Originally Posted by MEM_ATC
I have a few questions regarding declaring an emergency with ATC, and why you WOULD or would NOT declare an emergency. Your comments would be appreciated. Here are some scenarios:
SITUATION 1 - Pilot tells ATC that his Number X hydraulic system has failed. NEGATIVE emergency, but he wants the emergency equipment "STANDING BY". I have no idea what each individual hydraulic system controls on the many different aircraft that fly within my sector. Is this a paperwork issue to have the equipment standing by -vs- meeting you at the runway? Or is it a public relations issue with the passengers seeing the emergency equipment waiting at the edge of the runway?
IMHO, a single hydraulics failure isn't a serious situation. It's certainly something that I would want to have the longest appropriate runway for, and would need to evaluate further. Either way, such an incident is most likely going to result in paperwork, since you are probably going to return to the airport (unless said failure occured on descent or final). Personally, I would probably have you roll the trucks and explain the situation to the passengers before landing.
SITUATION 2 - A passenger has a heart attack at FL230. The pilot contacts his local Operations at AUS to have an ambulance standing by, but he never informs ATC of this critical situation until he's on final 10 miles from the airport. The Center could have deleted all speed restrictions... sent him direct to the airport... and then AUS Approach/Tower would have made the aircraft #1 instead of vectoring for sequence and spacing.
I don't know why any pilot wouldn't declare an emergency, for exactly the same reasons as you stated. Personally, I've stopped on the taxiway/run up block after clearing the runway to allow EMTs onto the plane when I had a heart attack. Every second counts.
SITUATION 3 - CRJ departs and immediately takes a bird strike. The pilot states that it's nothing serious, but he wants to declare an emergency. Another aircraft takes a bird strike, notifies the Tower to ensure that "Bird Activity" is on the ATIS, and then continues on with his flight. Is one pilot being safe and prudent, while the other is being reckless?
This one varies greatly. A small bird isn't a big deal. Might leave a small dent somewhere on the wing or fuselage and only require inspection after arriving at the destination. Sometimes we don't know that we hit a bird until after we arrive. Other times it can be significantly different...
Here's some pictures of an ACA CRJ that hit a turkey at about 110kts on takeoff (crew aborted the takeoff):
Pictures: This is definately an emergency... a lot depends on the size of the bird, the speed of the plane at impact, and the location of the strike.
SITUATION 4 - A cargo hauler tells the Center that he has fumes in the cockpit. It's not an emergency, but the crew is on oxygen. The pilot does not want the emergency equipment standing by.
Another example of pilot attempting to avoid paperwork I suppose. Once again a scenario where an emergency should be declared as far as I'm concerned. If I'm using emergency equipment (O2) it's an emergency.
ON 5 - Aircraft goes around on short final due to an unsafe gear indication. We tell the pilot that the gear appear to be down and locked, and the crew then performs some checklist items on the downwind as they are being vectored back for landing. The pilot wants the emergency equipment "standing by, but does not want to declare an emergency.
In this case, if the gear shows down and locked and we've successfully performed an alternate gear extension, it's not an emergency as far as I am concerned. I probably would elect not to declare an emergency. However if there was any doubt to the status of the gear, you'd better believe that we're stopping on the runway and want the equipment to roll.
Tell me what your companies require of you in these (or similar) situations. Are you discouraged from declaring an emergency? Does declaring an emergency generate a mound of paperwork for you? Do you have to justify your decision to declare an emergency? What would happen if you didn't declare an emergency when you should have made the call?
Thanks for any insight that you can provide?
MEM_ATC
In my case, most of these incidents are going to result in paperwork anyway. It does me no harm to declare an emergency. However, I also tend to consider the severity of the situation and the impact on overall operations declaring an emergency would have. Finally, I tend to err on the side of caution- it's a lot easier to justify why you did call for help, rather than why you didn't in most circumstances.