CFC Search & Rescue Coordination 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a flight communicator receives an ELT signal, what is the FIRST action to take?
- Immediately dispatch rescue aircraft
- Confirm the signal on 121.5 MHz and attempt to contact the aircraft (Correct answer)
- Notify the nearest Coast Guard station
- File an incident report with the FAA
Correct answer: Confirm the signal on 121.5 MHz and attempt to contact the aircraft
The first action upon receiving an ELT signal is to confirm it on 121.5 MHz and attempt to contact the distressed aircraft to verify the emergency.
Question 2: In SAR operations, what does the term 'Probability of Detection' (POD) measure?
- The likelihood that the target exists in the search area
- The effectiveness of a completed search in detecting the target if present (Correct answer)
- The probability that rescuers will survive the mission
- The chance that a distress signal is genuine
Correct answer: The effectiveness of a completed search in detecting the target if present
Probability of Detection (POD) measures how effectively a search effort would detect the target if it is present in the searched area.
Question 3: Which frequency is designated as the international aeronautical emergency frequency?
- 156.8 MHz
- 243.0 MHz
- 121.5 MHz (Correct answer)
- 406.0 MHz
Correct answer: 121.5 MHz
121.5 MHz is the designated international aeronautical emergency frequency monitored by aircraft and rescue coordination centers.
Question 4: A SAR mission coordinator assigns a search aircraft a track spacing of 0.5 nm. This spacing is MOST influenced by:
- Fuel capacity of the search aircraft
- Visibility conditions and target characteristics (Correct answer)
- The pilot's preference and experience
- Time of day and terrain elevation
Correct answer: Visibility conditions and target characteristics
Track spacing in SAR searches is primarily determined by visibility conditions and target characteristics to optimize detection probability.
Question 5: What is the role of the On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) in a SAR operation?
- Managing rescue resources at the search scene and coordinating search activities (Correct answer)
- Providing weather updates to rescue aircraft
- Authorizing search and rescue expenditures
- Filing post-mission reports with the RCC
Correct answer: Managing rescue resources at the search scene and coordinating search activities
The On-Scene Coordinator manages all SAR resources at the actual search scene and coordinates tactical search activities.
Question 6: Under ICAO standards, when must an ALERFA phase be declared for an overdue aircraft?
- Immediately when an aircraft misses a position report
- When an aircraft is 30 minutes overdue at its destination and cannot be contacted (Correct answer)
- When an ELT signal is detected on 406 MHz
- After three unsuccessful contact attempts over 15 minutes
Correct answer: When an aircraft is 30 minutes overdue at its destination and cannot be contacted
An ALERFA phase is declared when an aircraft is 30 minutes overdue at its destination and contact cannot be established.
Question 7: What information is contained in a SARTIME for a flight plan?
- The estimated time of arrival at the destination
- The time after which SAR action should be initiated if no word is received (Correct answer)
- The scheduled departure time of the SAR aircraft
- The maximum time allowed for a search before calling it off
Correct answer: The time after which SAR action should be initiated if no word is received
SARTIME specifies the time after which SAR action should be initiated if no communication has been received from the aircraft.
CFC Search & Rescue Coordination 2
When a flight communicator receives an ELT signal, what is the FIRST action to take?