When radar identification is questionable, what immediate action should be taken?

When radar identification is questionable, what immediate action should be taken?

• A. Terminate radar service
• B. Re-identify the aircraft immediately
• C. Ignore the issue and continue
• D. Request a proximity report from pilot

Answer: (B)

When radar identification is unclear, the immediate priority is to re-establish positive identification of the aircraft. This ensures you’re tracking the correct airplane and can maintain safe separation. Re-identification is typically done by using standard actions that verify which target is which, such as asking the pilot to squawk IDENT or to confirm a specific transponder code, then cross-checking with position, altitude, and flight plan data. If the aircraft can be re-identified, you can resume normal surveillance and instructions with confidence. The other options don’t address establishing identity and could compromise safety: terminating radar service would remove surveillance you rely on for separation; ignoring the issue leaves you unable to guarantee you’re directing the right aircraft; requesting a proximity report from the pilot is not the first step for establishing identity and can introduce delays.

When radar identification is unclear, the immediate priority is to re-establish positive identification of the aircraft. This ensures you’re tracking the correct airplane and can maintain safe separation. Re-identification is typically done by using standard actions that verify which target is which, such as asking the pilot to squawk IDENT or to confirm a specific transponder code, then cross-checking with position, altitude, and flight plan data. If the aircraft can be re-identified, you can resume normal surveillance and instructions with confidence. The other options don’t address establishing identity and could compromise safety: terminating radar service would remove surveillance you rely on for separation; ignoring the issue leaves you unable to guarantee you’re directing the right aircraft; requesting a proximity report from the pilot is not the first step for establishing identity and can introduce delays.