What should you avoid doing, if an aircraft is responding to a wind shear escape?

• A. Providing wind shear alerts
• B. Issuing control instructions contrary to pilot actions
• C. Maintaining separation
• D. Advising heading changes

Answer: (B)

During a wind shear escape, pilots follow a defined recovery procedure that focuses on restoring airspeed and climb performance—thrust up to maximum, pitching to a safe attitude to regain flight path, and stabilizing the airplane. Any instruction from ATC that asks the pilot to take control inputs that oppose that recovery actions can disrupt the maneuver, confuse the crew, and jeopardize safe recovery. So the most important thing to avoid is issuing control instructions that contradict what the pilot is doing to recover from the wind shear.

Instead, provide clear wind-shear alerts, keep separation, and offer support that doesn’t interfere with the pilot’s required actions. Heading changes, if needed, should be coordinated and non-disruptive to the recovery profile.