Distress, Urgency and Emergency Communications
Core concepts
Distress and urgency communications use standard prefixes: MAYDAY for distress (grave and imminent danger), PAN PAN for urgency (urgent but not immediate danger). You must know the frequencies: 121.5 MHz for emergency. Key concepts: distress call format: MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, station called, callsign, nature of distress, intentions, position, altitude, fuel, persons on board. Urgency call: PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN, station called, callsign, nature of urgency, intentions. Traps: using MAYDAY for non-life-threatening situations; forgetting to state position and intentions; not cancelling distress when safe; using 'pan-pan' for distress. Also, know the phrase 'radio silence' and 'stop transmitting, MAYDAY'. Worked example: 'MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, Brunei Tower, Cessna Five Six Alpha Bravo, engine failure, attempting forced landing, position five miles north of Brunei VOR, altitude three thousand feet, two persons on board.' Rule of thumb: use MAYDAY only when there is grave and imminent danger; otherwise use PAN PAN.
Key points
- MAYDAY for distress; PAN PAN for urgency.
- Include position, nature, intentions, persons on board.
- Use 121.5 MHz for emergency.
- Cancel distress when safe.
- Maintain radio silence during distress.