PAN PAN
The international radiotelephony urgency signal indicating a very urgent message concerning the safety of a vessel, aircraft, vehicle or person.
The words are spoken three times and pronounced like the French word ‘panne’, followed by the called station or all stations, the caller’s identification and the urgency message under the applicable radio procedure. A digital selective calling urgency announcement may precede the voice traffic.
PAN PAN is used when assistance or urgent communication is needed but the situation has not reached distress, which requires MAYDAY. If circumstances deteriorate to grave and imminent danger, the communication should be upgraded without delay rather than preserving the original category.
Mayday and Pan Pan calls
Knowing how to correctly operate your VHF radio and when to make a mayday or pan pan call saves lives
Keeping a cool head in an emergency saves lives. Using your VHF correctly—and knowing when to make a Maydayversus a Pan Pan—is fundamental.
Even on short coastal hops with a mobile to hand, a VHF set is essential safety kit. Coverage isn’t guaranteed and wet phones rarely work well.
Good radio etiquette matters. Following the correct procedures keeps you safe and ensures you don’t block a Mayday from another vessel.
It’s a legal requirement to hold a licence to use VHF. The Short Range Certificate (SRC) is the minimum qualification required by law to operate VHF and VHF DSC on any British-flagged vessel, including both fixed and hand-held sets.
Whats the difference between a MayDay and a Pan Pan?
A MAYDAY is a distress call used when there’s immediate danger to life or the vessel (e.g., fire, sinking, person overboard in severe conditions) and demands the highest priority response. A PAN PAN is an urgency call used when a situation is serious but not yet life-threatening (e.g., engine failure near hazards, minor medical issue, lost but safe), signalling the need for prompt assistance without full distress traffic. Both are announced three times (“MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY” / “PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN”) and normally made on VHF Channel 16 (or by DSC), but MAYDAY takes precedence. If conditions deteriorate, a PAN PAN should be escalated to MAYDAY; the Coastguard may also upgrade or stand down calls as appropriate.
