MAYDAY vs PAN
Here we go again…
At my previous operator (2-engine medium jet), we had an engine failure in the sim. I called “Mayday.” The instructor stopped me: “No, that’s a Pan call.” His reasoning? “You’re flying perfectly safely on the remaining engine.” (debatable) — even though our manuals never specified which call to use.
Now at a new operator (4-engine large jet), I lose one in the sim and call “Pan,” thinking: no big deal, three engines left. During the debrief, the instructor tells me: “Always make it a Mayday — you can downgrade later if needed.” (a logic I’m more aligned with, and what I would’ve done if I hadn’t been steered the other way at the previous operator).
This is my 8th employer, and I kid you not — the “preferred” distress call even amongst instructors at the same operator has been split 50/50, with only two operators ever prescribing it clearly in their manuals. If it’s prescribed, easy: I’ll follow the company line. But otherwise, it’s getting ridiculous. The inconsistency and personal preferences between instructors and examiners have to stop. Unless the company specifically lays it out, they shouldn’t be dictating which distress call to use. That’s a commander’s judgment.
In reality, whether you say Mayday or Pan makes no difference to the safe conduct of the flight — yes, it affects how ATC and emergency services respond, but that’s procedural, not a measure of correctness especially for a straightforward engine failure.
Thoughts?