Distress and Urgency

There are two main degrees of emergency communicated by radio:

• MAYDAY — Distress
• PAN PAN — Urgency

MAYDAY — Distress

A distress condition exists when an aircraft is threatened by serious and/or imminent danger and requires immediate assistance.

Examples may include:

• engine failure;
• engine fire;
• serious structural damage; or
• any other situation involving immediate danger to the aircraft or occupants.

MAYDAY Call

The distress signal is:

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.”

Time and circumstances permitting, the message should then contain:

• station being called;
• aircraft callsign;
• nature of the distress;
• pilot's intentions;
• position;
• altitude; and
• heading.

Example

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, Napier Tower, ZK-ABC, engine failure, making a forced landing, five miles south of Napier, 2000 feet, heading north.”

Do not delay flying the aircraft in order to complete every part of the message. Give as much useful information as circumstances permit.

Transponder

In a distress situation, select:

7700 — Emergency

unless circumstances or ATC instructions dictate otherwise.

PAN PAN — Urgency

An urgency condition concerns the safety of:

• an aircraft;
• another vehicle;
• a person on board; or
• a person within sight,