Originally Posted by
Spooky 2
... PAN on the other hand stands for "Possible Assistance Needed" which does not rise to the level of an Emrgency distress call.
Spooky 2, this may be your way of remembering what a PAN call means but I think that you are merely quoting a useful acronym. I believe the origin for both calls comes from the French
M'aidez ("help me") and
Panne (meaning "breakdown"). The explanation of the difference is contained in the following:
Distress: A condition of being threatened by serious and/or imminent danger and of requiring immediate assistance.
Urgency: A condition concerning the safety of an aircraft or other vehicle, or of some person on board or within sight, but which does not require immediate assistance.
MAYDAY is classed as "Distress" and PAN PAN is an "Urgency" call. However, both calls are classified as Emergency messages.
JD
