GVC Emergency and Contingency Procedures

Question 1

What is the difference between a 'contingency procedure' and an 'emergency procedure' in UAS operations?

Accepted Answer

A contingency procedure addresses abnormal situations to prevent an emergency; an emergency procedure addresses situations where safety is directly at risk

Answer

Contingency procedures are pre-planned responses to abnormal situations (e.g., degraded GPS, approaching the operational volume boundary) designed to prevent the situation from escalating into an emergency. Emergency procedures are activated when safety is directly threatened (e.g., complete loss of control, flyaway, imminent collision) and typically involve immediate actions to minimise harm.

Question 2

What is a 'flyaway' and what should the remote pilot do if one occurs?

Accepted Answer

An uncontrolled departure of the UAS from the operational area — activate emergency procedures, warn people, and notify the CAA

Answer

A flyaway occurs when the UAS departs from the pilot's control and leaves the operational area unintentionally. The pilot should immediately attempt to regain control, warn any persons in the area, note the last known position and heading, contact ATC if in or near controlled airspace, and report the occurrence to the CAA as a mandatory occurrence report.

Question 3

What action should a remote pilot take upon experiencing a complete loss of the command and control (C2) link?

Accepted Answer

Follow the pre-programmed lost-link procedure, which typically commands the UAS to return to home, loiter, or land

Answer

A complete C2 link loss should trigger a pre-programmed lost-link procedure. Most commercial UAS are configured to automatically return to a pre-set home point, hover/loiter for a defined period, or land in place. The pilot should have set and verified this procedure before flight and should be prepared to take manual control if the link is restored.

Question 4

Under UK regulations, which occurrences involving UAS must be reported to the CAA as mandatory occurrence reports (MORs)?

Accepted Answer

Any occurrence that endangers or could endanger the safety of an aircraft, including near-misses, flyaways, injuries, and damage to third-party property

Answer

Under UK regulations, mandatory occurrence reports must be filed for any event that endangers or could have endangered aviation safety. This includes airprox events (near-misses with manned aircraft), flyaways, injuries to persons, significant damage to third-party property, and any situation where the safety of other airspace users was compromised.

Question 5

What is the recommended action if a UAS experiences a critical battery warning during flight?

Accepted Answer

Immediately initiate a controlled landing at the nearest safe location within the operational area

Answer

A critical battery warning indicates the remaining charge may be insufficient for continued safe flight. The pilot should immediately abort the mission and initiate a controlled landing at the nearest safe location. Continuing the flight risks an uncontrolled descent when the battery is depleted, potentially causing harm to people or property.

GVC Drone Practice Test

GVC Drone Practice Test

GVC Emergency and Contingency Procedures