SSR, Investigation, Safety

Question 1

If an emergency occurs when aircraft is under ATC tower or approach contorl office - what should they do?

Answer 1

must notify Area control centre and FIC to in return notify Rescue Coordination Centre

Question 2

If aircraft is in state of emergency, how can it request assistance

Answer 2

If equipped with data link or SSR then

Mode A 7700 or 7500

Question 3

3 phases of Emergency

Answer 3

INCERFA
ALERFA
DETRESFA

Question 4

What is INCERFA

Answer 4

It’s an uncertainty state -
where uncertaintity exists as to the safety of the aircraft and its occupants

- Occurs if (whichever is earlier):
- No comms received from an aircraft up to 30 min when it should have been received OR
- made unsuccessful atempts to establish contact

- Occurs if (whichever is later):
-aircraft hasn’t arrived within 30 min from its ETA or ETA estimated by ATC

Question 5

What is ALERFA

Answer 5

State where there is apprehensions about safety of the aircraft and its occupants

**Subsequent to INCERFA - **
* If further attempts to establish comms with aircraft fails
* If other relevant sources fair to reveal any info on the aircraft
* If aircraft is cleared to land but hasn’t landed 5 min after estimated landing time
* If info indicates that operation of aircraft is impaired (but not to the extent of forced landing)
* If aircraft is known or believed to be subject to unlawful interference

Question 6

What is DETRESFA

Answer 6

State where there is reasonalble certainty that the aircraft and its occupants are under imminent and grave danger

**Subsequent to ALERFA
**
* If comms attempt continue to fail
* if other sources reveal that aircraft is probaby in distress
* Fuel onboard might be exhausted/insufficient to reach safety
* Aircraft operation efficiency is impaired to likley to force it to land
* If aircraft made a force landing (as long as aircraft/occupants are not in imminent danger)

Question 7

What is RCC

Answer 7

Rescue Coordination Centre

Question 8

Each RCC must be able to communicate with

Answer 8

MAARS

Meteorological centres
Alerting posts
Adjacent RCCs
Rescue units
Satellite tracking systems

Question 9

Cooperation between states and other services

Answer 9

States should follow common search and rescue procedures as recommended by ICAO

aircraft, vessels, vehicles not part of SAR must extends its support

Question 10

What does RCC do after receiving info that an aircraft is in emergency

Answer 10

RCC will evaluate determine the extent of the operation required

Question 11

If RCC receives info an a distressed aircraft from sources other than ATS units

Answer 11

Usually ATS units will provide the ‘emergency phase’

if other sources cannot provide the ‘phase’, RCC will need to determine the phase and respond accordingly

Question 12

should ATS units announce that an aircraft has been subject to unlawful interference on radio comms?

Answer 12

No reference of this type of emergency will be made on radio unless the emergency aircraft has officially stated so.

This is to avoid aggrevating the situation

Question 13

what should a PIC do if he encounters an aircraft in distress

Answer 13

1) keep in sight of an aircraft
2) determine his position
3) communicate with RCC and provide:
- identification of distressed aircraft
- its location/position
- its state
- state of the people (# of people afloat, # of survivors, whether they abandoned the aircraft, etc)
4) follow RCC or ATS instructions

Question 14

What happens if the 1st aircraft at the scene of emergency is not part of RCC ?

Answer 14

This aircraft must stay and assume charge of rescue responsibilities even if it is subsequently followed by other non-RCC aircraft …until an RCC support arrives.

Question 15

what if the 1st aircraft at the scene doesn’t have radio comms to establish connection with RCC?

Answer 15

it should try to hand over to another aircraft that can establish connection

Question 16

what happens if a PIC of an aircraft intercepts an emergency transmission

Answer 16

take note of the aircraft mentioned in the transmission and its position

take a bearing of the transmission

inform ATS or RCC

head over to the distressed aircraft whilst awaiting instructions

Question 17

Signals from ground survivors to aircraft in air

and from air to ground

Answer 17

On ground, survivors may give these signals:
V = Request Assistance
X = Request Medical Assistance
N = Negative
Y = Affirmative
(arrow up) = Proceed this way

Aircraft will rock its wings (daylight) or flash its nav/landing lights (night time)

Question 18

Signals from ground Search & Rescue to aircraft in air

Answer 18

LLL = Operation complete

LL = all persons found

++ = not all persons are found

xx = not able to continue, will return to base

NN = nothing found, will continue search

Arrows split in 2 different directions = Search and rescue teams split into these directins

2 arrows towards a direction = info received that aircraft is in this direction

Red light parachute flare = distress

Question 19

Signals used when an aircraft is getting attention of a vessel to head to a distressed aircraft

Answer 19

At the bow/front of the vessel
1) circle around the vessel
2) cross its path at low altitude
3) rock wings or
4) open/close throttle
5) change propeller pitch
6) head to the direction of distressed craft

if you do the same signals but at the ‘astern’/back - it cancels the request

Question 20

how can a vessel respond?

Answer 20

To confirm it will assist:
1) hoist a pennant with vertical white/red stripes
2) succession of **Ts in morse code - - - - **
3) head to the direction

To reject:
1) hoist a blue and while chequered flag
2) succession of **Ns in morse code - . - . - . **

Question 21

What is RFF

Answer 21

Rescue and Fire Service

Question 22

What is the objective of an aerodrome to have an RFF, and how does it do so?

Answer 22

To save lives

by ‘SET’

1)Speed of response
2)Effective Equipment
3)Training

Question 23

how is the level of RFF provided in an aerodrome?

Answer 23

This depends on the size of the largest aircraft it services

therefore the level of protection is categorized by Length of aircraft and Fuselage width

Category 1:
up to 9m length
up to 2m width
..
..
Category 10
up to 90m length
up to 8m width

Question 24

what are the colours of the RFF vehicles

Answer 24

red
yellow/green

Question 25

what is the acceptable response time of RFF vehicles

Answer 25

2 min and not more the 3 min to the end of each runway and movement areas

Question 26

How to achieve the response time?

Answer 26

aerodrome must ensure to provide emergency access roads

satallite fire stations should be provided if response time can’t be achieve from a single firestation

Question 27

What does Annex 13 involve

Answer 27

Accident Investigation - specifically:

1) who is responsible for notifying and investigating an accident

2) which other parties can **have access **to the investigation

Question 28

Define ACCIDENT

Answer 28

An occurance that takes place from the **time a person boards the aircraft till the time all persons disembark **the aircraft that includes:

1) Fatal or severe injury to a person as a result of:
- being in the aircraft
- jet blast
- by direct contact with any part of aircraft

Note: this doesn’t include self inflicted, natural causes or injury caused by persons in hiding in stowaways outside areas unavailable to crew.

2) severe structural damage to the aircraft
- normally requiring major repair or replacement
- affects its structural strength, operational performance or flight characteristics

Note: this doesn’t include damage to engine, tyres, breaks, propellers, wingtips, etc..

3) aircraft is missing or inaccessible

Question 29

what is an incedent

Answer 29

an occurance, other than accident, that could effect or does effect the safety of aircraft operation

Question 30

what is a serious incident

Answer 30

an incident that would have likely caused an accident

Question 31

examples of serious incident

Answer 31

weather causing control problems or failures

engine failure/malfunction

smoke/fire

fuel quantity or use of oxygen

crew incapacitation

failure or malfunctions of navigations systems or other controls, or the redunancy systems

near collision with aircraft or obstacles

flying into low terrain

overshooting on runways

landing/take off or abandoned take off on closed or engaged runways

failure to achieve predicted performance when taking off or climbing

Question 32

Definition of serious injury

Answer 32

injury sustained in an accident -

requires hospitalization within the first 7 days post injury for 48 hrs or more

caused internal damage to organs

2nd or 3rd degree burns or 5% min burns on the body

lacerations, nerve damage, tendon damange fractures to any bones..

exposure to radiation or infectious substances

Question 33

Reporting an accident

Answer 33

most states have an organization dedicated to investigations whose details are in the AIP

Question 34

who is responsible for reporting “mandatory reporting’

Answer 34

-the PIC primarily but
- can also be the Aircraft operator
- other parties involved (ATC, etc)

Question 35

when must a mandatory report be made following an incident

Answer 35

within 72 hrs

Question 36

what’s not included in the report

Answer 36

personal details or names to avoid blame

Question 37

what’s the objective of accident investigation

Answer 37

prevention of accidents/incidents and to not apportion blame or liability