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NTSB urges airlines to train their pilots better in simulations to deal with smoke in the cockpit

The board said airlines rely on verbal briefings, even as the FAA gets nearly daily smoke emergencies, and urged immersive simulation training for pilots.

  • On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration mandate realistic, immersive smoke-in-cockpit simulation training for pilots to improve emergency preparedness.
  • The board cited a December 2023 Southwest Airlines flight involving a Boeing 737 MAX, where a bird strike rapidly filled the cockpit with smoke, blinding the crew to instruments and checklists.
  • Existing training often consists only of verbal discussion rather than immersive simulation, which the NTSB warned could lead to "catastrophic" consequences if emergencies occurred at night or during instrument conditions.
  • While the Federal Aviation Administration receives nearly daily reports of in-flight smoke emergencies, airlines are not required to conduct realistic simulation training; the FAA did not immediately respond Wednesday to the recommendation.
  • Last year, the NTSB urged Boeing and engine maker CFM to develop a software fix for 737 MAX engines to prevent cockpit smoke, though the FAA opted against requiring immediate action in 2024.
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NTSB urges airlines to train their pilots to deal with smoke in the cockpit

Safety experts recommended Wednesday that airlines develop realistic training to prepare their pilots to deal with smoke filling the cockpit like what happened on a Southwest Airlines plane after a bird strike in 2023.

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The Business Journal broke the news on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
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