Section 4. Overdue Aircraft

1. RESPONSIBILITY

1. The departure tie-in facility/sector is responsible for search and rescue (SAR) action until the destination tie-in facility/sector acknowledges receipt of the flight notification message. SAR responsibility is then transferred to the destination tie-in facility/sector.

1. The National SAR Plan assigns search and rescue responsibilities as follows:

1. To the military agencies for conducting physical SAR operations.
2. To the FAA for:

1. Providing emergency service to aircraft in distress.
2. Assuring that SAR procedures will be initiated if an aircraft becomes overdue or unreported. This is accomplished through the ATC system for IFR aircraft and the flight plan program and/or reports of overdue aircraft received at air traffic facilities for VFR aircraft.
3. Attempting to locate overdue or unreported aircraft by information request (INREQ) and alert notice (ALNOT) communications search.
4. Cooperating in the physical search by making all possible facilities available for use by the searching agencies.

1. FSSs serve as the central point for collecting and disseminating information on overdue or missing aircraft which are not on an IFR flight plan.
2. ARTCCs serve as the central points for collecting information, coordinating with SAR, and conducting a communications search by distributing any necessary ALNOTs concerning:

1. Overdue or missing IFR aircraft.
2. Aircraft in an emergency situation occurring in their respective areas.
3. Aircraft on a combined VFR/IFR or an air-filed IFR flight plan, and 30 minutes have passed since the pilot requested IFR clearance, and neither communications nor radar contact can be established.
4. Overdue or missing aircraft which have been authorized to operate in accordance with a SVFR clearance.

1. The ARTCC serves as the contact point for collecting information and coordinating with RCC on all ELT signals.

1. OVERDUE AIRCRAFT ON A FLIGHT PLAN

Consider an aircraft on a VFR or defense VFR (DVFR) flight plan overdue:

1. When it fails to arrive 30 minutes after its ETA and communications or location cannot be established.
2. When notified by a commercially available tracking service, begin SAR activities most appropriate for the circumstances (for example, a communications search followed by an ALNOT).
3. When notified by an enhanced SAR service such as the Enhanced Special Reporting System (eSRS) or the Surveillance Enhanced SAR (SE SAR) service.

1. OVERDUE AIRCRAFT NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN

Consider an aircraft not on a flight plan as overdue:

1. At the actual time a reliable source reports it to be at least one hour late at destination. Based on this overdue time, initiate a communications search and proceed directly to the ALNOT phase. When such a report is received, verify (if possible) that the aircraft actually departed and that the request is for a missing aircraft rather than a person. Refer missing person reports to the appropriate authorities.
2. If you have reason to believe that an aircraft is overdue prior to one hour after its ETA, take the appropriate action immediately.

1. COMMUNICATIONS SEARCH

1. As soon as a VFR/DVFR aircraft (military or civilian) becomes overdue, the destination tie-in facility/sector (including intermediate destination tie-in facilities for military aircraft) must initiate a communications search to locate the aircraft by checking the following:

1. Destination airport.
2. Flight plan phone number, if available.
3. BASOPS, if applicable.
4. Customs, if applicable.
5. ATC facilities as applicable.

1. If the aircraft has not been located, check the following:

1. Departure airport.
2. All airports adjacent to the destination that could accommodate the aircraft.
3. Appropriate ARTCC sectors.

1. When notified by an enhanced SAR service such as eSRS or the SE SAR service (or any future technologies).

1. QALQ

If the communications search does not locate the aircraft, and the flight plan is not held by the destination station, transmit a QALQ to the facility/sector that holds the flight plan. Possible flight plan originators:

KxxxYFYX FLIGHT SERVICE STATION/SECTOR

KxxxYXYX MILITARY BASOPS

KAISXCLX AISR

1. The QALQ message text must begin with the contraction QALQ followed by the aircraft identification.

1. If the specialist determines that the communications search cannot be completed prior to the INREQ transmission time, the specialist must transmit the QALQ in time to receive the information for the INREQ message. The specialist must continue the communications search without reference to time until such a time that the aircraft is located, the communications search is complete, or the search is suspended.
2. In the case of a U.S. registered aircraft, or any aircraft known to be piloted by or transporting U.S. citizens and en route within a foreign country or between two foreign countries, if an overdue report is received either from someone directly concerned or from aviation authorities of a foreign country, notify the WOC immediately via Service B message addressed to KRWAYAYX.
3. Automated systems will accept properly formatted QALQs, INREQs, ALNOTs, INCERFAs, ALERFAs, and DETRESFAs and place them on the SAR list. A SAR alert may be generated at designated workstations. Specialists must delete SAR messages from the SAR list when the SAR is canceled.

1. ACTION BY DEPARTURE STATION ON RECEIPT OF QALQ

Upon receipt of the QALQ message, the departure tie-in facility must check for any information about the aircraft, and take the following actions:

1. If the aircraft is located, notify the destination facility. This may be delivered via Service B message or recorded communications.
2. If unable to obtain additional information, transmit a message to the destination tie-in facility containing all information not previously sent. Include any verbal or written remarks which could be pertinent to the search.

1. CANCELLATION OF THE QALQ

If the aircraft is located by the destination facility after the QALQ is sent, transmit a cancellation message addressed to all recipients of the QALQ.

1. INREQ

If the reply to the QALQ is negative or the aircraft has not been located within 30 minutes after it becomes overdue, whichever occurs first:

1. The destination tie-in facility/sector must transmit a numbered INREQ message addressed to:

1. Flight plan originator (if other than AISR).
2. En route FSS as applicable.
3. KSARYCYX (includes RCC and AISR).
4. En route ARTCCs as applicable.
5. BASOPS if destination or departure tie-in facility.
6. Other addresses the specialist deems beneficial to the search.

1. Include the flight plan and any other pertinent information in the INREQ message which could assist in search activities. Retrieve data from the history files, format the message, and transmit. Provide the aircraft's last known position as the final item of the message. The message text must begin with the contraction INREQ, followed by the aircraft identification.

1. If the departure airport, route of flight, destination airport or alternate airports are within 50 miles of the Great Lakes, notify Cleveland RCC via recorded telecommunications line.
2. If the flight is within the Honolulu sector, notify Honolulu Joint RCC via recorded telecommunications line.
3. RCC does not have transmit capability. Acknowledgement is not required for messages to RCC.
4. If additional information is received in INREQ reply messages, transmit the information, as necessary, to all original addressees.

1. ACTION UPON RECEIPT OF INREQ

Stations receiving an INREQ must take the following action:

1. Search facility records for information regarding the aircraft. Expand the communications search to include all flight plan area airports along the proposed route of flight that could accommodate the aircraft. Notify appropriate ATC facilities. Reply to the INREQ within one hour of receipt with flight plan and other pertinent information. If unable to complete the communications search within one hour, forward a status report followed by a final report when the search is complete.

1. If the INREQ indicates that the departure airport, route of flight, destination airport or alternate airports are within 50 miles of the Great Lakes, notify Cleveland RCC via recorded telecommunications line.
2. For facilities that have any portion of their incoming calls and/or Service B diverted to another facility, notify that facility of the INREQ. The facility receiving diverted calls or Service B traffic must check its records and advise of any information or contact with the aircraft.

1. CANCELLATION OF INREQ

The INREQ originator must transmit a cancellation message containing the location of the aircraft to all INREQ addressees if the aircraft is located. Notify associated ATC facilities.

1. ALNOT

1. If the replies to the INREQ are negative, or if the aircraft is not located within one hour after transmission of the INREQ, whichever occurs first, the destination station must transmit an ALNOT addressed to:

1. Flight plan originator (if other than AISR).
2. KSARYCYX (includes RCC and AISR).
3. KxxxYAYX (appropriate ROC).
4. Add ARTCCs 50 NM either side of route.
5. BASOPS if destination or departure tie-in facility, or the home base of the aircraft.
6. Other addresses deemed beneficial to the search by the specialist.

1. Expand the communications search area to that area extending 50 miles on either side of the proposed route of flight from the last reported position to the destination. The search area may be expanded to the maximum range of the aircraft at the request of RCC or by the destination station.
2. If the departure airport, route of flight, destination airport, or alternate airports are within 50 miles of the Great Lakes, notify Cleveland RCC via recorded telecommunications line.
3. Include all information from the INREQ, plus any additional information received that could assist in search activities. Provide the aircraft's last known position as the final item in the message. The message text must begin with the contraction ALNOT, followed by the aircraft identification.

1. Ten minutes after the ALNOT is issued, call RCC to ensure delivery of the ALNOT and to answer any inquiries.

1. If additional pertinent information is received, transmit the information, as necessary, to all original addressees.

1. ACTION UPON RECEIPT OF ALNOT

Upon receipt of an ALNOT, including those received from other ATC facilities, each station whose flight plan area extends into the ALNOT search area must:

1. Immediately conduct an expanded communications search of those airports which fall within the ALNOT search area that could accommodate the aircraft and that were not checked during the INREQ search. Notify the appropriate ATC facilities. Request the appropriate law enforcement agency to check airports which cannot be contacted otherwise.
2. For ARTCC issued ALNOTS, coordinate with the issuing facility to determine the extent of communications already completed prior to contacting airports and other ATC facilities whose flight plan area extends into the ALNOT search area.
3. Within one hour after receipt of the ALNOT, notify the originator of the results or status of the communications search. Transmit pertinent information, such as aircraft location or position report, to the destination station.

1. Broadcast the ALNOT on all available frequencies within the ALNOT search area.
2. Request search assistance from aircraft traversing the search area.

1. REPORTING ALNOT STATUS TO RCC

If the expanded communications search fails to locate the aircraft, or if one hour has elapsed since ALNOT transmission, whichever occurs first, the destination station must call RCC with a status update. When appropriate, update Cleveland RCC. Provide RCC with all pertinent information about the overdue aircraft not already provided in the ALNOT which may include:

1. Agency and the person calling.
2. Details of the flight plan. If the aircraft was not on a flight plan, include all the facts about the source of the report.
3. Time the last radio transmission was received, by whom, and the frequency used.
4. Last position report.
5. Whether an ELT signal was heard or reported along the route of flight.
6. Action taken and the proposed action by the reporting FSS.
7. Furnish positions of other aircraft known to be along or near the route of flight of the missing aircraft.

1. CANCELLATION OF ALNOT

The ALNOT remains current until the aircraft is located and/or the search is suspended by RCC. In either case, the ALNOT originator must transmit a cancellation message with the location of the aircraft, if known, addressed to all recipients of the original ALNOT. Each facility must notify all previously alerted facilities and agencies of the cancellation.