Australian fighter jets call PANS before emergency landing

Two RAAF fighter jets involved in Exercise Talisman Sabre make urgent calls prior to emergency landings.

Two fighter jets assigned to Exercise Talisman Sabre 21 had to perform emergency landings outside of Ipswich on Wednesday.

An Australian Department of Defence spokeswoman said an Australian EA-18G Growler and a F/A-18F Super Hornet “declared PANS” before coming into land at the Royal Australian Airforce Base Amberely, on South Amberley Road, in the afternoon.

The acronymn PAN stands for “possible assistance needed” or “pay attention now” and is an international radio distress signal of less urgency, but second only to, a mayday distress call.

An EA-18G Growler and a F/A-18F Super Hornet both performed separate emergency landings at RAAF Base Amberley on Wednesday afternoon after declaring “PANS”, an urgent call where something is wrong but noones life is in imminent danger. Picture: Supplied

It can be used by someone aboard a boat, ship, aircraft or other vehicle to declare an urgent situation but that, at the time, does not pose immediate danger to anyone’s life or the vessel itself.

A photograph of the Growler’s landing appears to show it catching an arrestor cable strung across the runway to assist with stopping the fighter jet.

The defence spokeswoman confirmed the RAAF jets performed separate landings but declined to answer specific questions, including why the calls were made and whether the landings were real or simulated as part of a training exercise for Talisman Sabre.

An EA-18G Growler and a F/A-18F Super Hornet both performed separate urgent landings at RAAF Base Amberley on Wednesday. Picture: Supplied

“Both the Growler and Super Hornet operate with two aircrew,” she said.

“Both aircraft returned safely to base with no impact to crew.”

Defence Assistant Secretary of Media and Communication, Bronwyn Graham, said the landings were classified as urgent and not emergencies.

But a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) spokesman, and several other aviation sources, confirmed “PANS” was classified as an emergency call.

Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 (TS21) is Australia’s largest bilateral combined military training activity with the US and is underway now through to August 1 throughout parts of Queensland and NSW.