The immediate priority is to ensure aircraft separation is maintained, and send out rescue vehicles to the problematic aircraft if needed. Therefore, ATC will:
- Issue a "go around" instruction to the next arrival aircraft.
- Ask the pilots of the problematic aircraft if they need any assistance.
If rescue vehicles are dispatched, all ground traffic will be stopped. The controller may issue an "all stop" instruction to all aircraft and ground vehicles on the frequency.
Next, the controller needneeds to accessassess the situation. How long will it likely to take? Is it a steering problem, or is the aircraft burning? If a prolonged delay is expected, ATC will:
- Contact the "approach" controller to stop sending aircraft to this airport / toto the affected runway.
- If the airport has general aviation traffic, ATC may instruct the pilots to keep going around the pattern.
- Keep aircraft out of the airport airspace to reduce the controllers' workload.
- Notify the "ground" controller / dispatchersdispatchers to delay pushing back aircraft.
- Give taxi instructions to aircraft prepared prepared for takeoff so they can return to the gate.