SDEA TRAINING • PART 3
Unexpected Situations – Test 12
Practice Unexpected Situations – Test 12 through three operational scenarios. Listen carefully, report what you heard, answer the examiner’s questions, and compare the three situations at the end.
12
TEST
3
SITUATIONS
✓
FINAL COMPARISON
TEST STRUCTURE
Complete the three situations step by step
This test contains three different operational situations. Listen carefully to each pilot–ATC communication, report what you heard, answer the examiner’s question, and complete the final comparison after the three situations.
01
Listen and report
Listen carefully to the pilot–ATC communication and report everything you heard, including the relevant operational details.
02
Answer the question
Listen to the examiner’s question and provide a clear, organized and well-supported response
03
Complete the final comparison
After listening to all three situations, compare them in terms of severity, possible solutions and ways of prevention.
TEST 12
Complete the three situations
Part 3 Instructions
Listen carefully to the examiner's instructions before starting the three unexpected situations.
Part Three: “Unexpected Situations”. In this part of the test, you will listen to three different communications between pilots and air traffic controllers.
The recordings will be played twice. There is a five-second pause before the recording is repeated. After listening to the recording, you should tell me everything that the pilot and the controller said. I will then ask you a question.
At the end of Part Three, I will ask you to compare the three situations, so please take notes. All information is important. Do you have any questions?
Situation 1
Listen carefully to the communication, report what you heard, and then answer the examiner's question.
Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan. New York Approach, PR-HEF. [Engine failure]. [Request return to JFK] and [priority to land].
PR-HEF, New York Approach, roger. [Fly direct Charlie Romeo India VOR], and [cleared for (Canarsie) Approach] [runway one three left].
According to the exchange, the pilot declared a Pan Pan and reported an engine failure. He requested (asked for) a return to JFK and priority to land.
Then, the controller instructed the crew to fly direct Charlie Romeo India VOR and cleared them for the Canarsie Approach to runway 13L.
According to the communication, the pilot declared a Pan Pan after experiencing an engine failure. He asked to go back to JFK and requested priority handling for landing.
In response, ATC cleared the crew direct Charlie Romeo India VOR and then cleared them for the Canarsie Approach to runway 13L.
In my view, both airplanes and helicopters can be very safe when they are operated correctly. However, helicopters often fly at lower altitudes and closer to obstacles, so an engine failure may give the pilot less time to react.
In a single-engine helicopter, the pilot should lower the collective, maintain rotor RPM, enter autorotation, and select a suitable landing area.
From an operational standpoint, I would not say that one type of aircraft is simply safer than the other because they operate in very different environments.
Helicopters frequently operate at lower altitudes, lower speeds, and closer to obstacles, which may leave the pilot with less time and fewer landing options after an engine failure. In a single-engine helicopter, the pilot would normally lower the collective immediately, maintain rotor RPM, establish the appropriate autorotation speed, and pick out (select) a suitable landing area. A well-executed autorotation can allow the helicopter to make a controlled landing even without engine power.
Situation 2
Listen carefully to the communication, report what you heard, and then answer the examiner's question.
Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Dubai Approach, November 20260. We [have total electrical failure]. [Request immediate return]. We have [thirty-minute battery power].
November 20260, Dubai Approach, roger. [Turn right] [heading one eight zero], [vectors to ILS approach runway one two right]. [You are number one for landing].
According to the exchange, the pilot declared a Pan Pan and reported a total electrical failure. He requested (asked for) an immediate return and said that they had 30 minutes of battery power remaining.
Then, the controller instructed the crew to turn right heading 180 and advised that they would receive vectors to the ILS approach for runway 12R. He also informed them that they were number one for landing.
According to the communication, the pilot declared a Pan Pan after experiencing a total electrical failure. He asked to return immediately and advised that they had only 30 minutes of battery power left.
In response, ATC gave the crew heading 180, advised that they would be vectored to the ILS approach for runway 12R, and gave them number one priority for landing.
In my view, an electrical failure in a helicopter may affect the radios, navigation equipment, flight displays, warning systems, lights, and other electrically powered equipment, depending on the helicopter.
The crew should follow (run) the checklist, use the available battery or standby power, switch off non-essential equipment, and land as soon as possible if necessary.
From an operational standpoint, an electrical failure in a helicopter can affect avionics, communication and navigation equipment, flight displays, warning systems, lighting, and some electrically powered pumps or actuators, depending on the aircraft.
The crew should run the appropriate checklist, identify which buses or systems are affected, shed non-essential electrical loads, preserve battery endurance, and switch to standby instruments or backup power if available. Because helicopters often operate at lower altitudes and closer to obstacles, the crew should also consider landing at the nearest suitable area before the remaining electrical power is exhausted.
Situation 3
Listen carefully to the communication, report what you heard, and then answer the examiner's question.
Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan, BH Control, PR-OMA. [Bird strike on the blades]. [We are experiencing a high vibration]. [Request diversion to (Carlos Prates) Airport].
OMA, roger. [BH TMA operating conventional]. [Say your distance from (Carlos Prates) Airport].
[Five miles out], [descending to traffic altitude], OMA.
According to the exchange, the pilot declared a Pan Pan and reported a bird strike on the blades. He said that they were experiencing high vibration and requested (asked for) a diversion to Carlos Prates Airport.
Then, the controller informed the pilot that BH TMA was operating conventional and asked for their distance from Carlos Prates Airport. The pilot reported that they were five miles out and descending to traffic altitude.
According to the communication, the pilot declared a Pan Pan after a bird had struck the rotor blades and reported severe vibration. He asked to divert to Carlos Prates Airport.
In response, ATC advised that BH TMA was operating under conventional procedures and asked how far the helicopter was from Carlos Prates Airport. The pilot reported that they were five miles out and descending to traffic altitude.
In my view, if a helicopter develops high vibration, the pilot should avoid abrupt control inputs, monitor rotor RPM and the main engine indications, and follow (run) the appropriate checklist.
If the vibration continues, the pilot should reduce the workload and land at the nearest suitable area as soon as possible. Helicopter blades can also be damaged by debris, tree branches, wires, or other objects.
From an operational standpoint, severe vibration after a blade strike may indicate rotor damage or an imbalance, so the pilot should avoid aggressive control inputs and closely monitor rotor RPM, engine parameters, and the helicopter’s handling.
The crew should run the appropriate checklist and, if the vibration remains significant, land as soon as possible at the nearest suitable area rather than continue the flight unnecessarily. Apart from birds, rotor blades may also be struck by loose debris, vegetation, wires, or other obstacles during low-level operations.
Final Comparison
Compare the three situations in terms of severity, possible solutions, and ways of prevention, and explain which one would be the most difficult to deal with.
In my view, the engine failure was more critical than the other two situations because a helicopter may lose power and the pilot may need to enter autorotation immediately.
The blade strike was also very serious because high vibration could indicate rotor damage, so the pilot should land as soon as possible. By comparison, the electrical failure was less immediate because the crew still had 30 minutes of battery power and could reduce electrical loads before landing. Overall, I think the engine failure was the most difficult to deal with because it gave the pilot the least time to react.
From an operational standpoint, the engine failure was the most critical of the three because, in a single-engine helicopter, it may require immediate autorotation, careful rotor RPM control, and the rapid selection of a suitable landing area.
The blade strike was also more serious than the electrical failure because severe vibration could indicate rotor damage or an imbalance, making continued flight unsafe. By comparison, the electrical failure was more manageable because the crew could shed non-essential electrical loads, preserve battery endurance, and land before the remaining power ran out. Overall, the engine failure would be the hardest to deal with because it creates the greatest time pressure and may leave the pilot with the fewest options, especially during low-level operations.
I’ve never experienced any of these situations personally. However, I’ve trained for abnormal and emergency situations, so I understand how important quick decision-making, clear communication, and situational awareness can be.
End of Part 3
You have completed the Unexpected Situations section. Listen to the examiner and choose what you would like to do next.