Almost became a statistic tonight

SpiraMirabilis said:
I always thought it was pan-pan, pan-pan, pan-pan.
Click to expand...

AIM 6-3-1 describes the usage (golly the AIM is useful sometimes):rolleyes:

If Wikipedia can be believed:

...In radiotelephone communications, a call of pan-pan<sup id="cite_ref-TCMS_0-0" class="reference">[1]</sup> (pronounced /ˈpæn ˈpæn/) is used to signify that there is an urgency on board a boat, ship, aircraft or other vehicle but that, for the time being at least, there is no immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel itself.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference">[2]</sup> This is referred to as a state of urgency. This is distinct from a Mayday call, which means that there is imminent danger to life or to the continued viability of the vessel itself.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference">[3]</sup> Thus 'pan-pan' will inform potential rescuers (including emergency services and other craft in the area) that a safety problem exists whereas 'mayday' will call upon them to drop all other activities and immediately initiate a rescue attempt.

...The correct usage is "Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan", followed by the intended recipient of the message, either "All Stations, All Stations, All Stations" or a specific station, "Vancouver Coast Guard Radio, Vancouver Coast Guard Radio, Vancouver Coast Guard Radio", the identification of the craft, its position, the nature of the problem and the type of assistance or advice required, if any.<sup id="cite_ref-TCMS_0-1" class="reference">[1]</sup> An equivalent Morse code signal used to be X X X, with each letter sent distinctly.

...The call was used during the urgent emergency landing requests sent as a result of the electrical fire which was to destroy Swissair Flight 111. Also, in the wake of Avianca Flight 52, the call is frequently used to denote situations where fuel is getting low for given conditions, but not yet at a critical emergency state.
 
Glad you are alright. Wow Brainard to Nebraska in a 140?? That's a hell of a trip.

=J-
 
Great write-up, thanks for sharing! You should submit it to FLYING mag and see if they'll pay ya to publish it in their "I learned about flying from that" section.
 
Thankfully you made that decision not to go into the clouds in that aircraft. That one decision probably saved your life. Glad everything worked out and kudos for sharing the story.
 
RICHARD5 said:
JRH, I commend you for confessing your predicament. I congratulate you for posting it here. It's a hard thing to portray yourself to your peers in this way. I think you've shown a great level of maturity in how you've handled the whole thing. Thank you for sharing your story.
Click to expand...

:yeahthat: Congrats for recognizing and stopping the accident chain, and thanks for being brave enough to share the experience with others. Glad to hear you're ok...and don't forget that ASRS form!

http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/
 
Hey, so I was wondering if i am wrong...
I thought ARTCC,TRACON,towers and FSS all monitored 121.5. Isn't that right?

Am I wrong? If Air Canada could hear and then give a good freq to you, why shouldn't/couldn't Minneapolis Center call you directly back on 121.5.

If they can't/won't I think I will start listening to guard more.
 
Wow, that story kinda made my heart skip. Those kinds of stories make me super nervous to read. Glad you made the smart choice to ask for help and you're okay.
 
Sounds like a good article for "Never Again"........

Thanks for sharing - if it can happen to someone with such experience it can happen to anyone........

BP244
 

He did get in contact with center at that altitude, did he not?
121.5
127.1
Alt shouldn't make a difference.
 
Douglas said:
He did get in contact with center at that altitude, did he not?
121.5
127.1
Alt shouldn't make a difference.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had good radio and radar contact with Center, even at 500 AGL. It really surprised me, actually.

I was quite a ways out from any towers or approach controls though. Probably at least 50 or 60 miles to the nearest towered airport. Maybe everyone except ARTCCs monitor Guard? I don't know.

Sounds like a good question for the ATC forum.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top