Pilot / Controller Communications in Emergency Situations
In an emergency, the flightcrew and the controller should adopt a clear and concise communications pattern, as suggested hereafter.
Flight crew
The standard ICAO phraseology Pan Pan – Pan Pan – Pan Pan or Mayday – Mayday – Mayday (i.e., depending on the criticality of the prevailing condition) should be used to alert the controller and trigger an appropriate response.
Controllers
Controllers should recognize that, when faced with an emergency situation, the flight crew’s most important needs are:
.
Time;

.
Airspace; and,

.
Quiet.

The controller’s response to the emergency situation could be patterned after the ASSIST memory aid, proposed below:
. Acknowledge :
.  Ensure that the reported emergency is well understood and acknowledged.

. Separate :
.  Establish and maintain separation with other traffic and/or terrain.

. Silence :
.  Impose silence on your control frequency, if necessary; and,
.  Do not delay or disturb urgent cockpit action by unnecessary transmissions.

Effective Pilot / Controller Communications
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.  Inform :
.  Inform your supervisor and other sectors, units and airports, as appropriate.

.  Support :
.  Provide maximum support to the flight crew.

.  Time :
.  Allows flight crew sufficient time to manage the emergency situation.

Awareness and Training Program
A company awareness and training program on pilot / controller communications should involve both ATC personnel and pilots (e.g., during meetings and simulator sessions) to promote a mutual understanding of each other’s working environment, including:
.  
Modern flight decks (e.g., FMS reprogramming) and ATC equipment (e.g., elimination of primary returns such as weather returns on synthetic radar displays);

.  
Operational requirements (e.g., aircraft deceleration characteristics, performance, limitations); and,

.  
Procedures (e.g., SOPs) and practices (e.g., CRM).

Special emphasis should be placed on pilot / controller communications and task management during emergency situations.
Summary of Key Points
Although achieving effective pilot / controller communications requires a global approach, the importance of the following key points should be emphasized:
.  
Understanding of pilots and controllers respective working environments and constraints;

.  
Disciplined use of standard phraseology;

.  
Strict adherence to the pilot / controller communication loop (i.e., confirmation / correction process);

                                                                                       Getting to Grips with                                            Approach-and-Landing Accidents Reduction

.  
Alertness to request clarification or confirmation, when in doubt;

.  
Readiness to question an incorrect clearance or an inadequate instruction;
　
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