Obtaining Emergency Assistance — AIM 6-3-2 Explained

AIM Text

A pilot in any distress or urgency condition should immediately take the following action, not necessarily in the order listed, to obtain assistance:
1. Climb, if possible, for improved communications, and better radar and direction finding detection. However, it must be understood that unauthorized climb or descent under IFR conditions within controlled airspace is prohibited, except as permitted by 14 CFR section 91.3(b).
2. If equipped with a radar beacon transponder (civil) or IFF/SIF (military):
  1. Continue squawking assigned Mode A/3 discrete code/VFR code and Mode C altitude encoding when in radio contact with an air traffic facility or other agency providing air traffic services, unless instructed to do otherwise.
  2. If unable to immediately establish communications with an air traffic facility/agency, squawk Mode A/3, Code 7700/Emergency and Mode C.
3. Transmit a distress or urgency message consisting of as many as necessary of the following elements, preferably in the order listed:
  1. If distress, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAY-DAY; if urgency, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN.
  2. Name of station addressed.
  3. Aircraft identification and type.
  4. Nature of distress or urgency.
  5. Weather.
  6. Pilots intentions and request.
  7. Present position, and heading; or if lost, last known position, time, and heading since that position.
  8. Altitude or flight level.
  9. Fuel remaining in minutes.
  10. Number of people on board.
  11. Any other useful information.
    
    REFERENCE-
    
    Pilot/Controller Glossary Term- Fuel Remaining.
After establishing radio contact, comply with advice and instructions received. Cooperate. Do not hesitate to ask questions or clarify instructions when you do not understand or if you cannot comply with clearance. Assist the ground station to control communications on the frequency in use. Silence interfering radio stations. Do not change frequency or change to another ground station unless absolutely necessary. If you do, advise the ground station of the new frequency and station name prior to the change, transmitting in the blind if necessary. If two-way communications cannot be established on the new frequency, return immediately to the frequency or station where two-way communications last existed.
When in a distress condition with bailout, crash landing or ditching imminent, take the following additional actions to assist search and rescue units:
1. Time and circumstances permitting, transmit as many as necessary of the message elements in subparagraph a3 above, and any of the following that you think might be helpful:
  1. ELT status.
  2. Visible landmarks.
  3. Aircraft color.
  4. Number of persons on board.
  5. Emergency equipment on board.
2. Actuate your ELT if the installation permits.
3. For bailout, and for crash landing or ditching if risk of fire is not a consideration, set your radio for continuous transmission.
4. If it becomes necessary to ditch, make every effort to ditch near a surface vessel. If time permits, an FAA facility should be able to get the position of the nearest commercial or Coast Guard vessel from a Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center.
5. After a crash landing, unless you have good reason to believe that you will not be located by search aircraft or ground teams, it is best to remain with your aircraft and prepare means for signaling search aircraft.

Source: FAA Aeronautical Information Manual · current edition · paragraph 6-3-2.

The short answer

This AIM section is FAA advisory guidance on the actions a pilot in distress or urgency should take to obtain assistance: climb for better communications and detection, set the transponder, transmit a MAYDAY or PAN-PAN distress/urgency message, and prepare for bailout, crash landing, or ditching. It supports the pilot-in-command emergency authority in 14 CFR 91.3(b).

Research Notes

Common Questions

What do you say in a MAYDAY radio call?

The AIM advises a distress message begin with MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY (or PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN for urgency), followed as needed by the station addressed, aircraft identification and type, nature of the distress, weather, intentions and request, present position and heading, altitude or flight level, fuel remaining in minutes, and number of people on board.

What transponder code should I squawk in an emergency if I can't reach ATC?

Per this AIM guidance, if you cannot immediately establish communications with an air traffic facility, squawk Mode A/3 Code 7700/Emergency with Mode C altitude encoding. If already in contact, continue the assigned discrete code and Mode C unless instructed otherwise.

After a crash landing, should I stay with the aircraft?

The AIM recommends that after a crash landing, unless you have good reason to believe you will not be located by search aircraft or ground teams, it is best to remain with your aircraft and prepare means for signaling search aircraft. It also advises actuating your ELT and, for bailout or ditching where fire is not a risk, setting the radio for continuous transmission.

6-3-2. Obtaining Emergency Assistance