SDEA TRAINING • PART 3
Unexpected Situations – Test 08
Practice Unexpected Situations – Test 08 through three operational scenarios. Listen carefully, report what you heard, answer the examiner’s questions, and compare the three situations at the end.
08
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 08
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.
Air France 457, Brasilia Center. [Are you on Upper Zulu two five] [going Northbound] as cleared?
Brasilia Center, I… I apologize… [We are on Upper Zulu two six instead]. [We are facing unreliable FMS information]. [Request vectors to go back on track], Air France 457.
Air France 457, radar vectors to intercept Upper Zulu two five. [Turn right] [heading zero three five].
According to the exchange, the controller asked Air France 457 if they were on Upper Zulu 25 going northbound as cleared. The pilot apologized and reported that they were on Upper Zulu 26 instead because they were receiving unreliable FMS information. He requested (asked for) vectors to get back on track.
Then, the controller provided radar vectors to intercept Upper Zulu 25 and instructed the crew to turn right heading 035.
According to the communication, ATC asked Air France 457 to confirm whether they were on Upper Zulu 25, proceeding northbound as cleared. The pilot apologized and reported that they had ended up on (found themselves on) Upper Zulu 26 instead because the FMS was providing unreliable information. He asked for (requested) radar vectors to get back on track.
In response, ATC gave them radar vectors to intercept Upper Zulu 25 and instructed the crew to turn right heading 035.
In this situation, I would maintain aircraft control, check (cross-check) the other navigation sources, inform ATC, and use conventional navigation or request (ask for) radar vectors if necessary.
Electronic navigation equipment can fail because of electrical, sensor, or system problems, so having independent backup instruments is very important.
From an operational standpoint, if the FMS failed completely, I would maintain aircraft control, cross-check the available navigation sources, revert to raw data or conventional navigation, and advise ATC.
If necessary, I would ask for radar vectors while running the appropriate checklist. Systems that depend heavily on electronic data, sensors, or electrical power can be affected by failures, which is why independent navigation sources and standby equipment are essential.
Situation 2
Listen carefully to the communication, report what you heard, and then answer the examiner's question.
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, Heathrow Approach, Speedbird 0246, [neither of our engines is working properly]. [We are experiencing loss of power]. [Request to land as soon as possible].
Speedbird 0246, [I will give you vectors to runway two seven right]. [We are deviating traffic to give you priority]. [Descend (at your discretion) to five thousand feet].
According to the exchange, the pilot declared a Mayday and reported that neither engine was working properly and that they were experiencing a loss of power. He requested (asked) to land as soon as possible.
Then, the controller said that he would provide vectors to runway 27R, divert other traffic to give them priority, and instructed the crew to descend at their discretion to 5,000 feet.
According to the communication, the pilot declared a Mayday and reported that both engines were not operating normally and were losing power. He asked to get the aircraft on the ground (land the aircraft) as soon as possible.
In response, ATC offered vectors to runway 27R, advised that other traffic was being moved out of the way (diverted) to give them priority, and cleared the crew down to 5,000 feet at their discretion.
In this situation, the pilots should maintain control of the aircraft, establish the appropriate glide speed, follow (run) the dual-engine-failure checklist, and try to restart the engines if possible. They should also declare an emergency and coordinate (work with) ATC, which can provide priority, vectors to the nearest suitable runway, traffic separation, and emergency services.
From an operational standpoint, after a dual engine failure, the crew should establish the proper glide speed, run the appropriate checklist, attempt an engine relight if conditions allow, and set up for (prepare for) the nearest suitable landing site.
ATC can reduce the crew’s workload by clearing traffic out of the way (diverting traffic), providing radar vectors, runway and wind information, and arranging emergency services.
Situation 3
Listen carefully to the communication, report what you heard, and then answer the examiner's question.
Miami Control, American 4697, [we lost electronic navigation capability]. [The flight management displays went blank]. [We’re maintaining heading zero niner zero] and [flight level one one zero], while assessing the system.
American 4697, roger. [You are under radar control]. [Maintain present heading] and [expect vectors].
According to the exchange, the pilot reported that they had lost electronic navigation capability and that the flight management displays had gone blank. He also said that they were maintaining heading 090 and Flight Level 110 while assessing the system.
Then, the controller informed the crew that they were under radar control and instructed them to maintain their present heading and expect vectors.
According to the communication, the pilot reported a loss of electronic navigation capability and explained that the flight management displays had gone blank. He added that they were holding heading 090 and Flight Level 110 while troubleshooting the system.
In response, ATC advised that the aircraft was under radar control and instructed the crew to maintain present heading and expect radar vectors.
In general, being under radar vectors means that ATC gives the pilot specific headings to guide the aircraft instead of the pilot navigating directly along the planned route. The controller should provide safe headings, maintain traffic separation, and continue giving instructions until the aircraft can resume (go back to) its own navigation.
From an operational standpoint, being under radar vectors means that ATC is providing headings to position or guide the aircraft rather than having the crew navigate along its normal route.
While vectoring the flight, the controller is responsible for traffic separation, appropriate headings, and keeping the crew informed until they can resume own navigation or become established on the required route or approach.
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 dual engine problem was more critical than the other two situations because the aircraft was losing power and the crew needed to land as soon as possible.
The loss of electronic navigation was also serious, but ATC could provide radar vectors while the crew checked the system. By comparison, the unreliable FMS information was less dangerous because the pilots still had other navigation options and could request (ask for) vectors to get back on track. Overall, the dual engine problem was the most difficult to deal with because the crew had less time and fewer options.
From an operational standpoint, the dual engine power loss was the most critical of the three because the crew might have to establish the proper glide speed, run the checklist, attempt an engine relight, and get the aircraft on the ground with very little time available.
The loss of electronic navigation was less immediate because the crew could maintain heading and altitude, troubleshoot the system, and rely on radar vectors. By comparison, the unreliable FMS situation was easier to recover from because the pilots could revert to raw data or conventional navigation and get back on track with ATC assistance. Overall, the dual engine event would be the hardest to deal with because it directly threatened the aircraft’s ability to remain airborne.
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.