Cabin lights not dimmed
Oct 16, 2018, 7:32 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Essex
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 5
Cabin lights not dimmed
Whilst flying back from GLA to LHR on BA1474 on Sunday, even though our takeoff and landing were carried out at night the cabin lights were not dimmed which I thought was strange. Am I right in thinking that it is a rule that pilots dim the lights in the event of an unscheduled disembarkment needing to take place? If it is a hard rule that must be followed then I am unsure how neither the captain or first officer realised that this had not been carried out prior to takeoff or landing.
Oct 16, 2018, 7:37 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL / GfL
Posts: 3,257
It should be done but it is the duty of the cabin crew, not the flight deck crew to action as they are the only ones who know when they have finished in the cabin and can turn the lights down / up.
Pilot37
Pilot37
Oct 16, 2018, 7:46 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Essex
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 5
Thanks for the quick response! Maybe it was a new CSM that forgot to follow protocol.
Oct 16, 2018, 7:50 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: 15 minutes west of LHR, Stockholm, or somewhere inbetween.
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Oct 16, 2018, 9:47 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Whilst flying back from GLA to LHR on BA1474 on Sunday, even though our takeoff and landing were carried out at night the cabin lights were not dimmed which I thought was strange. Am I right in thinking that it is a rule that pilots dim the lights in the event of an unscheduled disembarkment needing to take place? If it is a hard rule that must be followed then I am unsure how neither the captain or first officer realised that this had not been carried out prior to takeoff or landing.
Oct 16, 2018, 1:36 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2005
Programs: BA Exec
Posts: 647
I don’t believe it would have been a CSM that was responsible, as that job title, when applied to flying crew based out of LHR only applies to Mixed Fleet SCCMs . I believe it is Eurofleet that currently operate flights between LHR and GLA, unless Mixed Fleet crew were called to operate the OP’s flight as a one-off.
Either way, yes the cabin lights should have been dimmed by the SCCM for take off and landing during the hours of darkness. Either they forgot, or it is possible that there was a malfunction that meant the SCCM could not change the light setting - it has happened before, it will most likely happen again. If it was the latter, the SCCM will most likely have submitted an Incident Report.
The FAP (“forward attendant panel”) on the Airbus consists of either a touch-screen panel or push button panel which controls multiple functions including interior cabin lighting. On the A32x series it is located next to the forward left hand door. The FAP has been known to “freeze” rendering all functions such as cabin lighting inoperable. On the older, push button FAP, the only way I know of fixing this problem is by resetting the relevant circuit breaker, and this - as far as I am aware - can only be done on the ground.
Other than that, in this scenario, there is little else they could have done.
Either way, yes the cabin lights should have been dimmed by the SCCM for take off and landing during the hours of darkness. Either they forgot, or it is possible that there was a malfunction that meant the SCCM could not change the light setting - it has happened before, it will most likely happen again. If it was the latter, the SCCM will most likely have submitted an Incident Report.
The FAP (“forward attendant panel”) on the Airbus consists of either a touch-screen panel or push button panel which controls multiple functions including interior cabin lighting. On the A32x series it is located next to the forward left hand door. The FAP has been known to “freeze” rendering all functions such as cabin lighting inoperable. On the older, push button FAP, the only way I know of fixing this problem is by resetting the relevant circuit breaker, and this - as far as I am aware - can only be done on the ground.
Other than that, in this scenario, there is little else they could have done.
Last edited by Bar Operator; Oct 16, 2018 at 2:17 pm
Oct 16, 2018, 2:05 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: BAEC, Ib+, Accor, HHonors
Posts: 609
I'm not sure how often this happens... but it also happened on an A380 from HKG to LHR at then end of the august. I'm not sure why they didn't do it, I was kinda thinking "well if they oversight this security issue, how do they check other things?". It is important that cabin light dim during the ours of darkness (you need to accommodate to a lower light intensity in case of an emergency) - however I didn't ask why they didn't do it.
Oct 16, 2018, 2:57 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,065
I'm not sure how often this happens... but it also happened on an A380 from HKG to LHR at then end of the august. I'm not sure why they didn't do it, I was kinda thinking "well if they oversight this security issue, how do they check other things?". It is important that cabin light dim during the ours of darkness (you need to accommodate to a lower light intensity in case of an emergency) - however I didn't ask why they didn't do it.
Oct 16, 2018, 3:47 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,060
It is policy, and it is good to do, and everyone would like them to be dimmed, but it’s not a no-go issue, for one simple reason:
”Cabin Crew 10 mins to landing”
”Crap the system is broken. Hmmm I can’t make the lights go off”
”Hello Captain, yes it’s SCCM here. I’m afraid you can’t land, the lights are on and someone might die not being able to see in the dark”
”Oh yes I see. Ok. I’ll stay airborne until you work out how to fix it”
[A bit of flying around in circles]
[Bang/Crash/Wallop]
”Oh dear, we ran out of fuel, seems we’re in a field over Enfield”
”Oh look Captain, everyone’s dead”
”Cabin Crew 10 mins to landing”
”Crap the system is broken. Hmmm I can’t make the lights go off”
”Hello Captain, yes it’s SCCM here. I’m afraid you can’t land, the lights are on and someone might die not being able to see in the dark”
”Oh yes I see. Ok. I’ll stay airborne until you work out how to fix it”
[A bit of flying around in circles]
[Bang/Crash/Wallop]
”Oh dear, we ran out of fuel, seems we’re in a field over Enfield”
”Oh look Captain, everyone’s dead”
Oct 17, 2018, 7:20 am
#13
Join Date: May 2008
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Oct 17, 2018, 7:52 am
#14
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 30
If you ever fly Peach Aviation in Japan, they will never turn off or dim any lights for takeoff or landing at night. I have asked them why, but the cabin crew says it is the Peach Aviation rule to not dim the lights. Go figure. Just like everything else in Japan, it has to the Japanese way. I mean backwards to the rest of the world.
Oct 17, 2018, 8:17 am
#15
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I don't see why this is peculiarly Japanese. For many years, QF's procedure was to have the cabin lights fully on for take-off and landing - although I haven't done enough night flights with them recently to recall whether that has now changed.