Interview "Scenario" exams

[karkland]

Hi all,

I've been studying up on topics that are likely to come up during an interview (123 Rule, 1 NAVAID 2 NAVAID, METARS/TAFS, Approach plates, etc...) and one common thing I see come up are people being asked how to deal with certain scenarios. e.g., you are given 5 different scenarios, how would you prioritize them and why?

Can anyone here provide me with some examples of what they were asked? I'd love to get some scenario practice under my belt before some upcoming interviews!

Thank you!

 

[Bobber]

Usually it's like:
1 - MOC calls to add MEL
2 - Captain at the gate wants 1000lbs more fuel
3 - airborne flight holding wants bingo numbers
4 - aircraft taxiing got a reroute
5 - you get a phone call from a gate agent saying they can't print the paperwork for the crew leaving in 5 minutes

Which order would you handle things and why?

It's a good interview question because as a dispatcher you need to know how to prioritize things because you are interrupted CONSTANTLY. You need to know how to put out the quick and easy fires and how to prioritize what order you do things. You have to be a MASTER of jumping around doing things and remembering what you were doing before you were interrupted.

Good luck on the interview!

 

[karkland]

Usually it's like:
1 - MOC calls to add MEL
2 - Captain at the gate wants 1000lbs more fuel
3 - airborne flight holding wants bingo numbers
4 - aircraft taxiing got a reroute
5 - you get a phone call from a gate agent saying they can't print the paperwork for the crew leaving in 5 minutes

Which order would you handle things and why?

It's a good interview question because as a dispatcher you need to know how to prioritize things because you are interrupted CONSTANTLY. You need to know how to put out the quick and easy fires and how to prioritize what order you do things. You have to be a MASTER of jumping around doing things and remembering what you were doing before you were interrupted.

Good luck on the interview!

Thank you for the detailed response! Seeing an example like this is really helpful. Looking it over though, I'm at a loss as to how to prioritize scenarios like this. Is there any resources you would recommend studying to get familiar with answering these correctly? Or any general guidelines that I could refer to?

My best guess on this particular example would be

3
4
2
5
1

I ranked 3 and 4 at the top since those were the only two aircraft actually on the move. It seemed right to prioritize these over the others. The rest were honestly a bit of a crapshoot.

 

[///AMG]

Thank you for the detailed response! Seeing an example like this is really helpful. Looking it over though, I'm at a loss as to how to prioritize scenarios like this. Is there any resources you would recommend studying to get familiar with answering these correctly? Or any general guidelines that I could refer to?

My best guess on this particular example would be

3
4
2
5
1

I ranked 3 and 4 at the top since those were the only two aircraft actually on the move. It seemed right to prioritize these over the others. The rest were honestly a bit of a crapshoot.

As a pilot, if i were grading your answers, I’d give you an A. But i also don’t know much yet about all of this.

 

[retrodx]

Thank you for the detailed response! Seeing an example like this is really helpful. Looking it over though, I'm at a loss as to how to prioritize scenarios like this. Is there any resources you would recommend studying to get familiar with answering these correctly? Or any general guidelines that I could refer to?

My best guess on this particular example would be

3
4
2
5
1

I ranked 3 and 4 at the top since those were the only two aircraft actually on the move. It seemed right to prioritize these over the others. The rest were honestly a bit of a crapshoot.

Pretty good tbh. I would have said 3-4-5-2-1, only because we know 2 & 1 aren’t supposed to be leaving until they get what’s needed. 3 & 4 are already in motion with one in the air, and 5 is about to be assuming the paperwork deal is solved quickly.

Your thought process is on par with knowing the balance of urgency. It’s thinking about what’s in the air with any pressing matters, in motion to be in the air rather soon and lastly what’s on the ground still at the gate. In this scenario, don’t be afraid to mention employing DRM as you see fit. As in “hey can you help me with this ATC reroute while I work my flight that’s holding?”

 

[gopherdx]

I’d say 3, 4, 5, 2, 1 as well. Priority is always given to airborne aircraft no matter what. Second priority is always live aircraft that are out (taxiing). After that it depends on the situation. In this case, the flight due out in 5 minutes without the release paperwork will take priority assuming it’s the closest to its ETD out of the others. You’ll be able to just send the paperwork to their printer to potentially avoid a delay. The only reason I’d say the captain requesting 1000 lbs is more urgent than an MEL is that assuming you both agree to the add, it can take a while to get a fuel truck back out to the gate assuming they finished fueling already. I’d swap the last two depending on the circumstances.

With that said, scenarios I’ve heard on my interview were:

1. You have 3 aircraft holding for XYZ airport on a VFR day with no planned alternates. All of a sudden all three get assigned holding with an indefinite EFC due to an inbound emergency. What steps do you take and how do you prioritize them?

2. Flight at the gate is 1000 lbs over MTOW, what steps would you take? Same question but for MLDW.

 

[karkland]

@retrodx, @gopherdx The prioritization reasoning makes a lot of sense! Thank you for the thorough explanations behind each ranking. As for the DRM, is there any free resource out there to familiarize myself? I'm seeing a lot of paid courses available, but no document/pdf that I could just pick up and read.

In regards to the new scenarios @gopherdx brought up -- I haven't gone through this type of material in class yet, so I'm going to make my best educated guess...

First Scenario

1. Communicate with the pilots to get an idea of their current situation (in order of which flight would have the lowest amount of fuel onboard).
2. Start looking for alternates in the area to prepare for an event in which the destination airport becomes unsuitable for landing safely
3. After finding the alternates, send an amended release
4. Continue to monitor situation and maintain communication with pilots if something comes up

Second Scenario

Assuming the plane is already fueled and is currently sitting at the gate with bags/pax onboard

1. Talk to flight deck to let them know the flight will likely be delayed until we resolve weight issue
2. Talk to ground ops to get a better understanding of the situation
   1. How long it takes for fuel trucks to arrive for potential de-fueling (assuming less fuel is possible on this flight)
   2. Potential to move cargo to a different flight that will still arrive close to original ETA
3. Request for removal of passengers until flight is under MTOW
4. Remove cargo that can be put on another flight and arrive close to original ETA
5. De-fuel if possible and no other options are sufficient

Assuming the plane is NOT fueled and is currently sitting at the gate with no bags/pax/crew onboard

1. Review fuel onboard. Will flight still be safe to get to destination based on WX and current conditions with less fuel? Did we originally plan to tanker "un-needed" fuel?
   1. If safe and legal, reduce planned fuel to meet MTOW limits.
   2. After flight crew arrives, let them know about the amended release (lower fuel from original plane due to weight)
2. If fuel onboard cannot be adjusted, communicate to ground ops to let them know we will need to remove passengers from the flight.
   1. Get this process started early such that there is sufficient time to find volunteers and avoid forced removals.
3. If no passengers are willing, remove cargo that can be moved to the next available flight close to original ETA

And for MLDW scenario, I think I'd follow the same steps as above, with the possibility of "dumping/burning" fuel near the ETA to hit the MLDW limits.

I'm hoping I'm somewhat on the right track with my thought process here! This was a really good practice session to think through scenario like this. Thank you for sharing these with me!

 

[gopherdx]

@retrodx, @gopherdx The prioritization reasoning makes a lot of sense! Thank you for the thorough explanations behind each ranking. As for the DRM, is there any free resource out there to familiarize myself? I'm seeing a lot of paid courses available, but no document/pdf that I could just pick up and read.

In regards to the new scenarios @gopherdx brought up -- I haven't gone through this type of material in class yet, so I'm going to make my best educated guess...

First Scenario

1. Communicate with the pilots to get an idea of their current situation (in order of which flight would have the lowest amount of fuel onboard).
2. Start looking for alternates in the area to prepare for an event in which the destination airport becomes unsuitable for landing safely
3. After finding the alternates, send an amended release
4. Continue to monitor situation and maintain communication with pilots if something comes up

Second Scenario

Assuming the plane is already fueled and is currently sitting at the gate with bags/pax onboard

1. Talk to flight deck to let them know the flight will likely be delayed until we resolve weight issue
2. Talk to ground ops to get a better understanding of the situation
   1. How long it takes for fuel trucks to arrive for potential de-fueling (assuming less fuel is possible on this flight)
   2. Potential to move cargo to a different flight that will still arrive close to original ETA
3. Request for removal of passengers until flight is under MTOW
4. Remove cargo that can be put on another flight and arrive close to original ETA
5. De-fuel if possible and no other options are sufficient

Assuming the plane is NOT fueled and is currently sitting at the gate with no bags/pax/crew onboard

1. Review fuel onboard. Will flight still be safe to get to destination based on WX and current conditions with less fuel? Did we originally plan to tanker "un-needed" fuel?
   1. If safe and legal, reduce planned fuel to meet MTOW limits.
   2. After flight crew arrives, let them know about the amended release (lower fuel from original plane due to weight)
2. If fuel onboard cannot be adjusted, communicate to ground ops to let them know we will need to remove passengers from the flight.
   1. Get this process started early such that there is sufficient time to find volunteers and avoid forced removals.
3. If no passengers are willing, remove cargo that can be moved to the next available flight close to original ETA

And for MLDW scenario, I think I'd follow the same steps as above, with the possibility of "dumping/burning" fuel near the ETA to hit the MLDW limits.

I'm hoping I'm somewhat on the right track with my thought process here! This was a really good practice session to think through scenario like this. Thank you for sharing these with me!

Good thinking. All your answers are basically correct and would suffice in an interview. For the MLDW piece, rule of thumb is MLDW is an enroute/destination issue. The longer the flight, the easier the solution. File them lower, change their route longer, etc. But there are situations where none of that works, especially on shorter flights, where removing payload is the only option.

 

[karkland]

Ah yes, that makes sense!

Thank you for the quick responses! I really appreciate your feedback and advice. Glad to hear my thought process is on the right track!

 

[retrodx]

Regarding the DRM resource question -the FAA has free publications that cover crew resource management which is the same idea. Look for stuff that covers CRM, aeronautical decision making (ADM) and human factors. You can also check out AC-121-32 for DRM training which should give you an idea of what to look for. It’ll also point you towards other publications if you want to look further into it. Honestly, just having an idea of it should suffice. Your airline will train you on it.

 

[Burrito]

Good luck @karkland -- and, as it's usually repeated time and time again.....

....may the odds be ever in your favor!

 

[Mach82]

@retrodx, @gopherdx The prioritization reasoning makes a lot of sense! Thank you for the thorough explanations behind each ranking. As for the DRM, is there any free resource out there to familiarize myself? I'm seeing a lot of paid courses available, but no document/pdf that I could just pick up and read.

In regards to the new scenarios @gopherdx brought up -- I haven't gone through this type of material in class yet, so I'm going to make my best educated guess...

First Scenario

1. Communicate with the pilots to get an idea of their current situation (in order of which flight would have the lowest amount of fuel onboard).
2. Start looking for alternates in the area to prepare for an event in which the destination airport becomes unsuitable for landing safely
3. After finding the alternates, send an amended release
4. Continue to monitor situation and maintain communication with pilots if something comes up

Second Scenario

Assuming the plane is already fueled and is currently sitting at the gate with bags/pax onboard

1. Talk to flight deck to let them know the flight will likely be delayed until we resolve weight issue
2. Talk to ground ops to get a better understanding of the situation
   1. How long it takes for fuel trucks to arrive for potential de-fueling (assuming less fuel is possible on this flight)
   2. Potential to move cargo to a different flight that will still arrive close to original ETA
3. Request for removal of passengers until flight is under MTOW
4. Remove cargo that can be put on another flight and arrive close to original ETA
5. De-fuel if possible and no other options are sufficient

Assuming the plane is NOT fueled and is currently sitting at the gate with no bags/pax/crew onboard

1. Review fuel onboard. Will flight still be safe to get to destination based on WX and current conditions with less fuel? Did we originally plan to tanker "un-needed" fuel?
   1. If safe and legal, reduce planned fuel to meet MTOW limits.
   2. After flight crew arrives, let them know about the amended release (lower fuel from original plane due to weight)
2. If fuel onboard cannot be adjusted, communicate to ground ops to let them know we will need to remove passengers from the flight.
   1. Get this process started early such that there is sufficient time to find volunteers and avoid forced removals.
3. If no passengers are willing, remove cargo that can be moved to the next available flight close to original ETA

And for MLDW scenario, I think I'd follow the same steps as above, with the possibility of "dumping/burning" fuel near the ETA to hit the MLDW limits.

I'm hoping I'm somewhat on the right track with my thought process here! This was a really good practice session to think through scenario like this. Thank you for sharing these with me!

Also to add for the MTOW issue, (if not up against the certified MTOW), look at your planned performance config. e.g. runway choice, packs on vs off, planned temp, runway contaminants, etc. Changing some of those variables could put you within limits again to go flying instead of giving people/cargo das boot.

 

[autosave36]

So the big ones that come up in every interview ever are on here and you've done more than well enough on those.

Here's one that ive had on 1 interview and every comp check. The second one has come up before.

1. You're dispatching into oma. When you released the flight, it was ovc030 in the taf for the 1 hr +/- eta and you omitted an alternate. However enroute, you get a new taf for ovc015 at eta, and don't have enough fuel to add an alternate. What do you do?

2. Its a perfect vfr day in GRR with no atc concerns. You plan company contingency fuel for your flight. 30 mins prior to departure, captain calls requesting 1000 lbs of fuel because he got holding into GRR 4 years ago. What do you do?

 

[gopherdx]

2. Its a perfect vfr day in GRR with no atc concerns. You plan company contingency fuel for your flight. 30 mins prior to departure, captain calls requesting 1000 lbs of fuel because he got holding into GRR 4 years ago. What do you do?

This is a good one since it happens all too often

 

[DessertDx]

You have a flight going to SAN on a perfect weather day (P6SM SKC) and have no extra fuel outside of your company minimum. Crew messages you that ATC advised them that there is a disabled aircraft on RWY 9/27 and it will take them approx. 1 hour to clear the runway. He gives you his current fuel & wants you to amend on an alternate. You run the numbers for the nearest legal alternate and realize you don’t have enough fuel to legally add on an alternate. What do you do?

 

[A1TAPE]

You have a flight going to SAN on a perfect weather day (P6SM SKC) and have no extra fuel outside of your company minimum. Crew messages you that ATC advised them that there is a disabled aircraft on RWY 9/27 and it will take them approx. 1 hour to clear the runway. He gives you his current fuel & wants you to amend on an alternate. You run the numbers for the nearest legal alternate and realize you don’t have enough fuel to legally add on an alternate. What do you do?

Despite how it’s trained into us that we never plan on using reserve fuel, this is EXACTLY the time you unlock the reserves and use them to divert immediately. Get on the ground somewhere and wait out the opening.

 

[autosave36]

Despite how it’s trained into us that we never plan on using reserve fuel, this is EXACTLY the time you unlock the reserves and use them to divert immediately. Get on the ground somewhere and wait out the opening.

You're probably not burning into reserve in that situation because you're likely stopping short and not overflying SAN or whatever. In this case it's likely just a change destination to something on the way (and operationally palatable like PHX or LAS or SLC depending on where you are and what's good for your company) and then send the crew burns, weather, and notams and then start making some phone calls.

 

[A1TAPE]

You're probably not burning into reserve in that situation because you're likely stopping short and not overflying SAN or whatever. In this case it's likely just a change destination to something on the way (and operationally palatable like PHX or LAS or SLC depending on where you are and what's good for your company) and then send the crew burns, weather, and notams and then start making some phone calls.

They way it could be interpreted was that they got to SNA and a Barron45 went gearup on the runway and now they have no fuel no options.

 

[karkland]

So the big ones that come up in every interview ever are on here and you've done more than well enough on those.

Here's one that ive had on 1 interview and every comp check. The second one has come up before.

1. You're dispatching into oma. When you released the flight, it was ovc030 in the taf for the 1 hr +/- eta and you omitted an alternate. However enroute, you get a new taf for ovc015 at eta, and don't have enough fuel to add an alternate. What do you do?

2. Its a perfect vfr day in GRR with no atc concerns. You plan company contingency fuel for your flight. 30 mins prior to departure, captain calls requesting 1000 lbs of fuel because he got holding into GRR 4 years ago. What do you do?

Whew, these ones are tough!

1. Haul ass..? Haha. Jokes aside, I'd probably look at exemption 17347 to see if any TEMPOs, PROB could allow me to use the alternate (and add a second one per the exemption). Since now that I've added a second alternate (which will need to meet the mins in full), I will be able to re-dispatch using 50% of the derived minimums at my first alternate.

edit: I just realized the scenario said that there IS no fuel to add an alternate. I’m assuming this is no “buffer” fuel for an alternate but enough fuel to reach an alternate using the reserves? Which in this case, would it be allowed to redispatch the aircraft with the intention of burning reserves to get to an alternate? Would this be considered an emergency?

I think legally, it wouldn’t be the dispatchers fault given the original conditions of the TAF. Either way, I would talk to the flight deck to see if they’d be comfortable continuing to the destination despite the change in OVC conditions and discuss any contingency plans to burn reserves if needed

2. Ultimately, I would tell the captain that I'll put on the 1000 lbs. Though I would notate somewhere that original fuel would've been fine to CYA.. but also think adding the 1000 lbs per Captains orders would be a good CYA situation too.
I do feel like the answer may change depending on distance between departure airport/destination airport, along with the cost of fuel at each airport. If fuel is cheaper at departure, then sure. Go ahead and tanker the fuel as long as we're able to meet our MTOW and MLW.

Am I on the right track with these?

Despite how it’s trained into us that we never plan on using reserve fuel, this is EXACTLY the time you unlock the reserves and use them to divert immediately. Get on the ground somewhere and wait out the opening.

Well, that's certainly good to know. Sounds like a situation where your hand is forced due to an emergency.

 

[autosave36]

Whew, these ones are tough!

Am I on the right track with these?

Best advice is keep it simple.

In the first scenario it looks kinda like you started to overthink things but started to wind your way closer to the right answer. What you want to do is just let the captain know via acars that your destination is now forecasting ovc015 and that it should be no issue. You don't have to add an alternate since the taf changed in flight. Also, youre not diverting for ovc015. This sort of thing is not uncommon. Now, how does this answer change if theyre taxiing out?

Second scenario is also pretty common.
Generally you want to tell the captain all the things you see, and why you planned the flight the way he did, whilst inviting his input. You may say in an interview this is a good opportunity to build a rapport with your captain. If he's just dead set on the gas, give it to him as long as youre not over gross'ing the flight. No use arguing over 1000lbs when people paid to get where theyre going on time.