During a Case I recovery aircraft shall normally be switched to tower control at ____ nm after reporting the ship in sight.

• A. 5 nm
• B. 10 nm
• C. 15 nm
• D. 20 nm

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is when control of an approaching aircraft is handed from the carrier’s approach/air traffic control to the ship’s tower for the final phase of landing. Once the pilot has the ship in sight, switching to tower control at ten nautical miles gives enough time for the tower to sequence the incoming aircraft, issue the landing clearance, and coordinate with deck operations while the aircraft continues its descent and final approach. It also gives the pilot a clear handoff point to configure for landing with the knowledge that the tower will manage the final approach and clearance. Switching sooner would reduce the time the tower has to manage the flow and might rush the final approach, while switching later would squeeze the window for safe clearance and deck coordination.