Low Fuel — PAN to MAYDAY FUEL

advancedUS phraseology

✈ Cessna 182📡 Albuquerque Approach⏱ ~7 minutes💬 4 exchanges

Fuel is getting low, then drops below final reserve. Practise the urgency call and the escalation to a declared fuel emergency ("MAYDAY FUEL"), reporting endurance in minutes and reading back priority vectors. Learn the FAA distinction between a "minimum fuel" advisory and a declared fuel emergency.

Briefing

You are inbound to Albuquerque in Cessna N4521G (spoken "Cessna Four Five Two One Golf"), working Albuquerque Approach. Headwinds have eaten your reserves. You will first pass an urgency call, then — as fuel drops below final reserve — escalate to a declared fuel emergency. In the US, "minimum fuel" alone is only an advisory; it implies no priority.

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What this scenario covers

Exchange 1
Make the urgency call: PAN PAN ×3, station, callsign, the problem (minimum fuel), endurance and your request.
💡 Until fuel drops below final reserve this is an urgency (PAN) — and in the US, "minimum fuel" by itself is only an advisory that implies NO priority. State endurance in minutes and make your priority request explicit.
Exchange 2
ATC: “Cessna Two One Golf, Albuquerque Approach, roger, expect vectors ILS runway two six, descend and maintain six thousand.”
Read back the descent and the expected approach. The level is a mandatory readback.
💡 A descend-and-maintain instruction is an altitude clearance — read the level back in full. US phraseology is "descend and maintain [altitude]", not the UK "descend to altitude".
Exchange 3
Fuel has now dropped below final reserve. Escalate to a declared fuel emergency, state endurance and demand priority.
💡 When usable fuel on landing will be below final reserve, declare "MAYDAY FUEL" — an explicit statement that priority is required and expected. Failing to escalate from PAN leaves ATC unaware you now have an emergency.
Exchange 4
ATC: “Cessna Two One Golf, roger MAYDAY, cleared to land runway two six, squawk seven seven zero zero, emergency equipment standing by.”
Read back the landing clearance and squawk.
💡 7700 is the worldwide emergency squawk. Read the landing clearance back in full including the runway, then fly the airplane — the radio work is done.

Background reading

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