On initial contact or when position reports are received, you should request a pilot to confirm their assigned altitude unless which of the following is true?

On initial contact or when position reports are received, you should request a pilot to confirm their assigned altitude unless which of the following is true?

• A. The pilot states assigned altitude
• B. You have assigned a new altitude to a climbing/descending aircraft
• C. Both A and B
• D. Neither A nor B

Answer: (D)

The key idea is to ensure a positive readback of the assigned altitude so both you and the pilot are certain about the aircraft’s altitude. Verbal confirmation helps catch any mishearing, miscommunication, or mis-transcription that could lead to altitude deviations and loss of separation. Even if the pilot states the assigned altitude, you should still request confirmation because human and equipment errors can occur. Likewise, if you’ve issued a new altitude to a climbing or descending aircraft, you want the pilot to explicitly acknowledge and read back that change to verify understanding and compliance. Since there isn’t a valid exception where you should skip this verification, you should always request the pilot to confirm the assigned altitude on initial contact or when position reports are received.

The key idea is to ensure a positive readback of the assigned altitude so both you and the pilot are certain about the aircraft’s altitude. Verbal confirmation helps catch any mishearing, miscommunication, or mis-transcription that could lead to altitude deviations and loss of separation.

Even if the pilot states the assigned altitude, you should still request confirmation because human and equipment errors can occur. Likewise, if you’ve issued a new altitude to a climbing or descending aircraft, you want the pilot to explicitly acknowledge and read back that change to verify understanding and compliance.

Since there isn’t a valid exception where you should skip this verification, you should always request the pilot to confirm the assigned altitude on initial contact or when position reports are received.