CFC Safety & Emergency Communication 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A pilot declares an emergency due to engine failure and requests vectors to the nearest airport. ATC should FIRST:
- Request the number of souls on board and fuel remaining
- Issue immediate vectors to the nearest suitable airport (Correct answer)
- Notify crash, fire, and rescue services
- Clear all traffic from the emergency aircraft's path
Correct answer: Issue immediate vectors to the nearest suitable airport
ATC's primary duty is to immediately begin assisting the aircraft by issuing vectors, as this directly addresses the life-threatening situation.
Question 2: What does 'ATIS' stand for and how does it support safety in emergency communication?
- Automatic Terminal Information Service; provides real-time weather and NOTAMs to reduce routine radio congestion (Correct answer)
- Air Traffic Information System; broadcasts emergency alerts to all stations
- Automated Traffic Information Service; coordinates SAR frequencies
- Aeronautical Terminal Information Service; replaces ATC in emergencies
Correct answer: Automatic Terminal Information Service; provides real-time weather and NOTAMs to reduce routine radio congestion
ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) broadcasts weather and airport information automatically, freeing controller bandwidth for critical and emergency communications.
Question 3: During a declared emergency, ATC requests 'State intentions.' What information should the pilot provide?
- Aircraft type, fuel load, and destination alternate
- Planned actions, desired assistance, and preferred landing airport (Correct answer)
- Passenger count, cargo manifest, and crew qualifications
- Insurance information and operator contact details
Correct answer: Planned actions, desired assistance, and preferred landing airport
'State intentions' asks the pilot to describe their planned actions, what assistance they need, and where they intend to land.
Question 4: When a flight communicator cannot understand a distress transmission due to poor signal quality, what is the recommended procedure?
- Relay the transmission to a higher authority immediately
- Request the station to repeat the message and attempt DF fix (Correct answer)
- Declare an emergency on behalf of the unknown station
- Broadcast the partial message to all stations for assistance
Correct answer: Request the station to repeat the message and attempt DF fix
The communicator should request repetition while initiating direction-finding procedures to locate and better receive the distress station.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes the 'sterile cockpit' concept as it relates to communication safety?
- All non-essential communications are prohibited below 10,000 feet MSL (Correct answer)
- Emergency frequency 121.5 must be kept clear except for distress calls
- Communication equipment must be sanitized to prevent interference
- Only the PIC may transmit during emergency conditions
Correct answer: All non-essential communications are prohibited below 10,000 feet MSL
The sterile cockpit rule (FAR 121.542) prohibits non-essential communication and activities below 10,000 feet to prevent distractions during critical phases of flight.
Question 6: A pilot squawks 7700 and declares an emergency. ATC is required to provide radar service until:
- The aircraft lands and the pilot cancels IFR
- The emergency is cancelled or the aircraft lands (Correct answer)
- Fuel exhaustion is no longer a factor
- Another agency assumes control
Correct answer: The emergency is cancelled or the aircraft lands
ATC must continue providing radar service to an emergency aircraft until the emergency is resolved or the aircraft has landed.
Question 7: The term 'minimum fuel' declared by a pilot to ATC indicates:
- An emergency condition requiring immediate landing clearance
- Fuel state requiring priority handling, but not yet an emergency (Correct answer)
- Less than 30 minutes of fuel remaining at normal consumption
- A request for diversion to the nearest airport with fuel
Correct answer: Fuel state requiring priority handling, but not yet an emergency
'Minimum fuel' informs ATC that any undue delay could cause an emergency; it requests priority but does not constitute a distress call.
CFC Safety & Emergency Communication 4
A pilot declares an emergency due to engine failure and requests vectors to the nearest airport.
ATC should FIRST: