Careful overwater trip planning and preparation is one of the most important responsibilities involved in international flight operations. As you fly you should expect that challenges and emergency situations will arise. Unfortunately there is not always a way to prevent these emergency situations from happening. Luckily, you can use your expertise and wise overwater preparation and planning efforts to make appropriate safety decisions for yourself (the captain), the cabin crew and passengers. This activity will give you the opportunity to respond to overwater challenges and emergencies that you could possibly face while flying internationally. Instructions As you analyze the data provided in this assignment, you will be expected to use your reasoning and problem solving skills to make the best international flight planning decisions possible. Read carefully through the set of questions for each of the 3 scenarios below which cover the Atlantic, North Pacific, and Polar regions of the world. Sometimes a question may have more than one right answer. As you answer each set of questions it is imperative to reference the accompanying regional chart provided for each scenario. You will also need to study the ETOPS spreadsheet Download ETOPS spreadsheetas it offers specific ETOPS airport information that will help you make the best flight planning decisions. *Refer back to Module 6 – International Flight Operations. UV Airways Flight 26 from JFK (New York City, NY) to LHR (London-Heathrow, England) Reference the Atlantic Chart Download Atlantic Chart You have been airborne for nearly an hour and are abeam Halifax on your flight planned route. The flight attendant calls to report that a passenger has become unconscious and needs urgent medical care. The nearest airport in the vicinity is Halifax and Boston, but both are closed due to bad weather. The only airports available are Gander (one of your ETOPS alternates) and New York City. Currently, both are equal distance from your position. What should you do? You are approaching the Point of Equal Time (PET) between Gander, Newfoundland (CYQX) and Lajes , Azores (TER) and develop an engine problem requiring a diversion to your nearest ETOPS alternate. Weather at both airports are CAVOK (meaning ceiling and visibility is ok for visual flight operations). Which airport do you divert to and why? You are overflying 52 North, 20 West when you experience a cabin depressurization. Shannon, Ireland (SNN) is the planned nearest ETOPS alternate along the route of flight. You estimate that you just might have enough fuel to continue the flight to London Heathrow. You know there is maintenance available at London to repair the airplane when you land. What is your decision? UV Airways Flight 11 from SFO (San Francisco, CA) to NRT (Tokyo-Narita, Japan) Reference the North Pacific Chart Download North Pacific Chart You are ready to radio in your position report at N47W140, when you lose HF radio contact with San Francisco Radio. You are still too far out of range to contact Anchorage Center on VHF. Your nearest ETOPS alternate is Seattle. What do you do now? Approaching CRYPT waypoint on the route A-342, you begin getting reports from the flight attendants of smoke entering the cabin from somewhere in the floor area of the aft galley. You currently show no indications in the cockpit of smoke or excessive heat in the galley or cargo bays. What do you do now? You are approaching the PET between PKC and CTS. Your aircraft has an engine fire that forced you to shut it down. As you are working the emergency checklists, you decide that you need to divert to the ETOPS alternate and you are now at the PET. Weather conditions at both PKS and CTS is showing snow and icing conditions at the field, but above the minimums for the primary approach profiles you need. Which one do you divert to? UV Airways Flight 827 from KORD (Chicago, IL) to ZBAA (Beijing, China) on Polar 4 Route Reference the Polar Chart Download Polar Chart You are passing N7230 W11500 on Polar Route 4. You have an engine problem that requires you to divert and land. CYRB (Resolute Bay@N744301 W0945810) is only 345 miles to the East of your position and CYZF (Yellowknife@N622746 W1142625) is 580 miles to the south. Using the plotting chart reference, what is the elevation and length of these two runways? Are there any other features explained on the chart? Are these viable alternates? Why or why not? You are approaching DILSA on the Polar 4 track and encounter severe clear air turbulence. Some passengers and cabin crew members were injured during the encounter and require immediate medical attention. You have just checked in with the Russian controller as this occurs. What is your plan of action? You approach ROTOK on Polar Route 4 and have a cabin pressurization problem that prevents you from continuing on to Beijing. Magadan and Khabarovsk are your nearest alternates. Weather is above minimums with strong, gusty winds from the west. Visibility shows steady blowing snow causing low visibility for both airports. Magadan is closer, yet the approach is non-directional beacon only for Runway 28. Which do you choose and why?
