Exercise D · for US student pilots
Emergencies
PAN-PAN and MAYDAY in the AIM format, radio failure, and getting help when lost.
Worked here at Palo Alto (KPAO). In the app the same prompts use your own home airport and call sign.
Prompt 1 of 5
You are 8 miles south of Palo Alto at 2,000 feet, heading 360, a Cessna 152 with just you on board. The engine is running rough but still producing power. Make the appropriate call to NorCal Approach.
What the AIM says: AIM 6-3-1/6-3-2: an urgency call — PAN-PAN three times, the station, identification and type, nature, intentions and request (priority to Palo Alto), position and heading, altitude. Not a MAYDAY while the engine is producing power.Prompt 2 of 5
Same position. The engine has now failed completely and you are committing to a field. Make your distress call.
What the AIM says: MAYDAY three times, station, identification and type, nature, intentions, position and heading, altitude, fuel remaining in MINUTES, number of people on board; squawk 7700 if unable to reach the facility (AIM 6-3-2 a 3). Fly first — say what you can.Prompt 3 of 5
Inbound to Palo Alto you have called the tower twice with no reply and suspect your receiver has failed. Your transmitter may still work. Make the call.
What the AIM says: AIM 4-2-13 a 1: advise the tower of type, position, altitude and intention to land, and request light signals — transmitting blind ('transmitting in the blind'). Remain outside the Class D until the traffic flow is determined; then watch the tower.Prompt 4 of 5
The landmarks do not match your chart and you are unsure of your position. You are working NorCal Approach. Ask for help.
What the AIM says: Say you are unsure of position, give your last known position and time, heading, altitude and fuel in minutes, and request assistance — a vector or a position. If it is becoming urgent, PAN-PAN. Radar assistance to VFR aircraft is available on request (AIM 4-1-17).Prompt 5 of 5
You hear another aircraft transmit a MAYDAY on 121.3 and the facility does not appear to have heard it. Relay it to NorCal Approach.
What the AIM says: AIM 6-3-1 g: any station aware that a distress message was not received attempts to help. Relay: 'MAYDAY relay' (or state you are relaying), the distressed aircraft's identification and what was said, then your own identification.
What this exercise is graded against
| Call or readback | Graded against |
|---|---|
| Urgency call: PAN-PAN three times and the message order | AIM 6-3-1 c; 6-3-2 a 3 |
| Distress call: MAYDAY three times, fuel in minutes, people on board, 7700 | AIM 6-3-1 c; 6-3-2 a 2, a 3; P/CG: FUEL REMAINING |
| Receiver failure inbound to a towered airport, requesting light signals | AIM 4-2-13 a 1 |
| Unsure of position: requesting radar assistance, PAN-PAN if urgent | AIM 4-1-17; 6-3-1 c |
| Relaying another aircraft's MAYDAY | AIM 6-3-1 gunverified |
Now say them to a controller
Push-to-talk, at your airport, with today’s altimeter. The AI controller answers and the grader tells you what the AIM says about each call.
Prompts and notes are written in our own words from the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (Change 3, 7/9/26) and the Pilot/Controller Glossary, with paragraph references. Frequencies are from the FAA NASR data and are for training only. Study aid; not approved or endorsed by the FAA. Always defer to the AIM, current FAA publications, your instructor and your examiner.