Please note: This use case originates from the predecessor project PJ.10-W2-73 FCA as part of the SESAR2020 Programme and is not considered in the current project.
This Use Case describes the actions to be taken in a Flight Centric Area in case of an emergency descent.
Preconditions
Several aircraft are assigned to different Flight Centric ECs and are assumed.
Postconditions: Success end state
The aircraft has safely left the Flight Centric Area.
Trigger
An aircraft starts to descend, and the Flight Crew notifies the Flight Centric ATCO about the emergency descent and sets the squawk to 7700.
Main Flow
- An aircraft starts to descend, and the Flight Crew notifies the Flight Centric ATCO about the emergency descent and sets the squawk to 7700.
- The Flight Centric EC sets a flag in the particular aircraft’s label that this aircraft is doing an emergency descent (that means the emergency descent status is shared and notified to all other Flight Centric ECs) and the ATM system automatically sets this aircraft on “emergency” status in the CD&R tools.
- This Flight Centric EC as well as the Flight Centric ECs controlling other aircraft take immediately all possible action to safeguard all aircraft concerned.
- This Flight Centric EC as well as the Flight Centric ECs controlling other aircraft forward further clearances to all aircraft involved as to additional procedures to be followed during and subsequent to the emergency descent.
- All Flight Centric controllers monitor the situation. Once the emergency descend has been completed the Flight Centric EC reroutes the dispersed aircraft to re-join the flight plan.
- The ATS unit additionally informs any other ATS units and control sectors which may be affected by the emergency descent.
Note: In today’s operation the pilot stays on the frequency and the ATCO is responsible to coordinate the descent.