SAR / IFER Emergency Phases

Question 1

Uncertainty of an aircraft’s safety exists. Which emergency phase should you declare?

Answer 1

Uncertainty Phase

Question 2

Apprehension of an aircraft’s safety exists. Which emergency phase should you declare?

Answer 2

Alert Phase

Question 3

Reasonable certainty that an aircraft is in danger exists. Which emergency phase should you declare?

Answer 3

Distress Phase

Question 4

When should you commence communication checks for an aircraft failing to report departure after a call notifying readiness to taxi or take-off?

Answer 4

10 minutes after taxiing call

Question 5

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft failing to report departure after a call notifying readiness to taxi or take-off?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 5

15 minutes after taxiing call

Uncertainty Phase

Question 6

When should you commence communication checks for an aircraft failing to report departure after an airborne call?

Answer 6

5 minutes after airborne call

Question 7

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft failing to report departure after an airborne call?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 7

10 minutes after airborne call

Uncertainty Phase

Question 8

When should you commence communication checks for an aircraft failing to report position or scheduled report, including NOCOM cancellation time or OPS NORMAL time?

Answer 8

3 minutes after report due

Question 9

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft failing to report position or scheduled report, including NOCOM cancellation time or OPS NORMAL time?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 9

15 minutes after report due

Uncertainty Phase

Question 10

When should you commence communication checks for an aircraft failing to report after a frequency change?

Answer 10

3 minutes after call due

Question 11

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft failing to report after a frequency change?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 11

15 minutes after call due

Uncertainty Phase

Question 12

When should you commence communication checks for an aircraft failing to report in reply to a call by a ground station, when listening watch is required?

Answer 12

3 minutes after call

Question 13

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft failing to report in reply to a call by a ground station, when listening watch is required?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 13

15 minutes after call

Uncertainty Phase

Question 14

When should you commence communication checks for an aircraft failing to report arrival at a non-controlled aerodrome?

Answer 14

10 minutes after estimate

Question 15

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft failing to report arrival at a non-controlled aerodrome?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 15

15 minutes after estimate

Uncertainty Phase

Question 16

When should you commence communication checks for an aircraft failing to report arrival or departure having nominated SARTIME?

Answer 16

At SARTIME

Question 17

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft failing to report arrival or departure having nominated SARTIME?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 17

30 minutes after SARTIME

Uncertainty Phase

Question 18

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft failing to report after subsequent communication checks and enquiries to other relevant sources fail to reveal news of the aircraft?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 18

Immediately as the condition is recognised

Alert Phase

Question 19

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft failing to report after widespread communication checks and unsuccessful enquiries indicate probability that the aircraft is in distress?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 19

Immediately as the condition is recognised

Distress Phase

Question 20

When should you commence communication checks for a radio-equipped aircraft failing to land at a controlled aerodrome after having been given approach or landing instructions or information by ATC at its landing place?

Answer 20

At estimated landing time

Question 21

When should you declare the emergency phase for a radio-equipped aircraft failing to land at a controlled aerodrome after having been given approach or landing instructions or information by ATC at its landing place?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 21

5 minutes after estimated landing time

Alert Phase

Question 22

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft with impaired operating efficiency having difficulty in maintaining height, or having difficulty making a normal approach and landing?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 22

Immediately as the condition is recognised

Alert Phase

Question 23

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft with major impaired operating efficiency resulting in a forced landing being likely?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 23

Immediately as the condition is recognised

Distress Phase

Question 24

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft requiring VMC operating in IMC, or daylight flights operating at night?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 24

Immediately as the condition is recognised

Alert Phase

Question 25

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft that is not on the proper track or at the proper level?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 25

Immediately as the condition is recognised
Uncertainty Phase

or

Alert Phase, if there is reason to believe the conduct of the flight is in jeopardy.

Question 26

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft that is unable to use appropriate navaids?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 26

Immediately as the condition is recognised
Uncertainty Phase

or

Alert Phase, if there is reason to believe the conduct of the flight is in jeopardy.

Question 27

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft that is experiencing navigational difficulties or is lost?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 27

Immediately as the condition is recognised
Uncertainty Phase

or

Alert Phase, if there is reason to believe the conduct of the flight is in jeopardy.

Question 28

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft with exhausted fuel supply (unless SARTIME notified)?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 28

Immediately

Distress Phase

Question 29

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft relating to a bomb warning?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 29

Pending evaluation by the operator or pilot except on the ground at an aerodrome where ATS is on duty.
Alert Phase

or

Immediately on notification of ‘genuine’ evaluation except on the ground where ATS is on duty.
Distress Phase

Question 30

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft that is missing, for which flight notification has not been lodged?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 30

Immediately
Uncertainty Phase

or

When communications checks lead to apprehension.
Alert Phase

or

When continued absence of news indicates possibility that the aircraft is in distress.
Distress Phase

Question 31

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft when the pilot provides information that they are about to, or have, force landed, ditched or crashed?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 31

Immediately

Distress Phase

Question 32

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft when the pilot provides information that they are about to, or have, made a landing other than a forced landing:

a) where the position is in doubt;
b) on an unprepared surface; or
c) at an aerodrome which is considered by the pilot as being operationally unsuitable

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 32

Immediately as the condition is recognised

Uncertainty Phase

Question 33

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft when the pilot provides information that a radio survival beacon as been activated for a period greater than 10 seconds?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 33

Immediately

Distress Phase

Question 34

When should you declare the emergency phase for an aircraft when the pilot provides information that an aircraft is known or believed to be the subject of an unlawful interference (hijack)?

Which phase should you declare?

Answer 34

Immediately

Distress Phase