10 Communications Failure

Question 1

What to do if you are unable to establish communciations?

Answer 1

• Attempt to make contact with the ground station on a different frequency.
• Attempt to contact other aircraft or other ATSUs.
• If there is still no contact, transmit the message twice on the designated frequency or frequencies, preceded by the phrase ‘transmitting blind’.
• Attempt to make contact on 121.5 MHz.

Question 2

Squawk for equipment failure?

Answer 2

If you suspect equipment failure on your aircraft, squawk 7600.

Question 3

pilot action in the event of reciciver failure?

Answer 3

If you suspect receiver failure continue to make transmissions but begin each message with the phrase, ‘Transmitting blind due to receiver failure’.

Question 4

pilot actions communciations failure in the circuit?

Answer 4

If you experience communications failure in the visual circuit, continue to fly the circuit to land, observing and obeying light signals from ATC.

Question 5

When should a pilot experiecing a comms outage keep watch for instructions massed by visual signals?

Answer 5

when the AC is forming part of the aerodrome traffic at a controlled Aerodrome.

Question 6

Pilot actions, when experiencing comms failure in VMC?

Answer 6

• Continue your flight in VMC.
• Land at the nearest suitable aerodrome.
• Report your arrival to the appropriate ATSU as soon as possible after landing.

Question 7

If you experience comms failure in IMC or IFR and unable to maintain VMC, in procedural airspace:

Answer 7

In procedural separation airspace
* Maintain the last assigned speed and level for 20 minutes. Thereafter adjust your level and speed in accordance with your filed flight plan.

Question 8

If you experience comms failure in IMC or IFR and unable to maintain VMC, in radar control airspace:

Answer 8

In airspace where radar is used for air traffic control:
* Maintain the last assigned speed and level for seven minutes following the time the last assigned level or minimum flight altitude is reached, or the time the transponder was set to squawk 7600; or your failure to report your position over a compulsory reporting point, whichever is later.
* Thereafter adjust level and speed in accordance with the filed flight plan.

Question 9

What to do in the event of a comms failure in IMC or IFR and you were getting radar vectors?

Answer 9

• Re-join the current flight plan route no later than the next significant point.

Question 10

What to do in IMC / IFR after continuing with flight plan prost radio failure?

Answer 10

• After each of the three scenarios proceed according to the flight plan route to the appropriate designated navigation aid or fix serving the destination aerodrome. Then:
• Hold over the fix. Begin descent at the last EAT given or if no EAT, at your ETA from the current flight plan.
• Fly the instrument approach procedure.
• Land within 30 mins of EAT/ETA.
• Follow local lost comms procedures if these are published for the airspace in which you are flying.