Question for US controllers...
Quick question for US controllers...
What is the procedure if a VFR aircraft under radar contact who was receiving advisory services (flight following) were to suddently disappear from the screen? Lets say both primary and secondary targets are lost (and that you have no reason to believe it was caused by a radar malfunction).
What would you do? Would you alert search and rescue or not?
What if in the above scenario the secondary return would disappear but the primary return was still there for a couple of minutes before disappearing in a region where there is no airport. Would you send someone in this case?
The reason I ask is because I am trying to determine how useful filing a VFR flightplan can be if one plans to request flight following (I know, you can' count on always getting it) and conducting the entire flight in a region where you have radar coverage. In the event of a sudden emergency, where the pilot is unable to make a distress call, would someone go looking for him if he goes down (and he had not filed/opened any flight plans)?
If I am flying over non-radar areas and without talking to ATC, I would definately file a VFR flight plan, but I was wondering whether filing was a little redundant if one is under flight following.
Thank you for your answer.
John