Mats Oral Board Rac 7 Part 1

Front 1

Who is an Alerting Service provided for?

Back 1

An alerting service shall be provided:

• for all aerodrome traffic when ATS is in attendance; and
• for all aircraft:

▪︎operating under a flight plan submitted in accordance with CAR 91.307 (VFR) or 91.407 (IFR); or

▪︎otherwise known by ATS to be in need of assistance; or

▪︎known or believed to be the subject of unlawful interference.

Front 2

What shall an ATS unit do when it is known or believed that an aircraft is in a state of emergency or in need of assistance?

Back 2

When it is known or believed that an aircraft is in a state of emergency or in need of assistance, ATS personnel shall:

• give priority to and render all possible assistance to the aircraft;
• declare the appropriate emergency phase; and
• take actions in accordance with guidance and instructions in:

▪︎the following RAC 7 sections;

▪︎the In-Flight Emergency Response Checklists - for airborne emergencies beyond the area of jurisdiction of;

▪︎the Aerodrome Emergency Plan - for aircraft emergencies at or in the vicinity of an aerodrome as described in the plan.

Front 3

Describe the controllers actions that are common to all IFERC emergencies?

Back 3

As part of an In-Flight Emergency Response, ATS personnel are expected to:

• provide reasonable assistance and/or advice to the pilot of an aircraft operating under abnormal circumstances or declaring an emergency, in an endeavour to have the pilot:

▪︎maintain or regain control of the aircraft; and/or

▪︎resume normal operation in appropriate airspace; and/or

▪︎land the aircraft safely; and

• provide reasonable advice to any other pilot assisting such a pilot.

Front 4

When is an In-Flight Emergency terminated?

Back 4

An In-Flight Emergency Response will terminate when either:

• the emergency is resolved, i.e. the aircraft lands safely or resumes normal operation, or
• the aircraft is known or believed to have crashed or completed a forced or precautionary landing, and responsibility for the action has been handed over to the local aerodrome emergency organisation or the Police or the Rescue Coordination Centre of New Zealand (RCCNZ).

Front 5

Describe the three phases of aerodrome emergency services?

Back 5

Aerodrome emergency phases are classified as follows:

• Local standby phase: When an aircraft is known or is suspected to have developed some defect but the trouble is not such as would normally involve any serious difficulty in effecting a safe landing. ▪︎Declaration of the local standby phase will bring all aerodrome-based emergency services to a state of readiness but, in general, although off-aerodrome components may be notified, they will remain at their posts.
• Full emergency phase: When an aircraft is, or is suspected to be, in such trouble that there is a possibility of an accident. ▪︎Declaration of the full emergency phase will bring all facilities, both on the aerodrome and in the community - such as medical and ambulance services, police and fire services - to a rendezvous point on the aerodrome. It will also alert the hospital to prepare for possible reception of injured, and for road traffic control between the town and the aerodrome to clear the way for emergency vehicles.
• Crash phase: When an aircraft accident has occurred, or is considered imminent, on or in the vicinity of the aerodrome. ▪︎Declaration of the crash phase will bring all facilities to immediate action.

Front 6

Who is responsible for the decision to activate the aerodrome emergency services?

Back 6

• When an emergency occurs in flight, and communications permit, the pilot is responsible for advising the ATS unit and for nominating the desired state of readiness of the aerodrome emergency services.
• Should a pilot notify a defect without specifying the state of readiness required for the emergency services, s/he shall be requested to advise the desired category.

Front 7

In the event a pilot is unable to determine or make known what emergency services is required, what Aerodrome Emergency Phase would you declare for the following aircraft?

Back 7

Should a pilot be unable to determine or make known the required state of readiness for any reason, ATS shall assess the situation and, using discretion and the following guidelines, declare the appropriate aerodrome emergency phase if considered justified

Front 8

What situations what justify a Local Standby Phase?

Back 8

Local Standby Phase

• If a fire warning is/has been indicated, but there is no apparent sign of fire

• Loss of less than 50% power

• Radio Communication Failure

• Electric/hydraulic failure - brakes, (leading/trailing edge) flaps, control surfaces

• Airframe overstress

• Cracked/broken windscreen

• Significant hail/ice/precipitation damage

• "Emergency" fuel state

• Door/panel open/ajar

• Bird strike

• Any other occasion when ATS estimate that the condition does not require full emergency action.

Front 9

What situations what justify a Full Emergency Phase?

Back 9

Full Emergency Phase • Fire in flight, extinguished or otherwise • Aircraft unable to maintain altitude • (Single-) Pilot incapacitation • Damaged or asymmetric control surface/flap conditions • If the aircraft concerned is landing with a punctured tyre, actual or suspected • It is suspected that the undercarriage is not fully down and locked • Loss of 50% or more power • It is considered that structural damage may occur on landing • Any other occasion when ATS estimate that full emergency action is warranted.

Front 10

Describe the local ATS actions for emergencies within the AEP defined areas?

Back 10

Local ATS actions for emergencies within AEP defined areas: Declare the appropriate aerodrome emergency phase and alert the aerodrome emergency services in accordance with the aerodrome operator's aerodrome emergency plan, using the emergency message form AC1560 or such other form as required by the aerodrome operator.

Front 11

Describe the local ATS actions for emergencies beyond the AEP defined areas?

Back 11

Local ATS actions for emergencies beyond AEP defined areas: Should an aircraft force-land, ditch or crash beyond the area of jurisdiction of an aerodrome emergency plan, follow the guidance in the IFERC FLD section.

Front 12

Describe the Alerting Services Emergency Phases?

Back 12

• Uncertainty Phase (INCERFA): When uncertainty exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants. • Alert Phase (ALERFA): When apprehension exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants. • Distress Phase (DETRESFA): When there is reasonable certainty that an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance.

Front 13

Prior to the declaration of a SAR phase describe the initial checks that shall be carried out to determine operational status of an aircraft?

Back 13

To confirm the operational status of an aircraft, the following initial checks shall be carried out immediately by the sector/unit recognising a possible irregularity in flight, enlisting the help of the Duty Manager or senior ATS person on duty at the appropriate centre as necessary. Depending on the outcome of the checks the appropriate declaration and notification procedures are to be implemented. • Call the aircraft on all appropriate frequencies; and

• Contact all ATS sectors or units through which the aircraft may have passed. Request information on the flight and for a call to be made on the sector/unit frequency(ies) if appropriate. Initiate, as necessary, measures to establish or maintain surveillance of the aircraft; and
• Contact the destination, alternate and any other aerodrome at which the aircraft may have landed – this check shall be limited to Airways attended aerodromes only. Request information on the flight and for a call to be made on the unit frequency(ies); and
• When practicable, the aircraft operator or the designated representative shall be contacted for any information about the aircraft prior to the declaration of an uncertainty or alert phase. A single point of contact with the aircraft operator is to be established for future communications.

Front 14

There are a number of criteria that determine when INCERFA should be declared when no communication has been recieved from an IFR, Z or CVFR flight. This includes failure to report under what circumstances?

Back 14

No communication has been received from an IFR, FRUL Z or controlled VFR aircraft within a period of 15 minutes after the time a communication should have been received, or from the time an unsuccessful attempt to establish communication with the aircraft was first made, whichever is the earlier. This includes, where applicable, failure to report:

• at ETO at a reporting point, or a scheduled reporting time, or the point at which the pilot of a FRUL Z aircraft intended to change from VFR to IFR flight; or
• after being instructed to call a new controlling authority; or
• after being called by a ground station without response where a continuous listening watch is required; or
• after advising readiness to take off from an unattended aerodrome; or
• arrival by RTF when the pilot has advised an intention to do so and two-way communication is normally available on the ground at that location

Front 15

When shall INCERFA be declared because of failure to arrive?

Back 15

An IFR aircraft fails to arrive within 15 minutes after ETA at destination aerodrome

Front 16

Regarding an INCERFA, uncertainty exists to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants when an aircraft is not on its proper track or at the correct level. List five other situations where aircraft uncertainty exists?

Back 16

Uncertainty exists as to the safety of the aircraft and its occupants because the aircraft is:

• not on its proper track or at the correct level; or
• not in normal communications; or
• experiencing navigation difficulties; or
• experiencing hazardous meteorological conditions; or
• operating at night when the pilot or aircraft is limited to daylight operations; or
• a declared emergency flight; or
• an aircraft for which no flight plan has been lodged and notification is received that it is missing.