Definition
A coordinated service that locates aircraft, vessels, or persons in distress and provides assistance, using a combination of military, civil, and volunteer resources. In the United States, SAR is jointly coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard (for maritime regions) and the U.S. Air Force through the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (for the inland continental U.S.), with the Civil Air Patrol providing most inland air search assets.
Plain English
The system that goes looking for missing or downed aircraft and gets help to the people on board.
Context Anchor
Seen in AIM discussions of emergencies, overdue aircraft, flight plans, and distress situations.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots benefit from knowing SAR resources because it increases the chance of rapid location and rescue if an aircraft goes missing.
Grounding Statement
If an aircraft does not arrive when expected and cannot be reached, SAR is the organized effort that may begin to find it.
Intuition Check
SAR does not mean routine monitoring of every flight. It refers to an emergency search-and-help effort when someone may be missing or in danger.
Example Sentence 1
If you fail to close your VFR flight plan within 30 minutes of your ETA, SAR procedures will be initiated.
Example Sentence 2
After the ELT signal was received, SAR teams launched a search for the downed aircraft.