Emergency Phases Flashcards
An ATS ‘Alerting Post’ is responsible for?
- Declaring emergency phases
- Responding to in-flight emergencies
- Notifying appropriate authorities regarding aircraft in need of search and rescue
- Assisting such authorities as required
ATS Providers’ responsibilities include the SAR alerting of ________?
- Overdue aircraft following the completion of communications checks
- Imminent or known aircraft crashes
- Missing aircraft
- Distress beacon interceptions by ATS units or reported by aircraft
- All emergency phases declared by aircraft where continued safety of flight is in doubt
ATS responsibilities include assistance with the ______________________________ for aircraft engaged in SAR operations
Provision of aeronautical communications services
Communications checks will commence where the pilot fails to ___________?
- Report by a SARTIME
- Submit a report at the prescribed time
- Acknowledge a call initiated by the ground station
In the provision of an alerting service, who should be notified?
- JRCC Australia:
i. aircraft for which an uncertainty phase has been declared because of a failure to report;
ii. information concerning imminent or known aircraft crashes, or missing aircraft; - The operator, prior to notifying JRCC Australia and when practicable, for aircraft subject to an uncertainty or alert phase
- Emergency services at ATS staffed aerodromes
- The Police to activate emergency services at non-ATS staffed aerodromes (unless the Department of Home Affairs has had prior notification as part of the IFER checklist)
- The Australian Government Crisis Coordination Centre for acts of unlawful interference
How is SARWATCH maintained?
- Continuous visual or surveillance monitoring
- A time nominated by ATS or a pilot which may include
a) an estimate
b) a NOCOM time
c) a time to report, such as a SKED or an operations normal time.
For which aircraft is SARWATCH maintained?
- All aircraft subject to an air traffic control service in Class A, C, D or E airspace.
- IFR operations in Class G airspace
- VFR on request
- TIBA (Traffic Information Broadcast by Aircraft) where capability permits.
Pilots operating VFR may lodge a SARTIME ______ or _________
SARTIME FOR DEPARTURE
SARTIME FOR ARRIVAL
What notifications or requests may ATC receive regarding SARTIMEs?
- Notifications of cancellation of SARTIME on frequency
- May be requested by the SARTIMEs team to perform communications checks for pilots that have not reported.
What methods should an ATC use to conduct communications checks?
- Attempt to contact the pilot direct by calling on the normal and alternative frequencies, repeating the calls with discretion;
- Attempt to contact the aircraft through another pilot in VHF or HF range.
- Ascertain whether the report has been received by another unit; and
- Arrange for other ground units to call the pilot on normal and alternative frequencies. A unit instructed to call a pilot notifies the originating unit if contact is not established within a period of five minutes
- Arrange for pilots to be contacted by phone on a number nominated in the flight plan.
When shall communication checks be considered completed?
Once it has been determined that the pilot cannot be contacted on ATS frequencies.
Who, and in what circumstances, is responsible for declaring an emergency phase?
The ATS officer first becoming aware of an aircraft operating in other than normal circumstances, and there is doubt concerning the aircraft’s safety, is responsible for declaration of the phase appropriate to the emergency situation.
List the emergency phases.
Uncertainty Phase (INCERFA)
Alert Phase (ALERFA)
Distress Phase (DETRESFA)
Define the Uncertainty Phase
Uncertainty exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants.
Define the Alert Phase
Apprehension exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants.
Define the Distress Phase
Reasonable certainty that the aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger
How may military aircraft advise of comms failure?
By flying in triangles
Clockwise - receive only
Anti-clockwise - no transmit or receive
Where an aircraft experiences communications failure, what should an ATC base control on?
The understanding that aircraft will follow the ERSA emergency procedure unless:
a) it is determined that the aircraft is following a different procedure
b) the use of electronic or other aids enables the position of each aircraft to be accurately determined, when control is to be based on this position data
c) information is received that the aircraft has landed or has resumed normal communication
How will a pilot communicate an emergency, and what information should be included?
MAYDAY followed as necessary by:
i. station addressed
ii. aircraft identification
iii. nature of distress condition
iv. intentions
v. position, level and heading
vi. any other useful information
How will a pilot communicate an urgency message, and what information should be included?
PAN PAN followed as necessary by:
i. station addressed
ii. aircraft identification
iii. nature of distress condition
iv. intentions
v. position, level and heading
vi. any other useful information
How will an ATC acknowledge a MAYDAY or PAN call respectively?
- ROGER MAYDAY
- ROGER PAN
How should ATC acknowledge MAYDAY or PAN frequency transfer?
- MAYDAY ACKNOWLEDGED
- PAN ACKNOWLEDGED
If an aircraft fails to report departure after a call notifying readiness to taxi or take-off, when should communications checks begin?
10 minutes after taxiing call.
