After an unscheduled outage, aerial patrols are typically used to locate problems such as broken insulators, leaning structures, and clearance problems.

• A. They are not used in this case
• B. Only broken insulators
• C. Only clearance problems
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

After an unscheduled outage, aerial patrols are used to quickly survey the line for a range of problems that could have caused the outage or pose safety risks. From the air you can spot broken or damaged insulators, structures that have leaned or shifted, and clearance problems such as vegetation or objects encroaching on the right of way. Any of these issues can contribute to outages or create new faults, so a comprehensive view is essential. Because the situation could involve more than one issue at once, the best choice is the one that covers all of the above. This approach ensures nothing in the inspection is missed, which helps speed repairs and improve reliability and safety.