Secondary airport departures: If the requested altitude cannot be issued to aircraft operating in sector 66 airspace, what must be done?

• A. Forward the requested altitude to D12 without any change
• B. Amend altitude to the sector stop altitude and forward the requested altitude to the next intrafacility sector
• C. Maintain the assigned altitude and do not forward
• D. Request a new altitude from the pilot

Answer: (B)

When a requested altitude cannot be issued within a sector, you must apply the sector stop altitude for that sector and still pass along the original altitude request to the next intrafacility sector. This ensures safety by staying within the sector’s limits while maintaining continuity of the pilot’s request for coordination with the next controller. It avoids giving the aircraft an altitude outside what the sector can accommodate and keeps the downstream sector informed so they can continue to attempt to meet the pilot’s request as conditions allow. Forwarding the requested altitude to the next sector while issuing the sector stop altitude now provides the proper context for future clearance and prevents unnecessary delays or confusion.