Definition
An interagency agreement that establishes how search and rescue (SAR) services are organized and coordinated within the United States, assigning responsibility among federal agencies for SAR operations on land, at sea, and in the air.
Plain English
It's the official U.S. plan that says which agencies are in charge of finding and rescuing people who are lost, missing, or in distress, and how those agencies work together.
Context Anchor
Seen in AIM glossary and emergency search-and-rescue discussions, especially when an aircraft is overdue, missing, or reported in distress.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing this plan exists reassures pilots that a structured, multi-agency response will begin automatically if they become overdue or declare an emergency, directly affecting survival odds in a distress situation.
Grounding Statement
If an aircraft does not arrive and cannot be contacted, this plan helps turn separate responders into one organized search effort.
Intuition Check
Do not read “plan” here as a pilot’s personal flight plan. This is a national coordination agreement for search and rescue response.
Example Sentence 1
Search and rescue response for a missing aircraft is coordinated under the National Search and Rescue Plan.
Example Sentence 2
A pilot who files a detailed flight plan helps the National Search and Rescue Plan function more effectively by giving responders accurate last-known position data.