IFER Management

Question 1

What is IFER?

Answer 1

In-Flight Emergency Response

Question 2

What are the major characteristics of an IFER?

Answer 2

• ascertains the extent of the pilot’s requirements for assistance, and
• facilitates the rapid and effective provision of appropriate assistance to satisfy these requirements

Question 3

What are the four stages of the IFER management process?

Answer 3

• Stabilisation
• Transition
• Ongoing Management
• Resolution

Question 4

Which Airservices teams or individuals are involved in an IFER?

Answer 4

• Executive Air Traffic Controller - The communications link
• IFER Manager - Coordinator of the ATC response
• Operations Room Manager / System Supervisor - Administrative and technical support. Communications link to external agencies
• Public relations - Media liaison

Question 5

Which external agencies are involved in IFER?

Answer 5

• JRCC Australia
• Military
• Police
• BoM

Question 6

A Pilot in Command of an aircraft is responsible for _________

Answer 6

• The start, continuation, diversion and end of a flight by the aircraft; and
• The operation and safety of the aircraft during flight time; and
• the safety of persons and cargo carried on the aircraft; and the conduct and safety of members of the crew on the aircraft

Question 7

The pilot in command shall pay due regard to ________

Answer 7

all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special circumstances which may render a departure from those rules necessary in order to avoid immediate danger.

Question 8

Providing assistance _______________ for the safe operation of your airspacace

Answer 8

does not waive your responsibility

Question 9

The IFER management process has been designed to meet what criteria?

Answer 9

• it must be applicable in real life (i.e. not just theoretical);
• it must facilitate a timely and appropriate response;
• it must include human factors concepts such as resource management;
• it must minimise the risk of false or misleading information being provided;
• it must account for the needs and procedures of aircrew;
• it must account for varying levels of experience and expertise within the operational community; and
• it must account for Duty of Care issues

Question 10

What are the keys to effective IFER management?

Answer 10

• unambiguous procedures which, nevertheless, allow for the fact that each IFER is unique;
• procedures must cover every stage and every activity from ATS becoming aware of an in-flight emergency through to the final tidy-up actions after the problem has been resolved;
• effective resource management, applied at the individual, team and organisational levels;
• effective and unambiguous communications between all parties - air/ground and ground/ground ;
• in most circumstances the least desirable person to manage an IFER is the duty ATSO at the workstation talking to the in-flight emergency aircraft. For this reason, the IFER Management Process calls for the management of in flight emergency response to be handed over to another party at the earliest opportunity;
• a limited-scope, memory-based drill as the most appropriate method of initial response;