ATC EMERGENCY
The UK’S Department of Transport lists large passenger aircraft as the safest mode of transport between 2005 and 2015. But emergencies do happen. A pilot experiencing an issue usually begins communication with air traffic control with the word ‘mayday’, usually repeated three times. This mayday distress call trumps all other communications. In a non-lifethreatening urgent situation, ‘mayday’ is replaced with the word ‘pan-pan.’
ATC can use radar and computer systems to place a lock on aircraft in emergencies, denoting them from other craft with the label ‘EM’, short for ‘emergency’, so that the plane in distress can be quickly identified. An emergency frequency and even a second controller may be assigned to a plane in distress. Pilots will be asked for the nature of the emergency, the number of people aboard, the volume of fuel the plane is carrying and if rescue and firefighting vehicles are needed. This information helps coordinate an emergency response.