ATC Initiated Emergency aircraft!

[TxPilot0878]

I have never heard of it and was a little suprised the other day BUT NOT COMPLETELY!!!!

A North East center declared us an emergency aircraft parlty and mainly due to the fact that my FO indentified/realized/summarized the (red light I had been telling him to run a checklist for) red LIGHT HE JUST SEES WHILE ON THE RADIO!!!!

So they declared us an emer. aircraft and we made the landing with out incident. I asked him to please confirm with me and in the future anything to be said. I also discussed that I had told him I had the radios and to run the SAID checklist....all part of the adventure!

ANY SIMILAR STORIES?!?!?!

 

[G4G5]

Yes, I had it happen to me in Houston. Dropped the gear and lost the "left" hyd system (still had the right and all back up systems). I told ATC at the marker that we were going around, and needed vectors to work out the problem.

ATC came back and said, "fly rwy heading, climb to 3000, do you want the trucks, say number of soles on board" Just like that.

Before I had even taken the check list out they declared the emergency for us.

Upon landing I called the tower, we spoke a bit and I was informed that, they can declare the emergency for anything that's listed in the FAR's (he also said AIM). IF Atc declares the emergency (Vs. the pilot) the event is required to be documented and sent to the local FSDO. If the pilot does it and nothing comes of the emergency then the paperwork trail stops at the tower.

Never heard a thing

 

[FearlessFreep]

Yes, I have heard/seen it happen. I was flying out of KOAK to KCEC during the winter, there was a fair amount of weather with icing at a low level. While I was enroute there was a guy on frequency in a Bonanza that was asking for vectors to get clear of icing conditions as he was accumulating a fair amount. He would break out of the weather and then tell the Controller that everything was fine and that the ice came off. He then would turn back into the conditions and then again request vectors clear of the conditions. He did this 3 TIMES and mostly he would not even fly the vectors issued him. The Controller then said that he considered this to be an Emergency, declared it for the aircraft/pilot, issued him NO GYRO turns, put him enroute to KSTS, a nearby airport where he instructed him that he would land and gave him a phone number that he was to call.

In the FAR's you will find many instances of shared safety of flight. In the 121 world you can have a number of different entities that are responsible for the safety of flight of the aircraft. Any of them can declare an emergency. The PIC is usually the ultimate authority, though if another person who might not be on the aircraft and they declare an emergency that should really get your attention.

Think of it this way; you dispatch an aircraft, dispatch learns from maintenance that there is major problems with the aircraft that might not have been known prior to flight. The dispatcher could then declare an emergency based on that information. There could be a myriad of similar circumstances in the ATC world.

 

[TxPilot0878]

Great point and thanks guys!

 

[NCherches]

...one more reason I love single pilot lol...

I have heard it before as well... I think its ATC's way of making their routine job exciting for those few minutes. Over-reacting

 

[TxPilot0878]

TRUE!

Good guys that we dealt with though no BS just trying to cover their a$$ and protect everyone else. I was very pleased with the resolve and commitment ATC/FAA gave us!

 

[BoxFlyr]

TRUE!

I was very pleased with the resolve and commitment ATC/FAA gave us!

Wow, you said very pleased and FAA in the same sentence, that's odd.

 

[Jack Campbell]

I had ATC declare me an emergency in 2000 when I had a gear malfunction. The situation did not warrant the E word, but ATC was cool about it and didn't ask for any paperwork.

 

[ricecakecm]

I had ATC declare for me not too long ago. I diverted into an airport for a generator problem and before the handoff to approach, Center said they were declaring an emergency to get me priority handling. Neither of which I asked for, but whatever. Got the welcoming committee upon landing.

 

[NCherches]

....An emergency for loosing 1 generator? I assume you had two?