The thing about airborne emergencies is that there are not that many scenarios in which using the radio will help. Sure, getting lost or trying to find better weather come to mind, but most emergencies depend on the pilot or crew to resolve them without external help. Failure of a single-engine airplane’s powerplant is an example. An engine failure should jump-start memories of our training: fly the airplane, trouble-shoot the problem and find a suitable landing area, pretty much in that order, with flying the airplane a continuing theme.
Yes, ATC often can be an asset—they’ll at least know where to send the equipment—but the pilot/crew must be the one to make the decisions. This includes where and how to execute an emergency landing, and realization that an open piece of ground right underneath might be preferable to the sometimes iffy proposition of trying to glide to a nearby airport.
