CFC Safety & Emergency Communication 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of the SELCAL (Selective Calling) system in long-range aviation communications?
- To automatically broadcast weather updates to specific aircraft
- To alert a specific aircraft that a ground station wishes to communicate, eliminating continuous listening watch (Correct answer)
- To encode emergency frequencies so only authorized stations may transmit
- To assign unique squawk codes during oceanic operations
Correct answer: To alert a specific aircraft that a ground station wishes to communicate, eliminating continuous listening watch
SELCAL allows ground stations to alert a specific aircraft with a coded tone, relieving the crew from continuously monitoring HF radio channels.
Question 2: During an emergency evacuation, what communication is a flight communicator expected to relay to ATC regarding occupant status?
- Only the number of injured passengers
- Souls on board, nature of emergency, and whether evacuation is complete (Correct answer)
- Crew qualifications and aircraft registration only
- Fuel remaining and whether the aircraft is on fire
Correct answer: Souls on board, nature of emergency, and whether evacuation is complete
ATC needs souls on board to coordinate rescue resources, the nature of the emergency to direct appropriate services, and evacuation status to guide rescue timing.
Question 3: A controller notices an aircraft's altitude readout suddenly drops 3,000 feet in seconds with no communication. What is the appropriate FIRST response?
- File an incident report and monitor the situation
- Attempt to contact the aircraft immediately on assigned frequency, then 121.5 (Correct answer)
- Notify the NTSB duty officer
- Broadcast an alert to all aircraft in the area
Correct answer: Attempt to contact the aircraft immediately on assigned frequency, then 121.5
An unexplained rapid altitude loss is treated as a potential emergency; the controller must immediately attempt contact on all available frequencies.
Question 4: When an aircraft is on fire on the ground and radio contact cannot be established, flight communicators should coordinate with which services IMMEDIATELY?
- Airport operations, ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting), and local law enforcement (Correct answer)
- FAA Flight Standards District Office and the airline's operations center
- NTSB and local fire department mutual aid
- TSA and airport security only
Correct answer: Airport operations, ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting), and local law enforcement
Airport operations, ARFF, and law enforcement are the immediate on-airport emergency response agencies for an aircraft fire on the ground.
Question 5: A CFC receives a NOTAM indicating a temporary flight restriction (TFR) due to a wildfire. A pilot reports entering the TFR unknowingly. What is the communicator's priority action?
- Issue a pilot deviation notice and terminate radar service
- Immediately alert the pilot, provide vectors to exit the TFR, and notify the appropriate authority (Correct answer)
- Log the incident and report to FAA within 24 hours
- Transfer the flight to the nearest TRACON
Correct answer: Immediately alert the pilot, provide vectors to exit the TFR, and notify the appropriate authority
Safety requires alerting the pilot immediately and providing vectors to exit the restricted area; the appropriate authority (such as the controlling agency) must then be notified.
Question 6: What is the significance of the phrase 'NEGATIVE CONTACT' in emergency search and rescue communications?
- The pilot has lost visual contact with the runway
- A participating station has not established radio or radar contact with the distressed aircraft (Correct answer)
- ATC has declared radar service unavailable
- The ELT signal has ceased transmitting
Correct answer: A participating station has not established radio or radar contact with the distressed aircraft
'Negative contact' indicates that a station has been unable to establish radio or radar contact with the aircraft being sought.
Question 7: Under what condition is a flight communicator authorized to broadcast a distress message on behalf of an aircraft that has not itself declared an emergency?
- Only when the aircraft has been overdue for more than 30 minutes
- When the communicator has reason to believe the aircraft is in distress and cannot communicate (Correct answer)
- Only after receiving authorization from the FAA Command Center
- When radar contact is lost for more than 5 minutes on an IFR flight
Correct answer: When the communicator has reason to believe the aircraft is in distress and cannot communicate
A communicator may relay a distress message on behalf of another station when there is reasonable belief the aircraft is in distress and unable to transmit for itself.
CFC Safety & Emergency Communication 5
What is the purpose of the SELCAL (Selective Calling) system in long-range aviation communications?