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B737 ETOPS

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ETOPS

  • TC TP 6327 “Safety Criteria for Approval of Extended Range Twin-engine Operations”

  • JEPPESEN

  • ICAO Global OPerational Data Link Document

  • ICAO Doc 4444 Procs for Air Nav Services

  • ICAO NAT DOC 007 (North Atlantic Ops and Airspace manual)

  • COM

  • FOM

  • QRH Ops Info Checklist

  • Route quals

  • Oceanic procedures guide

General

Area of Operation

B737 airport at 394 KTAS for maximum diversion distance. ETOPS allows flight with distance from airports at 75, 90, 120, and 180 minutes in still air with one engine inoperative. WestJet uses the 180 min.

394 miles in the 737. 1274 miles with the 180 min ops spec.

Diversion timeB737B787
60394425
120 min788850
18011821274

Adequate Airport

An adequate airport must be good for the expecting landing weight at time of use. The airport must be:

  • available
  • at least one instrument approach procedure (can be non-precision)
  • equipped with ATS, lighting, comms, met services, navaids, emergency services

ETOPS Entry Point (EEP)

0 - 394 ETOPS 394 - destination

EEP is the entry point into ETOPS when aircraft is no longer within 60 min still air time single engine of an airport. Thus, at about 394 nm we enter ETOPS. On the other side, EXP is the exit point within 394 nm of a destination or adequate airport.

ETOPS Segment is the space between EEP and EXP.

Equal time Point (ETP)

ETP is a point on a route where two alternate ETOPS airports are at the same time. These are on the summary of the flight plan, displayed on FMC, and on Jep.

This point will be located usually inside the venn diagram of two ETOPS circles. Is this calculated in still air?

Note that two or more ETPS are not required

Critical Point (CP)

The point that is most critical for ETOPS fuel requirements if a diversion must be made. Usually the last ETP inside an ETOPS segment.

ETOPS Alternates

An adequate airport that:

  • WX conditions above required minima
    • Must equal or exceed the minima for an enroute alternate with a period commencing one hour before earliest landing time and ending one hour after the latest time of landing at that airport
  • Field condition reports indicate that a safe landing can be accomplished during the period of intended ops

Alternate minima requirement are the standard alternate values, with no sliding scale. Note that crosswind components, including gusts, must not exceed 80% of demonstrated value

Pre-flight and dispatch

Time Keeping

On the 737NG UTC mode must be synched with manual mode because UTC disappears if GPS is lost.

HF

Check for UTC time signals on 2500, 5000, 10000, 15000, or 20000.

Dispatch brief

This is not mandatory, although occasionally OFP remarks will require it.

Charts

From Voyage download the data, including:

  • Routing
  • Adequate airports
  • Winds at 10k
  • Altitude
  • 180-min rings
  • 60-min rings
  • ETP, EEP, EXP locations

Maintenance

MEL

60 min validation periods enroute to ETOPS EEP → while hacing an MEL we have to ensure that things work

Pre-Departure Check (PDC)

ETOPS checks must be completed by maintenance. This still requires a walk around, and can be done through a technical stop.

The PDC will be on the previous log page.

Oil Consumption monitoring

B737NG | 18 B737MAX | 19 B787 | 19

Fuel Crossfeed valve check

Check crossfeed valve during standup on preflight. Must be checked again after ETOPS EXP. The main thing is to check that the CB for the valve doesn’t pop.

Fuel requirements

There is a standard fuel requirement and an ETOPS requirement. The highest of the two becomes the minimum required.

Standard:

  • Taxi
  • Destination
  • Route factor
  • Alternate
  • 30 min reserve
  • Additional fuel

ETOPS Route Factor Fuel:

  • This fuel cannot be used prior to brake release for take-off (for instance if we are delayed with APU on) ETOPS Fuel requirements:
  1. Standard fuel to the critical point
  2. ETOPS critical fuel scenario from critical point to alternate airport (dog leg going backwards to alternate)
    1. Note that this assumes single engine/depressurization events

The ETOPS fuel requirement is standard fuel to CP plus ETOPS critical fuel

Tanker fuel is fuel needed for the first phase of the flight. This also accounts for extra fuel for thunderstorms and stuff - the computer will not use tanker fuel in fuel calculations, it is used for deviations. ETP Build fuel can be reduced by adding tanker to the calculation.

Critical fuel scenario

37NG → depressurization going to 10k ft on two engines at long range cruise MAX → engine fail and depressurization to 10k ft at one-engine inop speed to alternate

The dog leg in ETOPS alternate planning include:

  • Descent to 10k ft and cruise to ETOPS alternate
    • Descent to 1500 ft above airport
  • Hold for 15 min
  • Instrument approach and landing

Always check minimum diversion fuel over ETP → ETP Build + tanker must equal sufficient fuel

ETP into FMC

Init ref → nav data page → enter ETP1 coordinates, but does not need to be made into a waypoint

FMC Route entry and verification

4 degrees / 4 miles → Whatever the FMC is must be within 4 degrees and 4 miles of the flight plan.

Lat/long can be entered as alphanumberic (49N20) on pre-flight and only when they are included in the RTE section of the flight plan.

Enroute Procedures

Oceanic ATC Clearances include:

  • Route
  • Level → This must be noted if close behind another aircraft
  • Speed

Fixed Mach Number

ETOPS flights in oceanic airpsace will be required to maintain a fixed Mach number, rather than the variable ECON speed generated by FMC:

  • If the CI != 0, the FMC ECON climb and cruise speeds can be used in ATS surveillance airspace.
  • Prior to entering oceanic airspace, enter the Fixed cruise Mach number on the FMC Cruise space, and maintain this speed in changing altitudes in oceanic airspace

Transponder

In east PAcific squad 2000. in WATRS maintain code and include code on first position report, switch to 2000 10 mins after.

ETOPS Entry point

About 15 min prior to EEP send ACARS with “Confirm ETOPS ok”. If within 3 min of EEP, call with SATCOM. Check that alternate airports are good with landing minima Prior to EEP trend on fuel log must indicate that there is sufficient fuel to CP

Strategic Lateral Offset (SLOP)

We always SLOP to the right up to 2 nm. We needn’t advice ATC, but this can only be applied from EEP to EXP.

Position reporting

Compulsory reporting points are:

  • Any point where we are told to report
  • If ETA to next compulsory reporting point changes by 3 or more minutes
  • Max time between position reports is 1:20 min
  • All solid triangles
  • All non-compulsory points where a change of airways occurs

In the Pacific, we must also report Met:

  • Position, temperature, wind in true:
    • “Temperature -53, Wind 270/78”
      • The winds can be found in the FMC

VHF1 set to 121.5, VHF2 set to 123.45. No.1 is because VHF is from battery bus.

  • call sign
  • Position
  • Time over
  • FLight level
  • Name and ETA of next compulsory point
  • Name of following waypoint
  • Remarks or requests

HF Comms

In the East Pacific, call San Francisco ARINC VHF for an HF assignment. On initial contact state origin, destination, and SELCAL code.

Contingencies and diversions

Re-routing required if:

  • Loss of RVSM
  • ETOPS becoming unsuitable
  • Excessive fuel consumption
  • System failure

Engine failures:

  • Diverty left/right at least 30 degrees off to a parallel track 5 nm off-track
  • Broadcast intentions on 121.5
  • Lights on and monitor TCAS
  • Delay diversion until below if FL290 if possible
  • Use 500ft vertical offsents
  • Complete checklists
  • Delcare mayday and get new clearance

Diversion speeds:

  • Engine inop diversions are suggested at Mach .79/290KIAS, although QRH Performance section has more information.

Weather

If we must divert due to weather and it requires deviations of more than 5 nm without an ATC clearance:

  • Turns North must descent 300 ft
  • Turns South must climb 300 ft

Relearance

  • Copy ATC clearance
  • Request enroute ATC clearance
  • Modify FMC
  • Advice distoach and provide waypoint anchor and FOB
  • Amend Master Document
  • Check waypoints in FMC
    • Verify +/- 4 degrees, 4 nm
  • Update winds
  • Update Jepp plot

CPDLC

In ADS-C enabled aircraft position reports are not required.

Logon is required for departure flight, and also approach a data link FIR from non-data area.

How to:

  1. Select ATC on FANS MCDU
  2. Enter or ferify FLT NO and TAILNo (registration including hypthen)
  3. Enter ACT CTR area

Logon to next unit is a pilot responsibility within 10 min prior to entry. Logon identifiers are available in the COM.

Load > Execute → Accept

Hawaii Operations Route Review → WS Pilots Operational . Non reg/Oceanic ETOIPS/ 3 - Route Reviews

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