Once a pilot has declared an emergency, a chain of events is initiated by ATC. If necessary, controllers will assist the pilot in finding a suitable airport for landing, and begin coordinating with the control facility for that airport.
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For 90% of these emergencies, aircraft continue to their destination. For the remaining 10%, however, aircraft divert to an alternative landing site, most frequently for cardiac arrest, cardiac symptoms (e.g., chest pain), obstetric or gynecologic issues, or possible stroke.
Many pilots delay declaring an emergency until the most serious of situations because there's a perception of heightened pressure or paperwork awaiting you on the ground.
Pilots are trained to shut outer air vents to prevent water from seeping in and aim for calm waters. They will do their best to keep the plane parallel to the waves and try to land tail down for a smoother landing. This is also to prevent the plane from breaking apart and ensure it will float.
A doctor may not always be seated in the cabin on your flight, but most commercial airlines are aware that in-flight medical emergencies can happen (I've written about one or two such instances myself in my time at USA TODAY). Most carriers contract with on-the-ground experts in emergency medicine at altitude.
The most common reason is that there are no airstrips or airports on many of the small islands, so if a plane had to make an emergency landing, it would be difficult to find a place to land. Additionally, the Pacific Ocean is vast and remote, so if a plane were to go down, it would be very difficult to find.
Preparation: Shout initial commands that emphasize an initial action by the passengers, such as “heads down, stay down!” or “Grab ankles, stay down!” Evaluate: Assess outside conditions while shouting passengers to stay back. Tell ABPs to help hold passengers back.
When flying over land, of course it is more likely that there will be more airfields closer to the aircraft at any given time. However, because of lessons learned from its history and the improvements in aircraft and engine reliability, crossing the oceans is deemed as safe as flying over land.
Flying at a typical altitude of 36,000 feet (about seven miles), an aircraft that loses both engines will be able to travel for another 70 miles before reaching the ground.
Pan-Pan, short for “possible assistance needed,” is used to communicate an urgent, but not emergency, situation over VHF radio, in the case of aviation, to air traffic control. Examples could include a recreational pilot getting lost, or perhaps needing to climb to a higher altitude to sort a problem out.
Consulting firm Oliver Wyman estimates that despite efforts to close the gap, airlines in North America will face a shortage of nearly 30,000 pilots by 2032.