Narrative:

I was returning from a training flight with a student when we came upon one of my favorite 'emergency' landing areas, an abandoned grass airfield about 8 NM wnw of caldwell. I pulled the throttle to idle, and announced a simulated engine failure. The student was fairly new, so I told him I would demonstrate proper emergency procedures. I went through the usual procedures (fuel, mixture, carburetor heat, etc). When it came to the radio call, I actually dialed in 121.5 on our communication (for the first time in 300 hours of instructing) and, since both push-to-talk switches were broken, picked up the handheld microphone and said 'mayday, mayday, mayday, cessna 25283, lost power, going down 2 mi west of boonton reservoir. Please send help.' as I put the microphone down, I suddenly realized that my clenched fist had depressed the transmit button on the handheld. After a couple of seconds of shock, I got back on the radio and said something like 'that was not a genuine emergency call, repeat, negative emergency!' a voice on the other end came back, asking about an aircraft going down near boonton reservoir. I repeated 'negative emergency, there is no emergency over boonton' to which the voice replied, 'understand no emergency over boonton,' and I confirmed this. We headed back to caldwell, and I spent the next hour watching for helicopters out to the west. None came, to my knowledge. For the first time, after many simulated emergencys, I actually dialed in 121.5. I shall never do so again. I am used to using the push to talk switch, so I guess I was clumsy when I picked up the handheld and inadvertently depressed the switch. I shall be more careful in the future. (*Which I never use in simulated emergencys, since an actual radio call is obviously not supposed to be made. I guess I was just striving for realism, because that day we were using the handheld for real communications.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INADVERTENT MAYDAY BROADCAST TO ATC. TRAINING IN PROGRESS.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT WHEN WE CAME UPON ONE OF MY FAVORITE 'EMER' LNDG AREAS, AN ABANDONED GRASS AIRFIELD ABOUT 8 NM WNW OF CALDWELL. I PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE, AND ANNOUNCED A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE. THE STUDENT WAS FAIRLY NEW, SO I TOLD HIM I WOULD DEMONSTRATE PROPER EMER PROCS. I WENT THROUGH THE USUAL PROCS (FUEL, MIXTURE, CARB HEAT, ETC). WHEN IT CAME TO THE RADIO CALL, I ACTUALLY DIALED IN 121.5 ON OUR COM (FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 300 HRS OF INSTRUCTING) AND, SINCE BOTH PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCHES WERE BROKEN, PICKED UP THE HANDHELD MIKE AND SAID 'MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, CESSNA 25283, LOST PWR, GOING DOWN 2 MI W OF BOONTON RESERVOIR. PLEASE SEND HELP.' AS I PUT THE MIKE DOWN, I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT MY CLENCHED FIST HAD DEPRESSED THE XMIT BUTTON ON THE HANDHELD. AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS OF SHOCK, I GOT BACK ON THE RADIO AND SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'THAT WAS NOT A GENUINE EMER CALL, REPEAT, NEGATIVE EMER!' A VOICE ON THE OTHER END CAME BACK, ASKING ABOUT AN ACFT GOING DOWN NEAR BOONTON RESERVOIR. I REPEATED 'NEGATIVE EMER, THERE IS NO EMER OVER BOONTON' TO WHICH THE VOICE REPLIED, 'UNDERSTAND NO EMER OVER BOONTON,' AND I CONFIRMED THIS. WE HEADED BACK TO CALDWELL, AND I SPENT THE NEXT HR WATCHING FOR HELIS OUT TO THE W. NONE CAME, TO MY KNOWLEDGE. FOR THE FIRST TIME, AFTER MANY SIMULATED EMERS, I ACTUALLY DIALED IN 121.5. I SHALL NEVER DO SO AGAIN. I AM USED TO USING THE PUSH TO TALK SWITCH, SO I GUESS I WAS CLUMSY WHEN I PICKED UP THE HANDHELD AND INADVERTENTLY DEPRESSED THE SWITCH. I SHALL BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE. (*WHICH I NEVER USE IN SIMULATED EMERS, SINCE AN ACTUAL RADIO CALL IS OBVIOUSLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MADE. I GUESS I WAS JUST STRIVING FOR REALISM, BECAUSE THAT DAY WE WERE USING THE HANDHELD FOR REAL COMS.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.