Originally Posted by
jonkster
I have always understood you call mayday for your own aircraft not another. For another aircraft in distress the call would be a pan call. Has that changed or am I remembering this wrongly?
(To be honest though in the heat of the moment I can understand people ignoring letter of the law interpretations).
Mayday is for imminent danger, an immediate threat to the vehicle or life. Pan is an urgency call for assistance that is not an immediate threat or danger.
e.g.
https://www.airservicesaustralia.com...t-emergencies/
So a mayday call by an aircraft for another that may be unable to communicate appears to be appropriate. It sets the level of priority for calls on that frequency. However, in the case of the Vipers, it seems the emergency was focused on the aircraft that crashed in the water. The returning aircraft was treated more like I would have expected for a pan. I suppose it depends on how you perceive the danger following a midair collision. I would have thought you treat it as if an airframe failure or loss of control from the damage is imminent. Seems others on here think of it differently. As if a midair is some sort of minor occurrence.