ADX Recordkeeping and Documentation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Part 121, who shares legal responsibility with the pilot-in-command for ensuring a dispatch release is completed before departure?
- The airline's CEO
- The aircraft dispatcher (Correct answer)
- The gate agent
- The FAA duty officer
Correct answer: The aircraft dispatcher
The aircraft dispatcher shares joint legal responsibility with the PIC for flight release and pre-departure documentation compliance.
Question 2: What must a dispatcher do if they discover a significant error in a flight release after the aircraft has already departed?
- File a new release and forward it to the destination
- Immediately notify the PIC via radio or ACARS and document the correction (Correct answer)
- Wait until the aircraft lands to correct the record
- Discard the erroneous release and issue a backdated corrected version
Correct answer: Immediately notify the PIC via radio or ACARS and document the correction
The dispatcher must immediately contact the PIC to communicate the correction and document all changes in the dispatch record.
Question 3: Which regulation governs dispatcher certification record requirements maintained by air carriers?
- 14 CFR 121.683 (Correct answer)
- 14 CFR 91.409
- 14 CFR 135.297
- 14 CFR 61.51
Correct answer: 14 CFR 121.683
14 CFR 121.683 addresses recordkeeping requirements for dispatcher certifications and training records at Part 121 air carriers.
Question 4: A dispatcher's logbook entry for a flight must be signed by whom?
- The PIC only
- The dispatcher who released the flight (Correct answer)
- Both the dispatcher and the PIC
- The station manager
Correct answer: The dispatcher who released the flight
The dispatcher who releases a flight must sign the dispatch log entry for that release, attesting to the accuracy of the documentation.
Question 5: If an air carrier's dispatch records are stored electronically, what must the system be able to do?
- Automatically delete records after 30 days
- Reproduce records in legible form and protect them from unauthorized alteration (Correct answer)
- Sync with the FAA's central database in real time
- Encrypt all records with 256-bit AES encryption minimum
Correct answer: Reproduce records in legible form and protect them from unauthorized alteration
Electronic recordkeeping systems must be able to reproduce records in legible form and include safeguards against unauthorized changes.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of the flight plan filed with ATC compared to the air carrier's internal dispatch release?
- They are identical documents serving the same purpose
- The flight plan coordinates with ATC for airspace separation; the dispatch release authorizes the carrier's operational flight (Correct answer)
- The flight plan is for passengers; the dispatch release is for the crew
- The dispatch release replaces the flight plan under Part 121
Correct answer: The flight plan coordinates with ATC for airspace separation; the dispatch release authorizes the carrier's operational flight
The ATC flight plan manages airspace separation, while the dispatch release is the carrier's internal authorization that the flight meets all operational requirements.
Question 7: How must a dispatcher handle fuel on-board corrections discovered after signing the release but before departure?
- The release is valid and no correction is required
- Issue an amendment to the release reflecting the corrected fuel figures before departure (Correct answer)
- Verbally inform the captain only—no written amendment is needed
- Cancel and reissue the release from scratch
Correct answer: Issue an amendment to the release reflecting the corrected fuel figures before departure
Any fuel correction discovered before departure requires a written amendment to the dispatch release to keep records accurate.
ADX Recordkeeping and Documentation 3
Under Part 121, who shares legal responsibility with the pilot-in-command for ensuring a dispatch release is completed before departure?