How should a flight crew respond to electrical or avionics failure?

• A. Land immediately
• B. Continue as normal
• C. Use standby instruments, follow abnormal procedures, maintain control, and coordinate with ATC for diversion as needed.
• D. Contact maintenance only

Answer: (C)

When electrical or avionics fail, the priority is to keep the aircraft under control and maintain situational awareness using the airplane’s backup resources. Standby instruments provide essential data—attitude, altitude, airspeed, and heading—so you can fly the airplane even if the primary displays and nav/comm systems are down. Following abnormal procedures from the flight manual guides you step by step to isolate the fault, manage power, and switch to alternate sources so critical functions stay available as much as possible. With the airplane under control and data from the standby instruments, you continue flying by hand if needed and apply the checklist actions to stabilize the situation.

Coordinating with ATC is crucial for traffic management and to arrange a safe diversion if the destination or route becomes impractical. ATC can provide priority handling, vectoring, and information to help you select a suitable airport for landing. You’d declare an emergency if required and initiate a diversion plan based on fuel, weather, and sums of available information. The goal is safe flight and a well-supported decision path rather than rushing to conclusions or attempting to press on with insufficient data. Only land immediately if there is an immediate threat to the aircraft or occupants; otherwise, use the standby data, abnormal procedures, and ATC coordination to reach a safe outcome.