English
Welcome to the test Unexpected Situations – 14.
This test contains 3 situations that you can choose from the menu on the left hand side of this page. Always try to answer before reading the expected answer!
PILOT: Mayday Mayday Mayday, Heathrow departure, Dynasty374, we have a fire in the cargo hold, request to return to land at Heathrow airport, we have 64.5 tons of fuel.
ATC: Dynasty374 roger, we understood you have a fire in the cargo hold, cleared to descend to 12,000 ft. We are aware you have 64.5 tons of fuel, will you be requiring any ground assistance upon landing?
EXAMINER: Now tell me in your own words everything the pilot and controller said.
I understood the pilot declared an emergency as they had a fire in the cargo hold, besides that the pilot requested to return to London Heathrow Airport and he also informed the controller that they had 64.5 tons of fuel.
The controller understood that the pilot had a fire in the cargo hold and cleared him to descend to 12,000 ft, the controller also informed she was aware the aircraft had 64.5 tons of fuel and asked if they requested any ground assistance upon landing.
EXAMINER: From your point of view what can an overweight landing lead to?
I cetainly think an overweight landing is a potentially dangerous situation as it can lead to a landing gear collapse consequenty causing sructural damage to the aircraft and even a runway excursion.
EXAMINER: Now listen to situation number 2.
ATC: SouthWest947, we are advising that Cleveland Hopkins Airport is currenty closed and the airspace has been temporarily closed due to reports of balloons and fireworks. What are your intentions?
PILOT: Cleveland Control, we are aware of this situation, we request to divert to Detroit Wayne Country airport, we are transporting live organs onboard.
EXAMINER: Now tell me in your own words everything the pilot and controller said.
I understood the controller contacted southwest947 to advise them that cleveland hopkins airport was closed and that the airspece had also been temporarely closed due to reports of balloons and fireworks, the controller then asked the pilots their intentions.
The pilot informed the controller he was aware of the situation and requested to divert to Detroit wayne country airport, in addition he informed they were transporting live organs onboard.
EXAMINER: Do you believe there are any risks of transporting live organs on an aircraft?
I do not beleive there are any direct risks linked to the flight when transporting live organs however, I assume live organs must reach the hospital within a specific period of time for this reason, the pilots must be aware of bad weather or any other situation that may cause delays. I truly beleive live organs will be transported by drones in the future.
EXAMINER: Now situation number 3.
PILOT: Panama Departure, Copa137, we have a problem in our air speed indicatior, it’s unreliable, request vectors to return to Tocumen International Airport.
ATC: Copa137 cleared to descend to 10,000 ft, turn left heading 150 expect vectors to intercept the downwind leg for runway 07 left, we are aware you are facing unreliable airspeed indications.
PILOT: Descend to 10,000 ft, left turn heading 150 and expect vectors to intercept the downwind leg for runway 07 left. Copa137
EXAMINER: Now tell me in your own words everything the pilot and controller said.
I understood the pilot contacted Panama departure informing them that their airspeed indicator was unreliable for this reason they requsted vectors to return to Tocumen International Airport.
The contoller cleared the pilot to descend to 10,000 ft, to turn left heading 150 and to expect vectors to intercept runway 07 left besides that he informed the pilot he was aware they were facing unreliable airspeed indications.
EXAMINER: Would you consider this a dangerous situation?
From my viewpoint, this is unquestionably a dangerous situation as it certainly leads to increased stress and workload in the cockpit also leading to a potentially deadly situation if it is not dealt with adequately.
EXAMINER: Now, considering the three situations you have heard in part three: How would you compare them? You may want to compare them in terms of severity, possible solutions and ways of prevention. Which one do you think is the most difficult to deal with? Why?
From my standpoint, the closed airspace is the least serious situation to deal with as the aircraft is not in any imminent danger. To prevent further problems I would divert to the nearest suitable airport for a safe landing.
The loss of airspeed is worse than the closed airspace as it can lead to a high workload in the cockpit. To avoid greater problems I would follow the appropriate checklist and request to return to the airport immediately.
However, the fire in the cargo hold is certainly the worst to face as it can lead to an extremely stressful situation on the aircraft and a great possibility of a disaster. If I faced this situation I would land straight away.
I believe that the best methods of prevention for these situations are good maintenance, constant training and reliable back up systems.
EXAMINER: Thank you. That is the end of part three.