Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences › Physical Sciences
Managing Non-Normal and Emergency Flight Situations Training
Description
This course equips flight crew members with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage non-normal and emergency flight situations. It focuses on decision-making, crew coordination, and adherence to standard operating procedures to ensure safety in critical scenarios.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply standard operating procedures to manage non-normal and emergency flight situations.
- Analyze the nature and severity of an emergency to determine appropriate corrective actions.
- Evaluate crew resource management strategies to optimize team performance under stress.
- Demonstrate effective communication and coordination during emergency scenarios.
- Implement emergency checklists and protocols to mitigate risks and ensure passenger safety.
- Assess post-incident procedures and reporting requirements for continuous safety improvement.
Target Audience
This course is designed for commercial pilots, flight engineers, and cabin crew members seeking to enhance their ability to handle unexpected flight events. It is also suitable for aviation professionals involved in flight operations and safety management.
Prerequisites
None — open enrollment. However, a basic understanding of flight operations is recommended.
Course Outline
Objectives:
• Define non-normal and emergency flight situations
• Understand regulatory requirements for emergency procedures
• Identify common causes of non-normal flight situations
• Explain the importance of crew resource management
• Describe the decision-making process in emergencies
Topics:
• Classification of flight situations: normal, abnormal, emergency
• Regulatory framework: SA-CATS, CARs, and ICAO annexes
• Human factors in emergencies: stress, fatigue, and situational awareness
• Crew resource management (CRM) principles
• Decision-making models: DECIDE, FOR-DEC, and 3P
• Case studies: historical non-normal events
Objectives:
• Identify common aircraft system failures
• Understand warning systems and indications
• Apply system-specific emergency checklists
• Practice troubleshooting and prioritisation
• Analyze failure scenarios for multi-engine aircraft
Topics:
• Engine failures: partial and complete power loss
• Electrical system failures: alternator/generator failure, bus faults
• Hydraulic system failures: loss of pressure, fluid leaks
• Pressurisation and environmental control failures
• Flight control malfunctions: jammed controls, trim runaways
• Warning systems: master caution, aural alerts, ECAM/EICAS
• Checklist usage: memory items vs. reference items
Objectives:
• Recognise weather phenomena leading to emergencies
• Understand icing, thunderstorms, and wind shear effects
• Apply avoidance and recovery techniques
• Interpret weather radar and reports
• Manage in-flight weather decisions
Topics:
• Icing: types, detection, and anti-ice/de-ice systems
• Thunderstorm hazards: turbulence, hail, lightning
• Wind shear and microbursts: recognition and escape manoeuvres
• Reduced visibility: fog, smoke, and dust
• Volcanic ash: detection and avoidance
• Weather radar interpretation and limitations
• Decision-making: diversion, holding, and alternate planning
Objectives:
• Identify in-flight medical emergencies
• Understand hypoxia, hyperventilation, and decompression sickness
• Apply first aid and use onboard medical equipment
• Manage incapacitation of crew or passengers
• Coordinate with ground medical services
Topics:
• Hypoxia: symptoms, stages, and corrective actions
• Decompression sickness and trapped gas
• Hyperventilation and its management
• First aid for common issues: burns, fractures, heart attacks
• Onboard medical equipment: first aid kits, defibrillators, oxygen
• Crew incapacitation: recognition and assumption of duties
• Communication with medical advisory services
Objectives:
• Identify security threats: hijacking, sabotage, bomb threats
• Understand security procedures and protocols
• Apply negotiation and communication techniques
• Manage disruptive passengers
• Coordinate with law enforcement and air traffic control
Topics:
• Hijacking: phases, crew responses, and negotiation
• Bomb threats: search procedures and evacuation
• Sabotage and suspicious items
• Disruptive passengers: de-escalation and restraint
• Security communication codes and phrases
• Post-event procedures: landing and handover
Objectives:
• Execute emergency descent procedures
• Plan for forced landings and ditching
• Conduct emergency evacuations and survival techniques
• Use emergency equipment: rafts, beacons, fire extinguishers
• Coordinate with rescue services
Topics:
• Emergency descent: rapid decompression and fire
• Forced landing: engine failure after takeoff, off-airport landings
• Ditching: preparation, approach, and water landing
• Evacuation procedures: commands, slides, and exits
• Survival equipment: ELTs, life rafts, survival kits
• Firefighting: types of fires and extinguisher use
• Post-accident survival: shelter, water, signalling
Objectives:
• Integrate all emergency procedures in realistic scenarios
• Demonstrate CRM and decision-making under pressure
• Conduct full emergency drills from detection to resolution
• Debrief and analyse performance
• Prepare for competency assessment
Topics:
• Full-mission scenarios: multi-system failures, weather, security
• Crew coordination and communication during emergencies
• Time-critical decision-making and prioritisation
• Post-incident reporting and debriefing
• Regulatory compliance and documentation
• Final assessment: simulated emergency handling
• Course wrap-up and feedback
Practicals
Overview
Hands-on practical sessions are essential to apply emergency procedures in simulated environments. Learners will practice system failure drills, emergency descents, evacuations, and use of emergency equipment under instructor supervision to build muscle memory and decision-making skills.
Practical Activities
- Simulator Session 1: System Failures and Malfunctions — Learners practice diagnosing and responding to engine, electrical, and hydraulic failures in a flight simulator or mock cockpit. (6h)
- Simulator Session 2: Weather Emergencies and Medical Events — Learners handle severe weather scenarios (icing, wind shear, thunderstorm) and in-flight medical events in a simulated environment. (6h)
- Evacuation and Emergency Equipment Drill — Learners perform controlled emergency evacuation drills and hands-on use of life rafts, ELTs, fire extinguishers, and survival kits. (6h)
- Integrated Full-Mission Scenario — Learners manage a complex emergency scenario combining system failures, weather, and security threats from start to resolution. (6h)
Summatives
Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.
Practical Assignments — 30%
Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.
Daily Exercises — 20%
Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.
Final Test — 50%
On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.
Final Total
| Component | Out of | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) | 100% | 30% |
| Daily Average (multiple choice) | 100% | 20% |
| Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) | 100% | 50% |
| Final Total | — | 100% |
All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.
Certificate
How it works
- Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
- Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
- You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
- If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it
Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.
Training Discounts
Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.
| Delegates | Discount |
|---|---|
| 5 | 3% off |
| 10 | 6% off |
| 15 | 9% off |
| 20 | 12% off |
| 25 | 15% off |
| 30 | 18% off |
| 50 | 30% off |
| 75 | 40% off |
| 100 | 40% off |
3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.
Let us know you're interested and we'll arrange a session that suits you.
Let us know you're interested and we'll arrange a session that suits you.
Let us know you're interested and we'll arrange a session that suits you.
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