.

All four teams will conduct research to determine the correct chronological order of the four scenes.

Each team will be randomly assigned one scene.

Each scene is a role play.

Overcoming emergencies:

• gliding
• volcanic ash
• crosswinds

Aviation communication

Students will communicate with each other using standard phraseology to understand different procedures and to relay messages between stations, enabling them to accurately determine what happened to SA222.

Game Concept

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SCENE 1

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A South African Airways Airbus A330 (flight SA222) has crashed at London Heathrow. London Heathrow was not the flight’s final destination, but an alternate airport. The aircraft skidded off the runway due to strong crosswinds, and the flight deck was unable to correct the trajectory because the engines were not running.

• Why couldn’t the flight deck counteract the wind’s effect on the aircraft’s trajectory?
• Human/Procedural Factors?

SCENE 2

Scene 2

South African Airways flight SA222 experiences a catastrophic engine failure. As a result, the aircraft loses thrust and becomes difficult to control. The flight crew must manage the emergency, assess the aircraft’s condition, and make immediate decisions regarding diversion, altitude, and approach to a suitable airport.

• What triggered the engine shutdown?
• Flight Crew Actions?
• Environmental and External Factors?

SCENE 3

Scene 3

SA222 is flying on a north–northwest great-circle route at 35,000 feet. Upon entering European airspace, the aircraft encounters volcanic ash from an ongoing eruption at Mount Etna. Strong winds carry the ash plume northward and upward, creating a hazardous environment for the aircraft.

• What operational and safety factors come into play when an aircraft is exposed to volcanic ash clouds?
• Flight Crew Actions
• Communication and Coordination

SCENE 4

Scene 4

The aircraft is a South African Airways Airbus A330, powered by two turbofan engines, flying from Cape Town, South Africa, to Greenland as its final destination. Onboard is an aeronautical engineer working on the development of a propulsion system using new materials sourced from Greenland’s unique geological formations.

• What state-of-the-art developments in aircraft propulsion systems are associated with rare earth elements sourced from Greenland?
• Safety Considerations
• Innovation and Feasibility

Game Concept

The four scenes represent linked stages of a single flight scenario, each with challenges that require students to analyse, make decisions, and communicate like real ATC, pilots, or engineers. Students are divided into teams, and each team handles one scene, but outcomes affect the next scene, creating a chain reaction.

1. Roles

Each team can take on one of the following roles:

• Flight Crew (Pilots) – make decisions about handling the aircraft, emergencies, and hazards.
• Air Traffic Control (ATC) – provide instructions, manage traffic, and coordinate responses.
• Engineering/Research Team – manage technical systems, rare-earth propulsion research, and assess equipment risks.
• Safety/Operations Team – monitor compliance with procedures, suggest emergency actions, and evaluate risk.

Teams can rotate roles between scenes to experience different perspectives.

2. Interactive Flow

1. Scene is presented (short description + key facts). 2. Teams discuss for a few minutes to analyze the situation using guiding questions. 3. Teams make decisions:

• Pilots choose flight path, engine management, or emergency actions.
• ATC issues clearances or emergency instructions.
• Engineering evaluates system limitations or hazard impacts.
• Safety/Operations approves or flags decisions.

4. Facilitator (teacher) applies consequences:

• For example: wrong frequency = missed ATC clearance; engine mishandling = flight deviation;

ignoring volcanic ash = aircraft hazard; improper handling of rare earth cargo = safety alert. 5. Outcome of the scene affects the next scene, reinforcing the interconnectedness of aviation operations.

3. Communication Component

• All communications can be done verbally or via written messages in “ATC/pilot standard phraseology.”
• Miscommunication can be introduced deliberately to simulate real-life risks.
• Students practice readbacks, confirmations, and clear concise messaging.

4. Scoring / Debrief

Points awarded for:

• Correct hazard identification
• Proper communication and readbacks
• Safety-conscious decision-making
• Team coordination

At the end, a debrief reviews the chain of events, shows cause-and-effect, and highlights lessons about communication, situational awareness, and human factors.

5. Debrief

• After all four scenes:
• Facilitator reviews the chain of events.
• Discuss cause-and-effect relationships between scenes.
• Highlight lessons about communication, human factors, environmental hazards, and aircraft systems.
• Students reflect on what they did well and what could have been improved.

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Final task

THANK YOU

Prof. Mariló Camacho Díaz ETSIAE - UPM