Can There Be Consequences for Declaring an Emergency in Flight?

Main reason for pilots to use the ‘E’ word is to get priority treatment from ATC.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Air traffic controllers can’t help a pilot if they don’t know they are having trouble. [Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Many pilots, particularly in general aviation, fail to declare emergencies in critical situations, often leading to preventable accidents due to lack of essential Air Traffic Control (ATC) support.
A key reason for this reluctance is a misconception that declaring an emergency will result in disciplinary action from the FAA, despite the FAA actively encouraging declarations for safety.
Declaring an emergency grants pilots priority handling, access to ATC resources and guidance, and the ability to deviate from regulations to ensure safety.
Thorough preflight planning, practicing emergency procedures, and consulting legal counsel after an emergency are crucial steps to enhance safety and manage any post-incident follow-ups.

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It has been said that the most painful accident is one that could have been prevented. That holds particularly true in aviation when a pilot’s failure to identify risk leads to a lack of situational awareness and poor decision making resulting in a fatality. This becomes obvious when you read the reports generated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)—you see the pilot’s actions and find yourself wondering, “Why didn’t the pilot declare an emergency and get priority handling from ATC?”

While declaring does not guarantee a way out of a bad situation, it can connect a pilot with more resources such as air traffic control, which because of the nature of the job may have a better grasp of the options available.