ATP Pilot case studies
ATP Pilot · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate is the highest grade of pilot certificate the FAA issues, and it is the credential most pilots need before acting as pilot in command of a scheduled airline operation or, in many cases, before flying for hire in multiengine equipment. Candidates are typically commercial pilots building time toward a professional flying career, though military and corporate pilots also pursue it. The ATP knowledge test is a computer-delivered, multiple-choice examination that samples the breadth of line operations rather than a single subject: preflight preparation and procedures, takeoff and departure, inflight maneuvers, landing and approach, normal procedures, abnormal and emergency procedures, high-altitude operations, and postflight procedures. Expect questions that ask you to apply regulations, aircraft performance data, weather interpretation, aerodynamics, and crew resource management to practical scenarios rather than to recite definitions. The ATP Pilot case studies are 5 cases and about 2,793 words.
1MEL Penalty at a Mountain Airport
At 21:10 local you are scheduled to depart a mountain airport: elevation 5,900 ft, altimeter 29.92, runway 5,200 ft dry, wind calm, OAT 26°C, night IFR. Takeoff weight is 12,450 lb, 50 lb below MTOW, CG within limits.
577 words, about 3 min2Intersection Departure and a V1 You Did Not Brief
You are cleared for takeoff on runway 27: 8,000 ft, dry, elevation 400 ft. The clearance is from intersection B, which leaves 5,400 ft.
562 words, about 3 min3The Approach That Was Never Stable
Night ILS to runway 09, 7,200 ft, dry except standing water in the touchdown zone; latest braking action is medium. Reported surface wind 090/12 gust 20, but the PM notes a PIREP of a 20-kt tailwind at 1,000 ft and groundspeed is 165 kt.
555 words, about 3 min4Cargo Smoke at FL350: Weight Versus Fire
FL350, M0.78, 120 nm from an airport with an 11,000-ft runway and full ARFF coverage; weather CAVOK, wind calm. The aft cargo smoke detector triggers.
520 words, about 3 min5One Engine at FL410: Driftdown and the Diversion Decision
FL410, M0.80, gross weight 62,000 lb, ISA+12, 280 nm from destination. The right engine fails and is secured; single-engine service ceiling at this weight and temperature is FL280.
579 words, about 3 min