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Aviation vocabulary · Emergencies & Abnormal Situations

Pan-pan

Meaning in aviation, with examples

phraseCommon term

In aviation, pan-pan means: The international radio urgency call, used when there is a problem that affects safety but does not need immediate help. It is said three times.

In Turkish: aciliyet çağrısı, pan-pan çağrısı

How it is used

Used, for example, for a sick passenger, a minor technical failure or uncertainty about position. It is one step below Mayday. The call starts 'Pan-pan, pan-pan, pan-pan', followed by the call sign and the problem.

Example sentences

  1. Pan-pan, pan-pan, pan-pan, Fastair 345, we have a sick passenger and request priority landing.

  2. The crew declared pan-pan after one of the hydraulic systems failed.

Common collocations

  • declare pan-pan
  • pan-pan call
  • pan-pan medical
  • upgrade to Mayday
  • MaydayThe international radio distress call, used when an aircraft or ship is in grave and immediate danger and needs help at once. It is said three times.
  • medical emergencyA sudden, serious health problem on board, such as a heart problem, breathing difficulty or loss of consciousness, that needs urgent care.
  • squawkTo set a four-digit code on the aircraft's transponder so that controllers can identify it on radar. As a noun, the code itself.
  • divertTo fly to a different airport from the planned destination, for example because of bad weather, a medical emergency or a technical problem.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Emergencies & Abnormal Situations

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