ADX Emergency Response Protocols 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A flight is diverted due to a medical emergency on board. What is the dispatcher's primary responsibility during the diversion?
- Arrange for a replacement aircraft at the diversion airport
- Coordinate ground resources, notify medical personnel, and keep the crew informed of conditions at the diversion airport (Correct answer)
- Contact the passenger's family and notify them of the diversion
- Prepare the paperwork for the delayed departure from the destination
Correct answer: Coordinate ground resources, notify medical personnel, and keep the crew informed of conditions at the diversion airport
The dispatcher must coordinate airport/medical resources and provide the crew with all information needed to safely complete the diversion.
Question 2: Transponder code 7600 indicates which type of emergency?
- General emergency
- Communication failure (lost comm) (Correct answer)
- Hijacking
- Fuel emergency
Correct answer: Communication failure (lost comm)
Squawk 7600 signals a radio communication failure; pilots follow lost-comm procedures under IFR (FAR 91.185).
Question 3: Which weather phenomenon requires a dispatcher to immediately relay a SIGMET to a flight already airborne?
- Moderate turbulence below 10,000 feet
- Severe or extreme turbulence, icing, or volcanic ash along the route (Correct answer)
- Fog at the destination with visibility above minimums
- Thunderstorms more than 50 miles from the route
Correct answer: Severe or extreme turbulence, icing, or volcanic ash along the route
FAR 121.601 requires dispatchers to provide in-flight crews with any meteorological information that may affect safety, particularly SIGMETs for severe hazards.
Question 4: What information is a dispatcher required to give the captain before each flight under FAR 121.601?
- Only the filed flight plan and fuel load
- Weather reports, forecasts, NOTAMs, and any other information necessary for safe operations (Correct answer)
- ATIS broadcasts for origin and destination only
- Maintenance logbook entries for the past 30 days
Correct answer: Weather reports, forecasts, NOTAMs, and any other information necessary for safe operations
FAR 121.601 requires dispatchers to provide all weather, NOTAM, and safety-relevant information necessary to enable the captain to make safe operational decisions.
Question 5: An aircraft reports fuel contamination and must land immediately. The nearest suitable airport is not on the approved alternates list. What should the dispatcher do?
- Refuse to authorize the diversion until the airport is added to OpSpecs
- Support the captain's decision to land at the nearest suitable airport — safety of life supersedes OpSpecs restrictions (Correct answer)
- Instruct the captain to continue to the planned alternate
- Contact the FAA for a special waiver before allowing the diversion
Correct answer: Support the captain's decision to land at the nearest suitable airport — safety of life supersedes OpSpecs restrictions
An emergency situation allows the PIC (and dispatcher) to deviate from regulations and OpSpecs to the extent necessary to meet the emergency (FAR 121.557).
Question 6: When a dispatcher receives notification of a hijacking (squawk 7500), what is the standard protocol?
- Broadcast the hijacking status over all company frequencies immediately
- Follow the company's hijacking emergency checklist, notify appropriate authorities, and avoid actions that could compromise crew safety (Correct answer)
- Attempt to communicate directly with the hijacker through ATC
- Immediately reroute all adjacent flights away from the hijacked aircraft
Correct answer: Follow the company's hijacking emergency checklist, notify appropriate authorities, and avoid actions that could compromise crew safety
Hijacking procedures require careful coordination with law enforcement and security authorities per established airline emergency response plans.
Question 7: A dispatcher observes on ACARS that a flight's fuel remaining is significantly below the planned figure. What is the immediate action?
- Log the discrepancy and review it post-flight
- Contact the crew to verify fuel status, determine cause, and jointly evaluate diversion options if needed (Correct answer)
- Notify the company fuel department only
- Automatically file a minimum fuel declaration with ATC on the crew's behalf
Correct answer: Contact the crew to verify fuel status, determine cause, and jointly evaluate diversion options if needed
The dispatcher must immediately verify the fuel anomaly with the crew and jointly assess whether a precautionary or emergency landing is required.
ADX Emergency Response Protocols 3
A flight is diverted due to a medical emergency on board.
What is the dispatcher's primary responsibility during the diversion?