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Questions tagged [emergency]

An emergency is any situation that threatens the safety of an aircraft, the people on board it, or people on the ground.

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For A330, why is the DC BAT BUS momentarily supplied for 7 seconds in BAT-only configuration?

For A330, may I know why is the DC BAT BUS supplied for approximate 7 seconds in the BAT only configuration? From the FCOM, during the 7s, the DC BAT is supplied directly by the BAT 1/2 through the ...
Jono's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
231 views

Are there non ballistic/pyrotechnic parachutes for airplanes?

Is there an aircraft parachute system that doesn't use brs / pyrotechnic ejection for its deployment? I'm thinking something simple like ones used in skydiving or with a spring mechanism as used in ...
Gabe's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Do most aircraft have a ditch button in the case of emergency?

In the ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009, the pilots did not have time to press the "ditch" button present on the Airbus aircraft they were flying. In other circumstances where time ...
Aircraft Enthusiast 007's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
349 views

What is the best procedure if the rudder falls off?

I've recently looked up American Airlines Flight 587, the second worst aircraft accident in U.S history. The main cause of the accident is the separation of the vertical stabilizer and rudder from the ...
Aircraft Enthusiast 007's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
166 views

Twin engine or single engine with parachute, which is safer?

Statistically speaking, if we compare two airplanes: a twin engine (like the Beechcraft Baron) VS a single engine with a parachute (like the Cirrus SR22), if we add up all posible emergency events(...
Gabe's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
264 views

Do airline pilots prepare and are aware of possible emergency landing sites around airports they are taking off in case of complete engine failure?

Do airline pilots prepare and are aware of possible emergency landing sites (like farm fields, wide highways, lakes etc.) around airports they are taking off in case of complete engine failure at a ...
MangoPanda21's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
366 views

How can a non-pilot land a single-engine plane in an emergency?

Can a non-pilot land a single-engine plane in an emergency? Not a big plane with hundreds of passengers and lots of computer stuff, I mean a little plane (light aircraft, propeller up front, just a ...
Mike Willis's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
151 views

Should ATC have souls, fuel, and cargo info before the emergency?

We know how stressful and how fast a situation can become fatal. One of the things that bothers me is when a pilot declares an emergency and I hear ATC asking information they should have already (...
Gabe's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
680 views

Is it realistic for a WW2 aircraft to dive to extinguish an engine fire?

In the film "Memphis Belle" there is a scene in which the titular plane is successfully put into a steep dive in order to extinguish an engine fire. This may have been the inspiration for a ...
Party Ark's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
168 views

What is an "artificial decompression"?

Have anyone heard about "artificial decompression" ? And if yes, what does that mean ? I know decompressions are usually classified as "explosive", "rapid" and "...
Brani's user avatar
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8 votes
6 answers
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Scared of flying in an Airbus A220

The A220 is exclusively powered by PW1500G geared turbofan engines, which have a history of reliability issues. Multiple airlines grounded their entire A220 fleet amid engine concerns (A220 Engine ...
Jim's user avatar
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-5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Could a trained individual passenger escape a commercial plane crash by bringing the necessary equipment to parachute?

We've been through why airlines don't provide parachutes for the passengers. But who says they have to be provided? I want to take my fate into my own hands the next time I fly, by bringing my own ...
Purple P's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate" legal in Part 121 operations?

14 CFR § 121.557(c) says in part, (emphasis added) Whenever a pilot in command... exercises emergency authority, he shall keep the appropriate ATC facility and dispatch centers fully informed of the ...
Someone's user avatar
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17 votes
6 answers
8k views

Is needing to urinate an emergency?

I'm planning a 3.5 hour trip. Usually I urinate more frequently than that, but I will not drink many fluids the morning of the flight in an attempt to get to my destination directly. If a pilot or ...
Cloud's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
394 views

What type of Flare is best used in GA Survival kit?

I have a question regarding Survival Kit Signaling equipment for a General Aviation aircraft. what type of emergency Flares are recommended for aviation use? The Signaling gun with cartridges type or ...
user12253633's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
4k views

How does the emergency frequency work?

When I'm flying from my airfield, I usually am out of range of the airfield's radio within 50 miles or so, at low altitudes. How does the emergency frequency (121.50) work? Where is the location of ...
Cloud's user avatar
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0 votes
3 answers
313 views

Landing without explicit permission

What will happen if civilian ATC suddenly sees unknown plane which request landing due to emergency. Can ATC just forbid such land? If yes, what they do? What if it's foreign military plane?
Tauri's user avatar
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0 answers
139 views

With the loss of a carrier, would American Navy aircraft consider landing on allied carriers in a major conflict? [closed]

Imagine a third world war or a major war involving significant use of carriers, something akin to a modern day variant of the battle of Midway involving carrier battles. It isn't unthinkable that ...
AlphaCentauri's user avatar
2 votes
5 answers
1k views

What's the best way to get through clouds when not instrument rated?

The obvious answer to this is... don't go into clouds. But if you are flying among scattered or broken clouds and you go up above them, then when you reach your destination it's overcast and there is ...
Cloud's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
397 views

Has anyone with no flight training ever landed an aircraft with no assistance?

There have been successful "talk-down landings" in which someone on the ground has given instructions over radio for a passenger to land an aircraft when the pilot was incapacitated, but has ...
Someone's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
2k views

Would a passenger on an airliner in an emergency be forced to evacuate?

If a passenger on a part 121 airline flight on an N-registered aircraft refuses to evacuate (or insists on evacuating last, to avoid getting in others' way), would (s)he be forced to evacuate? Assume ...
Someone's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
4k views

Can you weld a propeller blade from 120 degrees to 180?

My uncle flew for Mission Aviation Fellowship (maf.org) for a university in Texas, and I believe that he was flying a Cessna to the Amazon (among other places). He actually knew Jim Elliot (who went ...
MicroservicesOnDDD's user avatar
13 votes
4 answers
7k views

How can I land without any propulsion? Was the Microsoft simulator right?

Many years ago I played with Microsoft Flight Simulator, turning off my engines and trying to land the plane. Coming down too steeply would crash, as would coming down too slowly. So I figured out ...
MicroservicesOnDDD's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
302 views

Why are there not more emergency squawk codes? [duplicate]

7500 is used for hijacking, 7600 for radio failure, and 7700 for any other emergency. I understand that 7600 and 7500 need special handling (you can't talk to ATC if your radio has failed, and a ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 7,117
21 votes
5 answers
7k views

Is an autopilot failure an emergency?

If the autopilot of an airliner fails, but everything else still works, weather conditions are good, and the pilots are able to hand-fly the plane with no problems, is this an emergency? Would they ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 7,117
0 votes
3 answers
427 views

Can a helicopter autorotate from a hover?

If a hovering helicopter's engine fails, can the helicopter autorotate as it could if it were moving?
Someone's user avatar
  • 7,117
0 votes
1 answer
177 views

Are there procedures for pilots to handle loss of ATC at normally-towered airports?

Are there procedures for pilots to safely handle a situation in which ATC loses the ability to communicate (complete loss of power, incapacitation of all controllers, etc.) at a busy towered airport?
Someone's user avatar
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14 votes
2 answers
4k views

Do airliners have a "switch" or other means of rapidly squawking emergency?

A standard means of informing Air Traffic Control of an emergency situation is to enter the code 7700 into the radar transponder. However, in a situation where the radios are busy and the crew is ...
Michael Hall's user avatar
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16 votes
4 answers
6k views

Why use a RAT when engines can windmill?

When a dual engine flame-out is encountered, and the engines themselves are not damaged such as in the case of Air Transat Flight 236, why is the RAT deployed for emergency power instead of using the ...
natanijelvasic's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
294 views

Why are emergency parachutes for pilots so heavy?

Parachute technology doesn't seem to have got much lighter in the past few decades. It seems that most emergency parachutes designed for pilots still weigh about 15 lb. And yet a Cirrus BRS designed ...
Zaz's user avatar
  • 1,599
13 votes
2 answers
4k views

Have the terms Mayday and Pan Pan become less used?

I've noticed listening to videos of emergencies that pilots simply say that their declaring an emergency vs saying Mayday. Am I wrong?
Boeing787's user avatar
  • 6,494
1 vote
3 answers
220 views

Would twin-engine airplanes be safer (in case of engine failure) if had minimal dihedral?

In the specific context of the sudden failure of one engine, would twin-engine airplanes (with wing-mounted engines) be safer if designed with minimal dihedral, so that aerodynamic coupling between ...
quiet flyer's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
556 views

What causes a jet airliner (with a yaw damper) to roll toward the "weaker" engine during an asymmetrical thrust condition?

Please help me better understand what causes a jet airliner (such as the Boeing 737-500) to roll toward the "weaker" engine when power is reduced on one side. Such as in the situations ...
quiet flyer's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
176 views

Are distress calls used in simulators?

Would a pilot flying in a flight simulator with VATSIM make a mayday call in a scenario in which a pilot in a real plane would?
Someone's user avatar
  • 7,117
0 votes
1 answer
247 views

Why is it fairly common for the same aircraft to declare two emergencies, usually radio failures, in less than an hour?

I get notifications from FlightRadar24 whenever a plane squawks 7600 or 7700. It happens a lot; I've received eight today. (It seems like more happen on weekends than on weekdays, probably because ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 7,117
10 votes
2 answers
3k views

Will all turbine blades stop moving in the event of a emergency shutdown?

In the event of an emergency shutdown of an engine (while in the air), are there systems which prevent movement of turbines (brakes) in case of internal damage? Or will that cause aerodynamic drag ...
Brendan's user avatar
  • 109
5 votes
1 answer
284 views

Are airliners designed to land safely with no undercarriage deployed?

Complete undercarriage failure ("belly landing") is very rare in large passenger aircraft, but not unprecedented. (source) I would imagine it would be fairly easy to predict which part of ...
Party Ark's user avatar
  • 14.2k
0 votes
0 answers
121 views

Is it permissible to have exit row with ordinary seat spacing?

I was recently flying a flight with an exit row seat on the overwing exit. I was expecting increased seat spacing for this row but to my surprise the seat spacing seemed exactly the same as rows ahead ...
curious_cat's user avatar
  • 8,486
0 votes
1 answer
107 views

How do Pistons vs. Turbines fare during a Carrington event?

Electromagnetic pulses are a staple in sci-fi, and they're basically the writers' hand-waving of "deletes technology" weapons. This question asks about whether or not GA motors would ...
William Walker III's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
376 views

Difficulties of landing an airliner without instruments

I just heard the communications from an Embraer E170 that lost all instruments after takeoff and had to return to the airport. Brickyard E170 Can someone explain the procedure from the pilot's ...
SDH's user avatar
  • 780
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

From a safety standpoint, which is better: voice aural alerts or tone aural alerts?

Most modern airplanes have some sort of crew alerting system. These alerts are generally conveyed through display messages, lights, and aural alerts. Aural alerts can either be tones or voices. For ...
Charles Nicholson's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why did the ATI B763 on May 26th 2022 return to LAX instead of landing at Naval Base Ventura County?

Looking at it seems they were right there, they had an emergency, surely even a civilian airplane can land at a naval base in an emergency. I know 767-300ERs used to ...
chx's user avatar
  • 689
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

Minimum Safe Altitude vs Emergency Safe Altitude

Is there a difference between Minimum Safe Altitude and Emergency Safe Altitude? Or are they same things used by different authorities (MSA by EASA and ESA by FAA)?
alQ's user avatar
  • 75
30 votes
3 answers
6k views

After declaring an emergency can a pilot legally resume normal navigation without landing?

If a pilot declares an emergency and then in the process of working with ATC is able to resolve the issue, would they then be able to resume normal navigation (as a non-emergency aircraft) and ...
Rowan Hawkins's user avatar
-3 votes
1 answer
313 views

Could an airliner pilot successfully exit alone from a controlled ocean ditching?

MH370's 777 disappeared into the Indian Ocean, the investigation positing a possibility of a pilot self-hijacking the plane and flying until resource exhaustion, then gliding into a "controlled&...
Coldblackice's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
5k views

What is the minimum altitude needed to return to the takeoff airport in a 737 after dual engine failure?

Last week, I had my first lesson in a 737 sim. The instructor, when talking about risks with flying the 737, said the only time it would be "game over", would be if you had a double engine ...
Cloud's user avatar
  • 14.3k
9 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why don't [most] sailplanes use whole-airplane / ballistic parachutes?

My understanding is that sailplanes usually have the pilots wear the parachute on their back, requiring the pilot to bail out of the aircraft before they can use the parachute. Given the maturity of ...
Nikita's user avatar
  • 223
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Are the emergency exits on a Boeing 747-400 plug doors?

Rossiya Airlines flight FV5625 to Antalya suffered an incident at the gate when a passenger opened an emergency exit (seems to be the L3 door, from what I can tell) "because they felt too hot&...
SQB's user avatar
  • 2,285
8 votes
3 answers
3k views

Which flight maneuver is better for a takeoff emergency after liftoff, a tear drop (180° turn) or a 360° turn?

Let us say I got a time critical emergency right after the liftoff (like a fire, complete power loss) and I need do a return-to-runway and re-land maneuver. Which option is better, a 180-degree turn ...
VvV's user avatar
  • 1,579
-1 votes
3 answers
288 views

What should a pilot do if none of the control surfaces are responding? [closed]

What would a pilot do if none of the control surfaces are responding? For example, a pilot flies a medium-sized plane and to make the situation a bit less hectic, they're the only one onboard. Then ...
Ginger's user avatar
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