ASSIST is a simple set of acronyms which may make it easier for controllers to remember the immediate actions, or sequence of actions, to be followed on initial notification in the event of an unusual/emergency situation:
Many organizations successfully adopted the ASSIST principle pioneered by the Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS) entrusted with controlling the air traffic in Germany
Pay attention during emergencies, the controller shall maintain necessary communication with the flight crew if possible and of course, in function of the situation. The air traffic controller shall avoid frequency change if he can continue to manage the traffic even outside of his responsibility area. Radar contact shall be maintained during the emergency activation period.
Situation:
- Smoke or fire in the cockpit is one of the most important dangers for the flight crew.
Fire in the air is one of the most hazardous situations that a flight crew can be faced with. A fire can lead to the catastrophic loss of that aircraft within a very short period of time.
The controller shall anticipate the following consequences:
The actions for the controller shall be:
The controller shall inform the pilot about:
| A | Acknowledge the emergency, inform the crew if fire/smoke is observed from the undercarriage area |
| S | Separate the aircraft and if necessary prioritize it for landing, allow long final if requested, keep the active runway clear of departures, arrivals |
| S | Silence the non-urgent calls (as required) and use a separate frequency if possible (not applicable for IVAO) |
| I | Inform the airport emergency services and inform the adjacent ATC units if the aircraft is approaching or is near to their areas of responsibility |
| S | Support the flight by providing any information requested and necessary such as type of approach, runway length and aerodrome details, etc. |
| T | Provide time for the crew to assess the situation. Do not press them with non-urgent matters |
Situation:
- Electrical problems are some of the random failures in an aircraft.
The consequence can be minor or major depending on the nature of failure and the number of instruments and/or systems out of order.- A complete black out can occur through loss of all generators before switching the battery
- Partial loss of some instrument sor systems (loss of communication, loss of navigation instruments or systems (FMC), loss of flight instruments or a combination of many factors).
The controller shall anticipate the following consequences:
The actions for the controller shall be:
The controller shall inform the pilot about:
| A | Acknowledge the emergency and provide position information and suitable vectors if navigational problems are reported |
| S | Separate the aircraft as necessary, expect the aircraft to request level change in order to maintain VMC |
| S | Silence the non-urgent calls (as required) and use a separate frequency if possible |
| I | Inform the airport emergency services and inform the adjacent ATC units if the aircraft is approaching or is near to their areas of responsibility |
| S | Support the flight by providing any information requested and necessary such as type of approach, runway length and aerodrome details, etc |
| T | Provide time for the crew to assess the situation. Do not press them with non-urgent matters |
Situation:
- Hydraulic problems are some of the random failures in an aircraft.
The consequence can be minor or major depending on the failure and the number of instrument and/or system out of order- The situation could be dramatic with complete or partial failure of flight controls
- Gear can be locked in extension or cannot be unlocked from docking position
- Braking efficiency can be impacted
- Flaps can be blocked in position (extended or not, in function of the flight)
- Nose wheel steering may not work
The controller shall anticipate the following consequences:
The actions for the controller shall be:
The controller shall inform the pilot about:
| A | Acknowledge the hydraulics problem. Ask for the crew's intentions when the situation permits, and establish whether the crew is able to control the aircraft |
| S | Separate the aircraft and if necessary prioritize it for landing, allow long final if requested, keep the active runway clear of departures, arrivals and vehicles |
| S | Silence the non-urgent calls (as required) and use a separate frequency if possible (not applicable for IVAO) |
| I | Inform the airport emergency services and inform the adjacent ATC units if the aircraft is approaching or is near to their areas of responsibility |
| S | Support the flight by providing any information requested and necessary such as type of approach, runway length and aerodrome details, etc. |
| T | Provide time for the crew to assess the situation. Do not press them with non-urgent matters |
Situation:
- Engine failure can occur during take-off or when flying
- A bird strike can provoke engine failure
- Engine failure can imply an engine shutdown
- Engine failure cannot be a complete engine shutdown
- Engine on fire
The controller shall anticipate the following consequences:
The actions for the controller shall be:
The controller shall inform all pilots about:
| A | Acknowledge the problem. Ask for the flight crew's intentions when the situation permits |
| S | Separate the aircraft from other traffic and allow room to manoeuvre |
| S | Silence the non-urgent calls (as required) and use a separate frequency if possible (not applicable for IVAO) |
| I | Inform the airport emergency services and inform the adjacent ATC units if the aircraft is approaching or is near to their areas of responsibility |
| S | Support the flight by providing any information requested and necessary such as type of approach, runway length and aerodrome details, etc. |
| T | Provide time for the crew to assess the situation. Do not press them with non-urgent matters |
Situation:
- Low oil pressure can be a consequence of engine failure (single or multi).
- Low oil pressure can be a consequence of outside landing
The controller shall anticipate the following consequences:
The action for the controller shall be:
| A | Acknowledge the problem. Ask for the flight crew's intentions when the situation permits |
| S | Separate the aircraft from other traffic and allow room to manoeuvre |
| S | Silence the non-urgent calls (as required) and use a separate frequency if possible (not applicable for IVAO) |
| I | Inform the airport emergency services and inform the adjacent ATC units if the aircraft is approaching or is near to their areas of responsibility |
| S | Support the flight by providing any information requested and necessary such as type of approach, runway length and aerodrome details, etc. |
| T | Provide time for the crew to assess the situation. Do not press them with non-urgent matters |
Fuel problems can be caused by the following situations:
- One engine failure
- Multi engine failure
- Outside landing
- Permanent gear extension
- Fuel circuit failure (fuel leakage)
- Too long holding (more than 30min)
The controller shall anticipate the following consequences:
The actions for the controller shall be:
The controller shall inform all pilots about:
| A | Acknowledge the problem. Ask for the flight crew's intentions when the situation permits |
| S | Separate the aircraft from other traffic and allow room to manoeuvre |
| S | Silence the non-urgent calls (as required) and use a separate frequency if possible (not applicable for IVAO) |
| I | Inform the airport emergency services and inform the adjacent ATC units if the aircraft is approaching or is near to their areas of responsibility |
| S | Support the flight by providing any information requested and necessary such as type of approach, runway length and aerodrome details, etc. |
| T | Provide time for the crew to assess the situation. Do not press them with non-urgent matters |
Situation:
- Fuel dumping is necessary when the current mass of the aircraft is greater than the maximum landing weight
The controller shall anticipate the following consequences:
The actions for the controller shall be:
The controller should inform all pilots about:
| A | Acknowledge the problem. Ask for the flight crew's intentions when the situation permits |
| S | Separate the aircraft from other traffic and allow room to manoeuvre |
| S | Silence the non-urgent calls (as required) and use a separate frequency if possible (not applicable for IVAO) |
| I | Inform the airport emergency services and inform the adjacent ATC units if the aircraft is approaching or is near to their areas of responsibility |
| S | Support the flight by providing any information requested and necessary such as type of approach, runway length and aerodrome details, etc. |
| T | Provide time for the crew to assess the situation. Do not press them with non-urgent matters |
Situation:
- When crossing a cloud at specific conditions (temperature), icing may occur on the aircraft (wings, propeller).
Controllers should stay alert for any extraordinary climb/descent. They should be ready to provide climb/descent to affected traffic and allow space for horizontal manoeuvres. The aircraft, experiencing severe icing would certainly need increased separation as its flying characteristics will be degraded.
The controller shall anticipate the following consequences:
The actions for the controller shall be:
The controller should inform all pilots about:
| A | Acknowledge the problem. Ask for the flight crew's intentions when the situation permits |
| S | Separate the aircraft from other traffic and allow room to manoeuvre |
| S | Silence the non-urgent calls (as required) and use a separate frequency if possible (not applicable for IVAO) |
| I | Inform the airport emergency services and inform the adjacent ATC units if the aircraft is approaching or is near to their areas of responsibility |
| S | Support the flight by providing any information requested and necessary such as type of approach, runway length and aerodrome details, etc. |
| T | Provide time for the crew to assess the situation. Do not press them with non-urgent matters |