Emergency / Urgency calls

[bruce]

Listening to pilots both RW ATC & on PE I have yet to hear anyone make a "PAN" call. Many have declared an emergency on losing an engine & requesting vectors back to the field without the relevant prefix to their message, is this correct procedure?

My thinking is that any incident requiring an emergency/urgency call should be correctly prefixed MAYDAY or PAN.

Why the reluctance or have I missed something?

[sronayne96]

I've had a couple of emergencies while flying on PE and I have declared 'MAYDAY' before stating what my emergency was/my intentions. In terms of the 'PAN' call I've never heard it declared live on either PE or Real World but I did some work experience in the Air Accident Investigation Unit Of Ireland (AAIU) a while back and I did come across accident/incident reports that stated that a 'PAN' call was made. From what I've read, they often become a full 'MAYDAY' depending on the development of the situation. Whether or not the relevant prefix is a requirement or not I'm not sure. However I've always thought that it is procedure to say the prefix.

[Kevin_atc]

As far as I'm aware, saying MAYDAY and PAN PAN are more common internationally. I'm not sure what the AIM says about this, but the 7110.65 (The FAA ATC handbook) does talk about MAYDAY and PAN PAN as well as the differences between them. However, it seems as though in the US from what I have heard on liveatc and from watching documentaries that pilots tend to simply state they are declaring an emergency rather than going through the MAYDAY or PAN PAN calls.

[sronayne96]

That's interesting. It seems to be just another slight difference between US and international aviation. Sort of like saying 'point' instead of 'decimal' and the QNH being in inches of mercury as opposed to hectopascals.

[bruce]

Interesting, I would suggest that it is bad practice not to use the appropriate prefix as its use not only alerts ATC but all other a/c on freq. that an a/c has some sort of problem & therefore should be given radio priority. Without its use their predicament could easily be missed or misunderstood as per this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sQuHnrJu1I

I also found this in the FAA bible

Chapter 10. Emergencies

Section 1. General

10-1-1. EMERGENCY DETERMINATIONS

a. An emergency can be either a Distress or an Urgency condition as defined in the “Pilot/Controller Glossary.”

b. A pilot who encounters a Distress condition should declare an emergency by beginning the initial communication with the word “Mayday,” preferably repeated three times. For an Urgency condition, the word “Pan-Pan” should be used in the same manner.

[sronayne96]

Yeah, I kinda had a feeling it would be down as proper procedure somewhere.

[Anthony Santanastaso]

Yeah, I kinda had a feeling it would be down as proper procedure somewhere.

Be careful how you determine proper procedure. If you look more carefully at JO 7110.65, you will see the repetition of the word "should." As defined by the order, "should" means a procedure is recommended, not mandatory. Furthermore, what was not excerpted above were items C and D which discuss how to handle situations when either "MAYDAY" or "PAN" are not mentioned. In essence, controllers are directed to treat the situation as an emergency whenever their is doubt.

Here is an excerpt from the same chapter referenced above:

Because of the infinite variety of possible emergency situations, specific procedures cannot be prescribed. However, when you believe an emergency exists or is imminent, select and pursue a course of action which appears to be most appropriate under the circumstances and which most nearly conforms to the instructions in this manual.

Why, then, use "MAYDAY" or "PAN" if it isn't a mandatory procedure? After looking back at the AIM, Chapter 6 Section 3 provides the answer to this question.

In brief, these terms are not necessarily used to alert ATC; rather, they are used to alert other pilots on frequency to maintain radio silence and to not interfere with urgency transmissions.

AIM 6-3-1

d. Distress communications have absolute priority over all other communications, and the word MAYDAY commands radio silence on the frequency in use. Urgency communications have priority over all other communications except distress, and the word PAN-PAN warns other stations not to interfere with urgency transmissions.

On a quiet frequency, it may not be necessary to say "MAYDAY" or "PAN" since there may not be other traffic to alert. As long as ATC acknowledges the emergency situation, as per item F in AIM 6-3-1, then the point has come across that the pilot needs assistance and they will hence forth receive it.

[sronayne96]

Thanks for clarifying that Anthony. I was never quite sure whether it was mandatory or not but I was pretty sure it would be in there somewhere. I personally thing it should be said as it is a recommended procedure but at the end of the day I'm not sure how much difference, if any, it would make. However if I was flying and an aircraft on frequency declared a MAYDAY or PAN-PAN I think that would certainly get my attention much quicker than a pilot who simply says what his problem is and then declares an emergency, because at that stage I've probably zoned out having not heard my own callsign.

[bruce]

"Should": must I, should I?
Agree not obligatory BUT "should " be used for all the reasons stated

Mr S qouted

"Here is an excerpt from the same chapter referenced above:

Because of the infinite variety of possible emergency situations, specific procedures cannot be prescribed. However, when you believe an emergency exists or is imminent, select and pursue a course of action which appears to be most appropriate under the circumstances and which most nearly conforms to the instructions in this manual."

Perhaps that paragraph is more referring to types of occurance rather than message format eg. whether you should make a Distress call / Urgency call or even neither of these for one mans Distress is another's Urgency etc & I guess is directly related to the pilots experience.

I think the confusion in the You Tube clip above would not have arisen had the "should" been followed.

I'm curious to know what flight schools teach/recommend their students to do!

All good stuff!!!!!