Plain English Meaning

Set your transponder to the number 7700. This tells every air traffic controller within range that you have an emergency.

Full Definition

An instruction or action by which a pilot sets the aircraft transponder to code 7700, the universal emergency code, causing the aircraft's radar return to be flagged on every air traffic control display as an aircraft in distress.

Context Anchor

Used during emergency procedures, including abnormal situations during highly automated operations such as autoland.

Derivation

Squawk' came from a World War II identification system codenamed 'Parrot,' so telling an aircraft to itself became 'squawk.' The term carried to civilian . 7700 was chosen as the emergency code because it produces a distinctive that and displays are programmed to highlight .