Jumpseat: Cleared via Earthquake 1A Arrival

Les Abend

Monday, November 21, 2011 at 11:02 PM ET

Verified

Narita Airport (photo taken in 2009)

Key Takeaways:

On March 10, 2011, a massive earthquake in Japan presented airline crews with an unprecedented crisis, necessitating critical decision-making without established procedures or checklists.
One B777 crew exemplified proactive flight management, strategically diverting to alternative airports (Nagoya then Sapporo) through effective crew resource management and situational awareness.
After landing in an overwhelmed Sapporo, the crew demonstrated exceptional "creative professionalism" by overcoming severe logistical challenges to secure fuel, deplane passengers, and arrange accommodations amidst the chaos.

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(November 2011) Opening scene: Inside a B777 cockpit approximately 250 miles off the eastern coastline of Japan. The first officer is massaging the right touch pad of the display unit with his index finger. The cursor arrow hovers in the vicinity of the emergency checklist page now shown on the lower EICAS (engine instrument and crew alerting system) screen.

Captain: Let’s go to the checklist.