Procedures When Lost

When lost or in distress and unable to make radio contact, a pilot should attempt to alert all available radar systems as follows:

• Guard emergency frequencies
• Fly two triangular patterns as depicted, resume course and repeat at 5-min intervals

Since the greater the altitude of the aircraft, the better its chance of being detected, low-flying aircraft should attempt to climb. Also, if flying in limited visibility or at night, landing lights and navigation lights should be turned on to assist the interceptor.

Once radar contact is established, and if it is possible to do so, a rescue aircraft will be dispatched to intercept. Upon successful interception, the interceptor and distressed aircraft should attempt radio contact. If this is not possible, use the visual interception signals. If, in a particular case, it is not possible for the Canadian Forces to send out an intercepting aircraft, flying the triangular pattern will serve to position the distressed aircraft and thus narrow any search area.

NOTE: The opportunity for an aircraft to be detected by radar increases with altitude.

The figure below shows the area of radar coverage in Canada provided by both Department of National Defence (DND) and NAV CANADA installations. Pilots should be aware that if they are flying in an area outside of radar coverage, flying a triangular pattern for alerting purposes would not be a valid manoeuvre.