Emergency, abnormal, and urgency communications
This section covers emergency, abnormal and urgency communications: how to distinguish distress from urgency, what to transmit, and how to keep the message short and useful.
Core rules
- Distress means grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance. Use “MAYDAY” three times. Urgency means a condition concerning safety but not requiring immediate distress action; use “PAN-PAN” three times.
- A distress message should include callsign, nature of emergency, intentions, position, altitude, persons on board and fuel remaining. Give the most critical items first.
- Squawk 7700 for a general emergency if able and if it does not conflict with a more specific code.
- Cancel distress or urgency communications when the situation is resolved, using the appropriate phrase and notifying ATC.
- Abnormal communications include requests for priority, routing to the nearest suitable aerodrome, or advice of equipment malfunction.
Worked example
“MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY, 5N-ABC, Cessna 172, engine failure, 10 nm north of LOS, 4,500 ft, two persons on board, attempting forced landing.” This is distress because an engine failure creates imminent danger. The message gives identification, nature, position, altitude, persons and intention in a form ATC can act on immediately.
Traps
Using PAN-PAN for a genuine distress condition; omitting position or intentions; forgetting to squawk 7700; and failing to cancel the emergency after landing safely.