English
Welcome to the test Unexpected Situations – 12.
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: PanPan, PanPan, PanPan, Shannon Control, N404IC, we just passed through a thunderstorm and encountered severe turbulence. We have passengers injured on board. Request return to Dublin and also request an area to dump fuel. Do we need to follow any special instructions ?
ATC: No special operation is required, maintain present heading to land on runway 26.
EXAMINER: Now tell me in your own words everything the pilot and controller said.
I understood the pilot declared an urgency to Shannon control, saying they had just passed through severe turbulence and that they had injured passengers on board. The pilot also requested to return to Dublin, requested an area to dump fuel and asked the controller if they needed to follow any special instructions.
The controller said that no special operation was required and told the pilot to maintain present heading to land on runway 26.
EXAMINER: From your point of view, why is it important for the pilots do the Fuel Jettison or Dump Fuel?
In my opinion it’s important for pilots to be able to dump fuel to reduce the weight of the aircraft to make it possible to return or divert to an airport and land the aircraft without the possibility of structural damage upon landing. This is something important for wide body aircraft as the take off weight is usually much higher than the maximum landing weight.
EXAMINER: Now listen to situation number 2.
PILOT: Mayday,Mayday,Mayday, Miami Center, United 406, we had a Sudden Decompression, our left main door came loose, we are on emergency descent.
ATC: Roger United 406, Squawk 7700, Cleared to descend to 9000, report when passing 17000, altimeter setting 3009.
EXAMINER: Now tell me in your own words everything the pilot and controller said.
The pilot declared an emergency due to a sudden decompression as their left main door came loose and informed they were on an emergency descent.
The controller understood their problem and told United 406 to squawk 7700, informed them that they were cleared to descend to 9000, told them to report when passing 17000, and said the altimeter setting was 3009.
EXAMINER: What are the dangers of a Sudden Decompression?
From my point of view, there are many dangers of sudden decompression as the pilots can lose consciousness leading to loss of control of the aircraft causing a disaster.
EXAMINER: Now situation number 3.
ATC: Alitalia 372, Galeão Ground. Do you need ground assistance to evacuate the aircraft?
PILOT: One of our flight attendants inflated the escape slide accidentally, we already made the announcement to the passengers, and we will proceed to disembark with our ground crew, Alitalia 372.
EXAMINER: Now tell me in your own words everything the pilot and controller said.
I understood Galeão ground controller asked the pilot of Alitalia 372 if they needed ground assistance to evacuate the aircraft.
The pilot said that one of the flight attendants accidentally inflated escape slide, that she had made the announcement to the passengers, and that they would proceed to disembark with their ground crew.
EXAMINER: Tell me about the training cabin crew have to deal with emergency situations.
I believe that cabin crew have a lot of training to be prepared to deal with emergency situations, they have training in mock ups periodically and various courses to know how to prevent and deal with emergencies.
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?
In my opinion the opened escape slide on the ground is the least serious situation to deal with as the aircraft was on the ground and it was not an actual emergency situation. To prevent further problems I would do what the pilot did and make an announcement to the passengers, disembark the aircraft and inform the company about the occurrence.
The severe turbulence and injured passengers is worse than the opened escape slide as it can lead to panic on board, injuries to the passengers and crew members and even damage to the aircraft. To avoid greater problems I would request to divert to the nearest airport and ask for medical assistance.
However the sudden decompression is certainly the worst to face as it can lead to fatalities and even a disaster. If I faced this emergency I would immediately put on my oxygen mask, descent to a lower flight level and divert to the nearest suitable airport.
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.