Which of the following is a mandatory ATC report?

• A. Reaching holding fix
• B. Missed approach
• C. Leaving holding fix
• D. ETA +/- 3 mins (outside radar)

Answer: (D)

When you’re operating under IFR and you’re outside radar coverage, ATC relies on pilots to provide position and progress information that the controller can’t derive visually. The most important of these is reporting your estimated time of arrival at a designated fix within a three-minute window. This specific timing requirement exists precisely because you’re not being watched by radar, so giving ATC an ETA within ±3 minutes helps them sequence traffic and maintain separation safely.

The other reports are situational rather than universal requirements. Reaching or leaving a holding fix are reports you’d make in conjunction with being in a published hold or following specific ATC instructions, but they aren’t mandated in every non-radar scenario. A missed approach is something you execute when the clearance requires it, and you’ll notify ATC accordingly, but the standard non-radar reporting rule highlighted here is the ETA within ±3 minutes at a fix.