CTO Aviation Safety & Emergency Response 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the acronym 'ATIS' stand for and what is its primary safety function?
- Automated Terminal Information Service; delivers routine information to reduce frequency congestion (Correct answer)
- Airspace Traffic Integration System; controls radar hand-offs
- Advanced Tower Information System; tracks aircraft weights
- Air Traffic Intelligence Service; coordinates emergency responses
Correct answer: Automated Terminal Information Service; delivers routine information to reduce frequency congestion
ATIS provides continuous pre-recorded weather, runway, and NOTAM information, freeing controller frequency time for safety-critical transmissions.
Question 2: An aircraft reports that its cargo door has opened in flight shortly after departure. Which emergency classification applies?
- PAN-PAN (urgency) (Correct answer)
- MAYDAY (distress)
- SECURITE (safety)
- No emergency — pilot should continue to destination
Correct answer: PAN-PAN (urgency)
An open cargo door is an urgency situation requiring a PAN-PAN declaration, as the flight can continue but poses an abnormal risk requiring priority handling.
Question 3: When issuing a Low Altitude Alert (LAA), the controller should include which critical information?
- Aircraft callsign, current altitude, and recommended terrain avoidance action (Correct answer)
- Aircraft callsign only — do not provide altitude to avoid confusion
- Callsign and suggested speed reduction only
- Nearest airport and weather conditions
Correct answer: Aircraft callsign, current altitude, and recommended terrain avoidance action
FAA Order 7110.65 specifies the LAA call must include the aircraft callsign, the fact it is low, and suggest immediate climb to the minimum safe altitude.
Question 4: What condition defines a Category D runway incursion?
- An incident in which a collision was narrowly avoided
- An incident where there was little or no chance of collision but met the definition of runway incursion (Correct answer)
- An incident causing a near-midair collision in the pattern
- A vehicle on a runway without clearance only
Correct answer: An incident where there was little or no chance of collision but met the definition of runway incursion
FAA Category D runway incursions are those where separation was not truly threatened but the event still qualified as an incorrect presence on a protected surface.
Question 5: Which meteorological condition requires a controller to issue an immediate weather advisory to aircraft on approach?
- A wind shift of more than 45 degrees occurring after the aircraft passed the outer marker
- Windshear reported by a preceding arrival (Correct answer)
- Visibility dropping to exactly published minimums
- Temperature/dewpoint spread of 3°C or less
Correct answer: Windshear reported by a preceding arrival
Reported windshear by a preceding aircraft is an immediate hazard that must be relayed to following aircraft before they reach the affected area on approach.
Question 6: Under FAA Order 7110.65, when must a controller advise a pilot about runway surface conditions?
- Only when the pilot specifically requests the information
- Whenever braking action reports are POOR or NIL, or when known contaminants exist on the runway (Correct answer)
- Only during winter months when ice is expected
- Whenever visibility is below 3 statute miles
Correct answer: Whenever braking action reports are POOR or NIL, or when known contaminants exist on the runway
Controllers must proactively relay poor or nil braking action reports and known runway contaminants to pilots to enable landing distance decisions.
Question 7: What is the controller's responsibility if an aircraft departs from an airport without an operating control tower and enters your airspace with no radio contact?
- Ignore the target until the pilot establishes contact
- Issue traffic advisories to other aircraft and attempt to establish contact on guard (121.5 MHz) (Correct answer)
- Immediately issue a NOTAM closing the departure airport
- Declare the flight an emergency and scramble military intercept
Correct answer: Issue traffic advisories to other aircraft and attempt to establish contact on guard (121.5 MHz)
The controller protects other traffic with advisories and attempts contact on 121.5 MHz (guard frequency) monitored by most civilian aircraft.
CTO Aviation Safety & Emergency Response 4
What does the acronym 'ATIS' stand for and what is its primary safety function?