Definition
A condition of air piracy, or other hostile act by a person or persons aboard an aircraft, which threatens the safety of the aircraft or its passengers. Pilots use this specific term when communicating with ATC to alert controllers that the emergency involves unlawful interference rather than a mechanical, medical, or weather-related problem.
Plain English
A serious situation on board the aircraft caused by someone acting against the crew or passengers — for example, a hijacking or other hostile act — rather than a mechanical or medical problem.
Context Anchor
Seen in pilot/controller communications and FAA guidance for handling security-related emergencies in flight.
Derivation
‘Special’ comes from Latin specialis, meaning ‘of a particular kind.’ Pairing it with ‘emergency’ marks this as a distinct category, separate from ordinary in-flight emergencies, so controllers immediately understand the threat is human and hostile rather than technical.
Why Pilots Care
Triggers unique ATC protocols and coordination with security authorities while protecting the crew from alerting potential threats on board.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Special Emergency” as a more serious version of any emergency. In FAA use, it specifically means a hijacking or hostile onboard threat to the aircraft or its occupants.
Example Sentence 1
The captain advised ATC that he was declaring a Special Emergency due to an unlawful act by a passenger attempting to access the flight deck.
Example Sentence 2
ATC gave the special emergency flight direct routing and priority landing clearance at the nearest suitable airport.