What is Difference between a PAN and a MAYDAY?

[JonF]

Tried a search but as PAN is only three letters it won't work, needs a minimum of four letters in search apparently.

[Final 3 Greens]

MAYDAY - emergency

PAN - situation warranting priority handling, but not an emergency

[Leezyjet]

MAYDAY = serious problem, life threatening.

PAN = Serious problem, not immediately life threatening but could well become life threatening.

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[Farmer 1]

A Mayday situation is one in which a vessel, aircraft, vehicle, or person is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance. Examples of "grave and imminent danger" in which a Mayday call would be appropriate are fire, explosion, or sinking.


A call of pan-pan means that there is an emergency on board a boat, ship, aircraft or other vehicle but that, for the time being at least, there is no immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel itself. This is distinct from a Mayday call, which means that there is imminent danger to life or to the continued viability of the vessel itself. Thus 'pan-pan' will inform potential rescuers (including emergency services and other craft in the area) that a safety problem exists whereas 'mayday' will call upon them to drop all other activities and immediately instigate a rescue attempt.

Just ask Wikipedia

[strake]

The emergency (PAN) does not even have to be on board your plane or ship...
For instance, as say a private pilot, you are flying along VFR, tracking a road and you see an accident, you are quite within rights to put out a PAN call as a licenced VHF operator.
I suppose the equivalent in a commercial a/c is if the crew see something untoward whilst taxiing...or perhaps a volcano exploding...!! :)
I almost put a PAN out in my plane once. I was just landing and I saw a Cessna152 taxing to the hold happily towing his tie down...a tyre filled with cement.
In the event, I decided that "Cessna G-xxx, stop NOW and check undercarriage" was more merciful....