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What should you do if you hear another aircraft performing an emergency descent on frequency?

1. Follow ATC instructions if instructed to change heading/altitude
2. Adjust heading as necessary to fly away from the aircraft
3. Descend immediately
4. Perform a SLOP to avoid any risk
5. Maintain your current clearance

  • A
    1 and 5
  • B
    1 and 4
  • C
    2, 3 and 5
  • D
    1, 4 and 5
Learning Objective 010.07.02.19.03: Describe the expected action of aircraft after receiving a broadcast from ATS concerning the emergency descent of an aircraft.
Source: ICAO Doc 4444, Chapter 15, 15.1.4 Emergency descent

ICAO Doc. 4444 (PANS-ATM)
15.1.4.3 ACTION BY THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVING EMERGENCY DESCENT BROADCAST

Unless specifically instructed by the ATS unit to clear the area or threatened by immediate danger, the pilot shall take the following actions:

a) continue according to current clearance and maintain listening watch on the frequency in use for any further instructions from the ATS unit; and
b) watch for conflicting traffic both visually and by reference to ACAS (if equipped).


SLOP (Strategic Lateral Offset Procedure) is a technique for reducing the likelihood of an air-to-air collision if a catastrophic miscommunication did occur, where pilots can choose to move 1 or 2 nm to the right of their cleared track, or stay on track, and should only be authorised in oceanic airspace or remote continental airspace. It is not part of responding to an emergency descent.

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