Urgency Communications

Urgency Signal

The urgency signal indicates that the station calling has a very urgent message to
transmit concerning the safety of an aircraft, ship or other vehicle, or the safety of a person.

The urgency signal is "PAN PAN" spoken three times. It should be used at the
beginning of the first communication.

The urgency signal and the urgency message may be addressed to all stations or to a
specific station.

Priority

        The urgency signal has priority over all other communications except distress.
Stations that hear only the urgency signal shall continue to listen for at least three
minutes on the frequency on which the signal is heard. After that, if no urgency message
has been heard, stations may resume normal service. All stations that hear the urgency
signal must take care not to interfere with the urgency message which follows it. Stations
that are in communication on frequencies other than those used for the transmission of
the urgency message, may continue normal work without interruption, provided that the
urgency message is not addressed to all stations.

Frequencies to Be Used

The first transmission of the urgency call and message by an aircraft should be made on the
air-ground frequency in use at the time. If the aircraft is unable to establish communication on the
frequency in use, the urgency call and message should be repeated on the aeronautical emergency
frequency (121.5 MHz) or any other frequency available in an effort to establish communication with
any ground or other aircraft station.

Urgency Message

The urgency signal shall be followed by a message giving further information of the incident that
necessitated the use of the urgency signal. When the urgency message does not contain a specific
address and is acknowledged by an aircraft or aeronautical ground station, that station shall forward
the information to the appropriate authorities (air traffic control and search and rescue organizations).
The urgency message should contain as many as required of the following elements and, if possible,
in the following order:

1. the urgency signal "PAN PAN" (three times);

2. the name of the station addressed or the words "ALL STATIONS" (three times);

3. the words "THIS IS";

4. the identification of the aircraft;

5. the nature of the urgency condition;

6. the intentions of the person in command;

7. the present position, the flight level or the altitude and the heading;

8. any other useful information.

Example:        PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN

ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS

THIS IS

CESSNA FOXTROT NOVEMBER JULIETT INDIA

POSITION: UNKNOWN

AIRSPEED: 112 KNOTS

ALTITUDE: 1050 FEET

LOST, REQUEST RADAR CHECK

CESSNA FOXTROT NOVEMBER JULIETT INDIA

OVER

Example of reply:

PAN PAN

CESSNA FOXTROT NOVEMBER JULIETT INDIA

THIS IS WINNIPEG TOWER

YOUR POSITION IS 20 MILES SOUTH OF WINNIPEG

WINNIPEG TOWER

STANDING BY

AIM - COM 5. 11 - Emergency Communications

General

An emergency condition is classified in accordance with the degree of danger or
hazard present.

(a)        Distress is a situation when safety is being threatened by grave and imminent
            danger and requires immediate assistance. The spoken word for distress is
            MAYDAY and is pronounced 3 times.

(b)       Urgency is a situation where the safety of an aircraft or other vehicle, or of
            some person on board or within sight is threatened, but does not require
            immediate assistance. The spoken word for urgency is PANPAN and is
            pronounced 3 times.

The first transmission of the distress call and message by an aircraft should be on the
air-to-ground frequency in use at the time. If the aircraft is unable to establish
communication on the frequency in use, the distress call and message should be
repeated on the general calling and distress frequency (3023.5 kHz or 121.5 MHz), or
any other frequency available, such as 2182 kHz and 5680 kHz, in an effort to
establish communications with any ground or other aircraft station.

The distress call shall have absolute priority over all other transmissions. All stations
hearing it shall immediately cease any transmission which may interfere with it and
shall listen on the frequency used for the distress call.

Example of a Distress Message from an Aircraft:

MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, THIS IS CFZXY, CFZXY, CFZXY, FIVE
ZERO MILES SOUTH OF YELLOWKNIFE AT ONE SEVEN TWO FIVE
ZULU, FOUR THOUSAND, NORSEMAN, ICING, WILL ATTEMPT CRASH
LANDING ON ICE, CFZXY, OVER.

Example of An Urgency Message Addressed to All Stations:

PANPAN, PANPAN, PANPAN, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL
STATIONS, THIS IS TIMMINS RADIO, TIMMINS RADIO, TIMMINS
RADIO, EMERGENCY DESCENT AT TIMMINS AIRPORT, ATC
INSTRUCTS ALL AIRCRAFT BELOW SIX THOUSAND FEET WITHIN
RADIUS OF ONE ZERO MILES OF TIMMINS NDB LEAVE EAST AND
NORTH COURSES IMMEDIATELY, THIS IS TIMMINS RADIO OUT.

Emergency procedures are contained in RAC and SAR sections of A.I.P. Canada.

Satellite Voice

INMARSAT, in conjunction with ICAO, has developed a telephone numbering plan to
facilitate use by Air Traffic Services (ATS) of satellite voice calls from suitably
equipped aircraft as an additional backup to the existing primary air-to-ground
facilities. A unique number is assigned to each Flight Information Region (FIR) which
may be used only by aircraft using the satellite network. When the unique number is
received from an aircraft by a Ground Earth Station, it is converted and the call is
routed to the appropriate ATS unit.

The INMARSAT numbers for Canadian FIRs, which are to be used for non-routine
flight safety calls only, are:
 

AIM - SAR 4. 1 - Declaring an Emergency

An emergency condition is classified in accordance with the degree of danger or
hazard being experienced, as follows:

Distress:     A condition of being threatened by serious and/or imminent danger and
                  requiring immediate assistance.

Urgency:    A condition concerning the safety of an aircraft or other vehicle, or of some
                  person on board or within sight, which does not require immediate assistance.

The radiotelephone distress signal MAYDAY and the radiotelephone urgency signal
PAN PAN must be used at the commencement of the first distress and urgency
communication, respectively, and, if considered necessary, at the commencement of
any subsequent communication.