FAA Military Competency Practice Exam

Which incident mandates immediate notification to the nearest NTSB field office?

1. Flight delay due to weather

2. In-flight fire

3. Normal turbulence experience

4. Flight diversion due to non-weather reasons

The correct answer is: In-flight fire

An in-flight fire is a critical safety incident that requires immediate notification to the nearest NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) field office. This is because an in-flight fire poses a significant risk to the safety of the aircraft, crew, and passengers. Fires can lead to loss of control, structural failure, and catastrophic situations if not managed promptly. The NTSB is responsible for investigating such serious incidents to determine causes, contributing factors, and necessary safety improvements. In contrast, incidents like flight delays due to weather, normal turbulence experiences, or flight diversions for non-weather reasons do not typically require immediate reporting to the NTSB. These situations, while they may affect flight operations, do not inherently pose the same level of immediate safety risk as an in-flight fire does. Therefore, the urgency and severity of an in-flight fire justify its classification as an incident that mandates immediate notification to the NTSB.