Definition
A reference to paragraph 10-6-4 of FAA Order JO 7110.65 (Air Traffic Control), which prescribes the procedures controllers follow when a pilot encounters an inflight contingency — such as the inability to maintain assigned altitude, deviation from cleared route, or loss of communications — particularly in oceanic or remote airspace where standard radar separation is not available.
Plain English
It is the section of the FAA's air traffic control rulebook that tells controllers what to do when a pilot has an unexpected problem in flight, like not being able to hold altitude or having to change course, especially over the ocean.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA glossary material, AIM references, and controller-procedure citations related to aircraft emergencies or unusual situations in flight.
Derivation
FAA Order JO 7110.65 is the master document of air traffic control procedures used by U.S. controllers. 'Contingency' comes from the Latin contingere, 'to happen,' and refers to an unplanned event that requires a pre-arranged response. Paragraph 10-6-4 specifically addresses inflight events that disrupt the normal plan.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing this paragraph exists matters because it defines the standard contingency actions pilots are expected to take — offsetting from track, climbing or descending in a specific way, and reporting — so that controllers and other aircraft know what to expect when something goes wrong, especially in oceanic airspace where you cannot simply ask for a new clearance immediately.
Grounding Statement
If an aircraft has a serious problem while airborne, this citation points to the controller rules for handling that kind of situation.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as a pilot checklist item. It is a reference to an FAA controller-procedure paragraph, not an instruction for the pilot to perform paragraph 10-6-4.
Example Sentence 1
When the crew could no longer maintain their assigned oceanic altitude due to turbulence, they followed the inflight contingency procedures described in FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 10-6-4.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots are encouraged to familiarize themselves with FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 10-6-4 to better understand controller actions during inflight contingencies.