Distress

EXERCISE 1 Check that you remember all the phrases in this list.

*Port engine failed.	Левый двигатель отказал.
*Will attempt to land at your airport.	Попытаемся произвести посадку в вашем аэропорту.
Stop transmitting, Mayday.	Прекратите передачи, Бедствие.
*Cancel distress, engine restarted.	Отмените состояние бедствия, двигатель перезапущен.
Distress traffic ended.	Обмен бедствиями закончен.
*Emergency slides are released.	Аварийные трапы приготовлены.
*Request fire services and first-aid.	Просим пожарные службы и первую помощь.
Airport emergency assistance services will be notified.	Аварийные вспомогательные службы аэропорта будут оповещены.
*Making forced landing.	Производим вынужденную посадку.
*Cabin decompression, emergency descent.	Разгерметизация салона, аварийное снижение.
*We’re being hijacked, we are forced to divert to Tango.	На нас совершается нападение, нас вынуждают лететь в Tango.
*We have total electrical failure.	У нас полный отказ системы электропитания.
*Emergency descent due to depressurization.	Аварийное снижение из-за разгерметизации.
*Air conditioning system inoperative.	Не работает система кондиционирования воздуха.
*Cabin altitude rising fast.	Высота в кабине быстро поднимается.
*Fuel emergency.	Аварийный остаток топлива.

EXERCISE 2 Сheck that you understand all the words and phrases in this list. Look up any new words in an aviation dictionary or ask your teacher.

verify	sea ditching
hijacker	POB
hostages	emergency checklist procedure
emergency assistance	illuminated
pressure problem	no visible signs of fire
gear retraction	to threaten
imminent	insufficient fuel
airframe	incapacitated
precaution

² EXERCISE 3 Listen to the recorded dialogue.

P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY Hong Kong Approach CSN 303 port engine failed, will attempt to land at your airfield, %5 miles west of Charlie 8000 feet, heading 050.
C:	CSN 303 Hong Kong Approach roger MAYDAY, radar vectors to IGS runway 13, turn left heading 030 to CH and descend to 6000 feet. You’ll be number one.
P:	Left heading 030, descending to 6000 feet, IGS runway 13, CSN 303.
P:	Hong Kong Approach HAD 247.
C:	HAD 247 stop transmitting MAYDAY. Break break, all stations Hong Kong Approach stop transmitting MAYDAY.
P:	CSN 303 cancel distress, engine restarted.
C:	CSN 303 roger cancel MAYDAY, turn left heading 270 for IGS approach runway 13, report established.
P:	Left heading 270 IGS runway 13 CSN 303.
C:	All stations Hong Kong Approach distress traffic ended.
P:	Approach CSN 303 established localizer.
C:	CSN 303 contact Tower 118.7, good-day.
P:	118.7 CSN 303, good-day.
P:	Hong Kong Tower CSN 303 final.
C:	CSN 303 continue approach you are number one.
P:	CSN 303 outer marker.
C:	CSN 303 cleared to land.
P:	Cleared to land CSN 303.
P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY CSN 303 left engine on fire, emergency slides are released, request fire services and first-aid.
C:	CSN 303 roger MAYDAY, airport emergency assistance services will be notified.

EXERCISE 4 Make the back translation of the dialogue in EXERCISE 3 and read it in two.

² EXERCISE 5 Listen to the modal exchanges. Repeat the pilot’s words. Then practice the exchanges in two.

a	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY G-ABCD engine on fire, making forced landing 20km south of Beijing, passing 3000m, heading 030.
	C:	G-ABCD Beijing Tower roger MAYDAY.
b	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY Hong Kong Approach CSN 301 engine failed, will attempt to land at your field, 5 miles south of CH 6000 feet heading 360.
	C:	CSN 301 Hong Kong Approach roger MAYDAY, cleared IGS approach runway 13, you are number one.
c	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY Beijing Control CCA 981 cabin decompression, emergency descent to 3000m heading 120.
	C:	CCA 981 roger MAYDAY. Break break. All stations, emergency descent between PSN and VMB, all aircraft below 9000m between PSN and VMB leave A593 to the east immediately.
d	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY CSN 302 aborted take-off, engine on fire, request emergency assistance.
	C:	CSN 302 roger MAYDAY.
e	C:	All stations Hong Kong Tower, stop transmitting MAYDAY.
f	P:	Hong Kong Tower CSN 301 cancel distress, engine restarted runway in sight, request landing..
	C:	CSN 301 cleared to land.
	P:	Cleared to land CSN 301.
	C:	All stations, Hong Kong Tower distress traffic ended.
g	C:	CSN 303 verify squawking 7500.
	P:	Affirm, we’re being hijacked, we are forced to divert to Tango.
	C:	CSN 303 roger, any message we can pass on to Tango.
	P:	The hijacker wants a car waiting for him on the runway. He says he will keep two passengers as hostages.

² EXERCISE 6 Use the words or phrases below to replace the parts in italics in the sentences.

	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY JAL 396, we have a fire warning on the main gear, request emergency landing at your field, position 15 miles south of DAN, FL 180.
		Selection
		· we have fire in the hold · toilets on fire · wheel well fire warning is on · we have total electrical failure
	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY BAW 192, emergency descent due to depressurization, leaving FL 310 descending to FL 100. Position 40 miles east of LGD.
		Selection
		· rear cabin door opened · air conditioning system inoperative · cabin altitude rising fast · decompression

² EXERCISE 7 Complete the following pilot-controller exchanges. Then practice them in two.

	P:	_______________________________________________________
	C:	GCD roger MAYDAY, direct to J descend to 5000 feet.
	P:	_______________________________________________________
	P:	_______________________________________________________
	C:	GCD roger cancel distress, continue approach, you are number one.
	P:	_______________________________________________________
	C:	GCD roger. Break break. All stations, emergency descent between Alpha and Bravo, all aircraft below FL 330 between Alpha and Bravo

² EXERCISE 8 Fill in the blanks with what you hear from the recording.

	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY AFR 966 _________ distress call from DLH 124, DLH 124 has _________ emergency with 15 minutes _________, request _________ priority. The aircraft’s position _________ miles east at _________.
	C:	AFR 966 roger _________, break, break. DLH 124 cleared _________ runway 21 approach. You’ll be _________.
	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY UAL 248 number two engine on _________, we have to _________ to the nearest _________ for _________, advise which one is _________, position _________ west of _________ FL _________.
	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY TWA 216 wheel well on _________ during _________ retraction, we’re _________. Request emergency _________, position _________ north at _________.
	P:	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY HAD 571 emergency _________ to FL _________ due cabin _________, heading _________.
	P:	CCA 981 request _________ descent to _________ due to _________ problem.
	C:	CCA 981 _________ descent at _________ traffic at _________, QFE _________.
	P:	CCA 981 descending to _________ and maintain, request further _________ when available.

² EXERCISE 9 Listen to separate transmissions made by pilots of Eastern 2425 and Transtar 391. What problem did each aircraft experience? Why did one declare a MAYDAY but the other a PAN?

EXERCISE 10 Match the words in the left column with the definitions in the right column.

	Word		Definition
a	condition	____	risk or hazard
b	imminent	____	help
c	assistance	____	state or situation
d	on board	____	about to happen
e	danger	____	right now
f	immediate	____	on the aircraft

EXERCISE 11 Complete the two ICAO definitions of distress and urgency below using an appropriate word from the box.

condition	imminent
does not require	requiring
safety	assistance

Distress:

A __________ of being threatened by serious and/or __________ danger and of __________ immediate __________.

Urgency:

A condition concerning the __________of an aircraft or other vehicle, or some person on board or within sight, which __________ immediate assistance.

EXERCISE 12 Complete the sentences below with the expressions PAN PAN or MAYDAY.

a In situation of urgency, __________ shall be used in radiotelephony communications at the beginning of the urgency message.

b In situations of distress, __________ shall be used in radiotelephony communications at the beginning of the distress message.

EXERCISE 13 Put the following distress call in the correct order by writing 1 to 6 in the space provided. Then match each section of the transmission to the information in the right column.

	Order number	Distress Call		Information needed
a	______	Emergency descent, require immediate return for landing.	____	The nature of distress situation.
b	______	Present position, 45 miles north east of Honolulu, FL 230, heading 020 degrees, turning left for Honolulu.	____	Intentions of the person in command.
c	______	Ibisair 54, Airbus A330.	____	Name of station being addressed (if time allows).
d	______	MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY	____	Position, level and heading.
e	______	Honolulu Tower.	____	Distress signal spoken three times clearly.
f	______	Fire in the cabin.	____	Indication of the aircraft.

² EXERCISE 14 Listen to transmissions a to f, and tick the box according to whether the pilot makes a distress or urgency call.

a	¨	Distress	¨	Urgency
b	¨	Distress	¨	Urgency
c	¨	Distress	¨	Urgency
d	¨	Distress	¨	Urgency
e	¨	Distress	¨	Urgency
f	¨	Distress	¨	Urgency

² EXERCISE 15 Listen to transmissions a to f in EXERCISE 14 again and complete the table below.

Trans-mission	ATC station	Call sign	Problem	Inten-tions	Posi-tion	Level	Head-ing	Requests
a
b
c
d
e
f

² EXERCISE 16 Listen to the full exchanges between the pilots in EXERCISE 14, and ATC and answer the questions that follow.

a		What did the controller clear the pilot to do?
		What information did the controller give the pilot?
		What did the controller tell other aircraft in the area?
b		What did the controller clear the pilot to do?
		What information did the controller give the pilot?
c		What did the controller clear the pilot to do?
		What information did the controller give the pilot?
		What did the controller tell the pilot had been requested?
d		What TWO instructions did the controller give the pilot?
		What traffic information did the controller give the pilot?
e		What did the controller clear the pilot to do?
		What did the controller tell other aircraft in the area?
f		What information did the controller give the pilot?
		What TWO things did the controller want to confirm with the pilot?

EXERCISE 17 Match the definitions in the left column below to the other serious in-flight situations listed in the right column.

	Word		Definition
a	separation	____	Loss of cabin pressure in a pressurized aircraft.
b	incapacitated	____	The right hand side of an aircraft.
c	unsure of position	____	Sickness.
d	illness	____	Not working or out of order.
e	jammed	____	The left hand side of an aircraft or ship.
f	port	____	To describe somebody unable to function normally because of sickness or injury.
g	inoperative	____	Unable to move freely.
h	starboard	____	A phrase meaning ‘lost’.
i	depressurization	____	To describe an engine that breaks away from the airframe.

² EXERCISE 18 Listen to an exchange between Eastern 51 and Hong Kong Approach and answer the questions that follow.

a	What problem did Eastern 51 experience?
b	What expression did the controller use to tell other aircraft not to use the radio during the problem?
c	What expression did the pilot of Eastern 51 use to inform ATC that the problem was fixed?
d	What expression did the controller use to tell other aircraft they could use the radio again?