Emergency Procedures and Safety of Flight
What you must know
Understand the emergency checklist flow: aviate, navigate, communicate. Know engine failure procedures (best glide, forced landing site selection), fire procedures, and emergency descent. Learn the meaning of squawk codes (7500 hijack, 7600 radio failure, 7700 emergency). Understand the difference between an emergency and an urgency condition and the phrase "mayday" versus "pan-pan."
Traps
Questions often test whether you prioritize aircraft control over communication. Aviate first: maintain control, then navigate to a landing site, then communicate. Do not troubleshoot at the expense of flying. For radio failure, know the light-gun signals and the standard lost-communication procedures. "Mayday" is for distress; "pan-pan" is for urgency. Squawk 7700 for emergencies.
Rule of thumb
Aviate, navigate, communicate - in that order. For engine failure, pitch for best glide immediately, then select a landing site within gliding distance, then attempt restart per checklist.
Worked example
Engine failure at 5,000 ft: pitch for best glide (e.g., 65 kt), trim, pick a field within glide range, run the restart checklist, then transmit "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" with position and intentions. Squawk 7700. Do not attempt a restart while ignoring aircraft control.