Pre-brief
Aircraft: Airbus A321
Callsign: Skyward 451
Route: Madrid (LEMD) to Munich (EDDM)
Current state: Cruising at flight level three six zero over southern France. A passenger has collapsed with severe chest pains, and a doctor travelling on board is attending. Fuel remaining is 3.5 tonnes. You are on Marseille Control frequency.
Souls on board: 184
Your role: First Officer working the radio while the Captain coordinates with the cabin crew
How this works
You’re playing the pilot. A instructor will introduce the activity in her own voice, then the controller’s first transmission begins. Every radio transmission — controller or pilot — ends with a short roger beep, the cue that the speaker has finished. After each controller transmission, the instructor gives you an instruction — telling you what information to communicate back to the controller (e.g. read back a clearance, declare an emergency, report your status) — and reminds you that you have eight seconds to respond. Your job is to relay that information to the controller using proper ATC phraseology. Speak your reply aloud — recording yourself on a phone voice memo makes review easier. You’ll then hear one model pilot response against light cabin background — that’s one acceptable phrasing, not the only correct one. Take notes while you listen if it helps.
Comprehension questions
Q1. After acknowledging the Pan-Pan, what did the controller clear the aircraft to do?
- a) Divert to Marseille
- b) Divert to Lyon
- c) Return to Madrid
- d) Hold at the present position
Q2. What descent and heading did the controller give with the diversion clearance?
- a) Descend to flight level one zero zero, turn left heading three five zero
- b) Descend to four thousand feet, turn right heading two seven zero
- c) Descend to flight level two zero zero, heading three six zero
- d) Maintain flight level three six zero, heading three four zero
Q3. What did the controller ask the crew to confirm?
- a) Only the number of passengers
- b) The aircraft type and registration
- c) The nature of the emergency, persons and fuel on board, and the assistance required
- d) The departure airport and flight number
Q4. Which approach and runway did the controller clear the flight for at Lyon?
- a) ILS approach runway three six right
- b) Visual approach runway one seven
- c) ILS approach runway three five left
- d) RNAV approach runway three five right
Key vocabulary and phraseology
Variation prompt
How else could you have responded? What would change if the controller had been unable to offer Lyon and you had to accept a longer diversion to a busier airport with holding traffic?
Level: CEFR B2 / ICAO Level 5
Want to read about a real medical-emergency incident? See our news article: Singapore Airlines Turbulence Kills One, Injures 104.