Which distress call term should be used for a life-threatening emergency?

• A. Pan-Pan
• B. S.O.S
• C. Mayday
• D. Distress call event.

Answer: (C)

Mayday is the international radio call for a life-threatening emergency. It signals grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance from nearby vessels or aircraft. Because it communicates the highest level of urgency, it’s spoken three times in a row to grab attention and ensure the message is heard clearly on crowded frequencies. After the repeated Mayday, you identify who you are, where you are, the nature of the distress, how many people are involved, and what help you need. For example: Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, this is Coastal Voyager, position 36.1N, 12.2W, engine fire and taking on water, 2 persons on board, requesting immediate assistance.

Pan-Pan is used for urgent situations that are not life-threatening, so it doesn’t convey the same level of urgency as Mayday. S.O.S is a Morse code distress signal from the early days of radio; while understood, it is not typically used as a spoken call in modern radiotelephony. Distress call event isn’t a standard term you would use on the air to indicate an emergency.