FEAST ATC Multitasking Simulation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You are managing four aircraft simultaneously. UAL22 is climbing through FL180, BAW5 needs a frequency change, DLH7 has requested descent, and AAL9 is awaiting push-back clearance. Which task should you address first?
- DLH7's descent request, as a conflicting aircraft may be at their requested level (Correct answer)
- AAL9's push-back, since it is time-sensitive on the ground
- BAW5's frequency change, as the aircraft may have departed your sector
- UAL22's climb, since the aircraft is actively changing level
Correct answer: DLH7's descent request, as a conflicting aircraft may be at their requested level
Airborne separation conflicts take priority. An uncoordinated descent could place DLH7 in conflict with other traffic, making it the highest-priority task.
In multitasking scenarios, controllers must triage tasks by urgency. Airborne separation issues rank highest because a conflict can develop rapidly. DLH7's descent request must be checked against current traffic before approval. UAL22's climb is active but presumably already cleared. BAW5's frequency change is important but not immediately hazardous. AAL9 on the ground can wait briefly. Applying correct triage logic under time pressure is a core FEAST multitasking skill.
Question 2: While issuing a heading change to one aircraft and monitoring a second on radar, a third aircraft calls with an urgent message you catch only partially. The correct first action is to:
- Acknowledge the urgent call and ask the aircraft to say again (Correct answer)
- Complete the heading change instruction before addressing the urgent call
- Ask the aircraft monitoring on radar to standby and deal with the urgent call
- Note the call and continue monitoring until your current transmission ends
Correct answer: Acknowledge the urgent call and ask the aircraft to say again
An urgent partially-heard transmission must be acknowledged immediately and the aircraft asked to repeat, as it may be a safety-critical message.
Standard phraseology includes immediate acknowledgement of urgent calls with 'standby' or 'say again' to capture potentially critical safety information. Completing a routine instruction before acknowledging an urgent call risks missing a MAYDAY, PAN PAN, or collision warning. Controllers must be able to interrupt tasks to address potentially critical communications — this interrupt-handling is precisely what the FEAST multitasking simulation assesses.
Question 3: You have just issued a speed restriction to Aircraft A when Aircraft B calls with a position report. Simultaneously, an STCA alert activates for Aircraft C. You should:
- Address the STCA alert for Aircraft C immediately as it indicates a potential collision (Correct answer)
- Finish the speed instruction to Aircraft A, take Aircraft B's report, then handle the STCA
- Ignore the STCA momentarily — it may be a false alarm — and complete your tasks in order
- Ask Aircraft A to standby, take Aircraft B's report, then check the STCA
Correct answer: Address the STCA alert for Aircraft C immediately as it indicates a potential collision
An STCA (Short-Term Conflict Alert) is a safety-critical automated warning requiring immediate controller attention above all other tasks.
STCA activations indicate that the system has detected a predicted separation infringement within a short time horizon. This overrides all other tasks. Controllers must assess the conflict immediately and issue instructions to resolve it. While some STCAs are false alarms (terrain or procedural), they must always be treated as real until assessed. Task interruption in response to automated safety alerts is a key skill tested in FEAST multitasking simulations.
Question 4: A controller manages two sectors temporarily combined. The sector has 12 aircraft. Tasks pending: update a flight progress strip, coordinate with adjacent sector, answer a pilot's query, and monitor an aircraft approaching an altitude limit. What is the correct order of priority?
- Monitor the altitude limit → coordinate with adjacent sector → answer pilot query → update strip (Correct answer)
- Update strip → coordinate → monitor altitude → answer query
- Answer query → monitor altitude → update strip → coordinate
- Coordinate with sector → update strip → answer query → monitor altitude
Correct answer: Monitor the altitude limit → coordinate with adjacent sector → answer pilot query → update strip
An approaching altitude limit is a separation risk and takes priority, followed by inter-sector coordination (affecting other traffic), then pilot query, then administrative strip update.
Controller task priority follows safety hierarchy: (1) monitor and resolve active separation risks, (2) coordinate with adjacent sectors to prevent future conflicts, (3) answer pilot queries that may affect safety, (4) complete administrative tasks like strip updates. This hierarchy ensures the highest risk items are never delayed by lower-priority paperwork or routine communication. FEAST tests this triage logic under simulation conditions.
Question 5: During a busy period, you receive three simultaneous tasks: (A) a pilot requesting IFR clearance amendment, (B) a ground vehicle requesting clearance to cross active runway, (C) a handoff instruction from the radar controller. Which task must be resolved first?
- Task B — a ground vehicle on an active runway poses an immediate collision risk (Correct answer)
- Task A — flight plan amendments are legally time-sensitive
- Task C — radar handoffs must be accepted within a set time window
- All three should be handled simultaneously by splitting attention equally
Correct answer: Task B — a ground vehicle on an active runway poses an immediate collision risk
A ground vehicle on an active runway is an immediate safety hazard that must be resolved before other tasks, as it directly risks runway incursion.
Runway incursion prevention is a top aviation safety priority. A vehicle requesting clearance to cross an active runway demands immediate attention to either grant or deny the crossing — ambiguity could result in a collision with a landing or departing aircraft. IFR clearance amendments (Task A) and radar handoffs (Task C) are important but can be briefly delayed. FEAST multitasking simulations include ground and air task conflicts to test correct priority assignment.
Question 6: You are simultaneously monitoring aircraft at FL350 and FL370, when both aircraft call within seconds of each other. Aircraft at FL350 reports a technical problem; aircraft at FL370 requests a higher level. You should:
- Address the technical problem at FL350 first as it may affect the aircraft's capability to maintain altitude (Correct answer)
- Grant the climb to FL370 first since it only requires a short transmission
- Handle both simultaneously by issuing a combined response
- Ask both aircraft to standby and assess the situation on radar first
Correct answer: Address the technical problem at FL350 first as it may affect the aircraft's capability to maintain altitude
A technical problem affecting an aircraft's ability to maintain altitude can directly impact separation with other traffic and must be assessed first.
If FL350 aircraft has a technical problem that could cause it to deviate from its cleared altitude, this directly threatens separation with traffic above and below. Understanding the nature of the problem informs the controller whether the FL370 climb can safely proceed. Granting FL370's climb first, without knowing FL350's status, could create a conflict. FEAST tests this kind of interdependency recognition in concurrent-task scenarios.
