Originally Posted by
ATC Watcher
Would love to hear the tapes as the media reports are a bit contradictory. But this seems to indicate once more that both Controllers and perhaps aircrew are not fully conversant with Emergency communications .
Minimum fuel = Mayday . Period.
Clearances (authorizations) are not needed in emergency.
An airport filled to capacity can be a reason to refuse a diversion request under normal circumstances, , as the aircraft will not have full support , proper parking space or even stairs , but definitively that does not apply to a flight in emergency. That part the Indian CAA should re-enforce to its controllers.
No-one should have to repeat 4x a Mayday to get attention.
My advice is for crew to always to squawk 7700 when you encounter resistance in an emergency , this generally calm down the other side...if they have radar that is .If not , the other option is switch to 121,5.
Telling ATC what you are doing as opposed to waiting for an ATC instruction is also an option.
Just to clarify a point above. Minimum fuel declaration is NOT a mayday for ATC. In the London TMA, all we need to do is inform the crew of the delay. If the crew then declare a Mayday obviously maximum priority is then given.