1. AIRCRAFT HANDLING
Part 8
Aircraft Emergencies

2. Emergencies Emergencies can occur in flight at any time
and without warning.
Therefore it is vital that all aircrew
have a full knowledge of distress action,
so that their response to any emergency
is swift and thorough.

3. Emergency Transmissions
Two degrees of aircraft emergency
are recognised internationally:
Urgency and Distress
Urgency – a message concerning the safety
of persons or the aircraft.
Distress – the aircraft is threatened by
serious or imminent danger
and is in need of immediate assistance.

4. Emergency Transmissions
The pilot communicates with ATC by
Radio Telephony - Wireless Telegraphy
Each emergency message having its
own pro-word and pro-sign to alert ATC:
Urgency
R/T – ‘Pan, Pan, Pan’
W/T – XXX XXX XXX
Distress
R/T – ‘Mayday, Mayday, Mayday’
W/T – SOS SOS SOS

5. Emergency Transmissions
The emergency message should include
as much of the following information as possible:
(1) Position And Time
(2) Heading And Air Speed
(3) Altitude
(4) Type of Aircraft
(5) Nature of Emergency
(6) Intentions of Captain
(7) Endurance Remaining
PAT HAS ATNIE

6. Emergency Procedures Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR)
is used to indicate an emergency.
Air Traffic Control give a four digit code
which the pilot enters into an instrument
on the flight deck.
This code enables the aircraft
to be positively identified
on the controllers radar screen
(with the aircraft’s callsign and height readout).

7. Emergency Procedures In the event of a total radio failure,
the pilot will enter the code 7600
to alert ATC to the problem.
If an emergency occurs
when in contact with an ATC agency,
the SSR code already set
should remain in use
unless advised otherwise by ATC.
In all other cases the transponder
should be set to code 7700.

8. Emergency Procedures Final Transmission When ditching, crash landing
or abandonment is imminent,
the aircraft callsign should be transmitted and,
where possible,
the transmit control switch
should be left in the transmit position.
For W/T
the key should be clamped
in the transmit position.

9. Emergency Procedures The pilot of an aircraft with radio problems
can alert ATC by flying a triangular pattern.
If only the transmitter
has failed,
the pilot will fly
an equilateral triangle
to the right.

10. Emergency Procedures The pilot of an aircraft with radio problems
can alert ATC by flying a triangular pattern.
If both the transmitter
and receiver have failed,
he will fly
an equilateral triangle
to the left.

11. Fixer Services Within the U.K. a network of stations provide
an emergency fixer service.
If a pilot is in contact with an ATC agency
when an emergency occurs,
he should transmit his emergency call
on the frequency in use.
If not in contact, he should transmit
the emergency call on MHz.
with MHz as a back-up frequency,
or on the HF frequency of 500 KHz.

12. Fixer Services Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT)
is a satellite aided system
for search and rescue.
Inadvertent transmissions,
particularly on 243 MHz,
should be reported immediately
to the appropriate ATCC
in order to avoid wasting search and rescue
effort on false alarms.

13. Other Aircraft Visual emergencies with other aircraft
Keep aircraft in sight
Guide in any other aircraft, vessels or vehicles
Contact ground controller
Captain to comply with special instructions
from ground controller

14. Other Aircraft Radio emergencies with other aircraft
Take bearing on transmission
& plot position if possible
Listen out on appropriate frequencies
If no acknowledgement is heard, call aircraft
Listen out for instructions from ground control
At captains discretion,
proceed to emergency location

15. Emergency Organisations
ATCC Distress & Diversion Cell
Aircraft in distress may make contact
with an ATCC or ATCRU by:
transmitting an emergency message
on the frequency in use,
transmitting on the emergency frequency
by a relay transmission from another aircraft,
by flying the triangular patterns.

16. Emergency Organisations
ATCC Distress & Diversion Cell
When the ATCC has identified
an aircraft in distress,
executive authority
for the handling of the emergency
is passed to
the Emergency Controller
in the ATCC Distress and Diversion Cell.

17. Emergency Organisations
Search & Rescue Services
Emergency controller will advise
the Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC)
(2 x RCC in UK, Plymouth & Edinburgh)
The RCC co-ordinates the activities
of all SAR facilities which may include:
SAR helicopters, lifeboats,
long range maritime patrol aircraft,
mountain rescue teams
and police and ambulance services.

18. Emergency and Distress
Check Understanding
What are the two degrees of aircraft emergency which are internationally accepted?
Distress and Urgency
Urgency and Emergency
Emergency and Distress
Distress and Mayday

19. Check Understanding In an aircraft distress message,
what pro-word is used?
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
Pan, Pan, Pan
SOS SOS SOS
Emergency, Emergency, Emergency

20. Check Understanding When using secondary surveillance radar,
what code indicates a total radio failure?
7900
7700
7600
7400

21. Check Understanding What is the frequency 243 MHz
used within the UK to provide?
A UHF fixer service
An SSR emergency frequency
An HF fixer service
A VHF emergency frequency

22. Check Understanding What is the meaning of SARSAT? Search and Recovery
Satellite Aided Tracking.
Search and Rescue
Satellite Aided Tracking.
Search and Rescue
System and Technology.
Search and Recovery
Satellite Aided Technology

23. Check Understanding If a pilot has a failed transmitter and receiver,
in which direction should he fly
an equilateral triangle?
To the right
Right to left
To the left
Clockwise

24. AIRCRAFT HANDLING
End of Presentation