15.5 Security, Overdue Aircraft, and FAA Emergency Services

Security and Loss-of-Contact Decisions

Appendix A and the practical test include security on the ground and in flight, FAA emergency services, and collection/dissemination of information on overdue or missing aircraft. A dispatcher must recognize a developing event, protect communication accuracy, and activate the carrier's approved response. Public regulations and training define responsibilities; sensitive operational details are handled through the authorized security program rather than improvised in a study scenario.

Ground security responsibilities

49 CFR Part 1544 governs relevant aircraft-operator security requirements. The applicable operator security program, trained personnel, access controls, screening and acceptance processes, and incident-reporting arrangements determine what each employee does. A dispatch release does not waive security clearance, required screening, or protection of the aircraft.

A suspected threat, unauthorized access, or suspicious shipment is reported through the carrier's designated process. Dispatch coordinates with authorized operations/security personnel and the PIC concerning the operational consequence. Preserve the exact information, source, time, and actions taken. Do not independently declare a threat harmless because departure is late or because a caller provides a reassuring explanation.

Security decisions can affect aircraft assignment, airport choice, ground handling, passenger/cargo status, and required coordination. If a departure must be held, reassess weather, fuel, performance, and crew limitations after the hold. A security release and a flight dispatch release address different conditions; both must be satisfied where applicable.

Security in flight

If a flight reports an onboard security event, provide prompt support through the approved program. The PIC commands the airplane and makes immediate aircraft decisions. Dispatch supplies relevant airport, weather, route, fuel, and support information and coordinates with the authorized company, ATC, and governmental contacts as appropriate.

Use closed-loop communication: identify the flight, repeat critical information, distinguish verified facts from unconfirmed reports, and obtain acknowledgment when feasible. Avoid public or unrelated-channel distribution of sensitive operational information. Do not ask the crew for lengthy nonessential administrative details during a time-critical cockpit task. Prioritize the information needed for safety and response.

Recognize overdue versus missing

An absent automated arrival message can be a data-link or ground-system failure, not necessarily an accident. Conversely, loss of contact and an unexplained delay can require urgent action. Compare the planned flight, last known position/time, expected reports or arrival, actual ATC/airport information, aircraft endurance, weather, and known system status.

Use the carrier's approved overdue/missing-aircraft procedure. Do not invent a universal rule to wait thirty minutes, one hour, or three hours before seeking help. A credible emergency can require immediate action before an estimated arrival time has passed. Under 49 CFR 830.5(c), an overdue aircraft believed to have been involved in an accident requires the prescribed NTSB notification.

Collect an accurate information package

Record whether each item is verified, estimated, or unknown. A guessed last position can misdirect responders. Retain original timestamps and units, and coordinate any later correction explicitly with the recipients. A detailed but inconsistent package is less useful than a concise, accurate update.

Contact alternatives and escalation

Use available authorized company voice/data links, ATC coordination, airport/station contacts, and other approved means. A message sent by ACARS is not proof that the PIC received it. An arrival shown in a computer system may be a scheduled event rather than a verified actual landing. Seek independent confirmation through the appropriate channels.

If an inflight emergency requiring immediate decision/action is known to the dispatcher and the dispatcher cannot communicate with the pilot, § 121.557(b) requires declaring an emergency and taking necessary action. Keep ATC and dispatch centers informed under paragraph (c). Loss of one radio alone is not always that emergency, but it must not be dismissed when combined with credible hazard information.

FAA and search-and-rescue support

ATC and Flight Service can assist with emergency communications and the collection of position, flight-plan, radar/surveillance, and airport information within their services. Rescue coordination follows applicable government and carrier procedures. Dispatch supports with current flight information and company resources; it does not replace ATC authority or independently direct government rescue aircraft outside the established process.

A diversion changes the response picture. Confirm the actual landing airport, available emergency services, runway conditions, and any limitations of the receiving station. Hazardous-material information must be accessible to the PIC, operational-control personnel, and emergency responders under its applicable rules. Preserve the documents rather than assuming the original destination station already has the final updated packet.

Worked lost-arrival scenario

A fictional flight's automated arrival message is missing fifteen minutes after predicted landing. Dispatch has a recent routine position report and no confirmed distress, but the destination station cannot yet verify arrival. The dispatcher checks actual ATC/airport status and attempts approved company links immediately under the applicable procedure. If independent confirmation establishes safe landing, resolve the communication discrepancy and close the flight record accurately.

If instead ATC reports lost contact near hazardous terrain with a credible distress indication, escalate promptly and send the verified last-known information, fuel, route, aircraft, and occupant/cargo details. Do not wait for an arbitrary timer. Continue updating responders and preserving communications, while separately meeting applicable FAA emergency-deviation and NTSB notification/reporting requirements. The exam skill is timely, evidence-based escalation rather than treating every missing message as either certainly harmless or certainly an accident.

Official References

Source check: 2026-10-12. Hazardous-material carriage; Dispatcher duty § 121.465; Emergency authority § 121.557; NTSB Part 830; Operator security Part 1544. For operational use, apply current issued authorizations and the assigned aircraft’s approved data.