The only evidence I can find is that one plane flew very close to an active volcano, close enough that the ash filled the cabin, which shut down the engines until the plane dropped out of the thick dust cloud. It was dark so they couldn't see the cloud they flew into.
They didn't know why it happened as they hadn't previously been any alerts relating ash to aircraft damage but, when another plane did the same thing a few days later, they figured it out.
It has happened once more since then.
I agree that there is a need for some evaluation but I don't see the correlation between flying through a dust cloud thick enough to penetrate an aircraft's cabin (the passengers could smell the sulphur!) and the current closure of European airspace.
It remains, IMO, a knee jerk reaction but that doesn't make me any less grateful for it.
I think that NATS have a huge vested interest and the aviation regulators have a vast history in over-reactions. If the same level of security was put on other forms of transport (and it would be easier, cheaper and have a greater impact if they were to destroy Hangar Lane than to bring down a 747) we would never be able to leave our homes. IMO.
They didn't know why it happened as they hadn't previously been any alerts relating ash to aircraft damage but, when another plane did the same thing a few days later, they figured it out.
It has happened once more since then.
I agree that there is a need for some evaluation but I don't see the correlation between flying through a dust cloud thick enough to penetrate an aircraft's cabin (the passengers could smell the sulphur!) and the current closure of European airspace.
It remains, IMO, a knee jerk reaction but that doesn't make me any less grateful for it.
I think that NATS have a huge vested interest and the aviation regulators have a vast history in over-reactions. If the same level of security was put on other forms of transport (and it would be easier, cheaper and have a greater impact if they were to destroy Hangar Lane than to bring down a 747) we would never be able to leave our homes. IMO.