Definition
A government or military unit equipped and staffed to coordinate or carry out search and rescue operations for aircraft, vessels, or persons in distress. In the United States, the Coast Guard serves as the SAR coordinator over maritime areas, and the Air Force serves as the SAR coordinator over inland areas.
Plain English
An official unit whose job is to find and help people who are missing or in trouble — including downed or overdue aircraft.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA material about emergencies, overdue aircraft, and search-and-rescue coordination.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rely on these facilities during emergencies to receive coordinated assistance and increase chances of a successful rescue.
Intuition Check
Do not read “facility” as only a building. In this FAA use, a Search and Rescue Facility is the responsible rescue organization, unit, or center, whether or not the focus is on a physical location.
Example Sentence 1
If the pilot fails to close the flight plan within 30 minutes of the estimated arrival time, the nearest search and rescue facility will be alerted.
Example Sentence 2
Search and rescue facilities often work with the Coast Guard for overwater incidents involving general aviation aircraft.