Emergencies: MAYDAY and PAN-PAN

(Emergency Procedures)

If you are in real difficulty, waste no time asking for help, but in the right order.

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate

Fly the aeroplane, point it somewhere safe, then make the call. The radio cannot stall, but you can.

You can alert others two ways, often together: a voice message (on the frequency in use, or the emergency frequency 121·5 MHz) and a squawk 7700 on the transponder, which flags you visually and aurally on radar.