C222 words · Proficient

Aviation & Maritime vocabulary — C2

Expert aviation and maritime vocabulary for safety and emergencies, including a mayday call, the black box, a ship starting to capsize and the just culture behind incident investigation.

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Words in this set

mayday
/ˈmeɪdeɪ/
An internationally recognised radio call announcing a life-threatening emergency on a ship or aircraft.
Example: The captain radioed a mayday as the engine caught fire.
black box
A recording device on an aircraft that stores flight data and cockpit conversation, used to investigate accidents.
Example: Investigators recovered the black box from the wreckage.
yaw
/jɔ/
The side-to-side rotation of an aircraft or ship around its vertical axis.
Example: A gust of wind caused the plane to yaw slightly.
windward
/ˈwɪndwərd/
Facing the direction the wind is blowing from.
Example: The captain steered the boat to the windward side of the island for shelter.
leeward
/ˈliwərd/
Facing away from the direction the wind is blowing, sheltered from the wind.
Example: They anchored on the leeward side of the bay.
capsize
/ˈkæpˌsaɪz/
To turn over in the water, usually because of poor balance or rough conditions.
Example: The small boat began to capsize in the heavy waves.
distress signal
A visual or radio message used to show that a ship or aircraft urgently needs help.
Example: They fired a distress signal after the boat began taking on water.
stall
/stɔl/
A sudden loss of lift that makes a wing stop flying properly.
Example: The instructor showed how to recover safely from a stall.
ditching
/ˈdɪtʃɪŋ/
An emergency landing of an aircraft on open water.
Example: The pilot managed a controlled ditching in the river after engine failure.
jettison
/ˈdʒɛtɪsən/
To deliberately throw something heavy overboard to make a vessel or aircraft lighter.
Example: The crew had to jettison fuel before the emergency landing.
controlled flight into terrain
An accident where a working aircraft is flown into the ground.
Example: Controlled flight into terrain was the finding and the crew were not blamed.
automation dependency
Losing the ability to fly manually through relying on systems.
Example: Automation dependency now takes as much training time as anything else.
situational awareness
Knowing accurately what is happening around you and what comes next.
Example: The whole report turns on a loss of situational awareness at night.
just culture
A system where people report mistakes without fear of punishment.
Example: A just culture produced eleven times more safety reports in a year.
Swiss cheese model
The idea that accidents happen when gaps in several defences line up.
Example: The Swiss cheese model is the only diagram everyone in aviation knows.
extended range operations
Rules letting twin-engine aircraft fly far from any airport.
Example: Extended range operations made the transatlantic twin possible.
classification society
An organisation that sets and checks standards for ship construction.
Example: No classification society would certify the repair as it stood.
port state control
Inspection of foreign ships by the country whose port they enter.
Example: Port state control detained her for eleven separate deficiencies.
laytime
The time allowed for loading or unloading before charges begin.
Example: Laytime expired on the Tuesday and the meter started running.
charter party
The contract for hiring a ship or part of its capacity.
Example: The charter party put the delay risk squarely on the charterer.
general average
The rule that all cargo owners share a loss incurred to save the ship.
Example: General average was declared and every shipper paid a share.
salvage award
Payment to those who save a ship or its cargo from loss.
Example: The salvage award ran to a fifth of the value recovered.