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The Department of Airspace Control (DECEA) is the Central Organization of the Brazilian Aeronautical Search and Rescue System (SISSAR), represented by its Director General. DECEA is responsible for the management, regulation, supervision and planning of Aeronautical SAR Services within the Search and Rescue Region (SRR) under Brazilian responsibility.
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Department of Airspace Control (DECEA)
Postal Address: Departamento de Controle do Espaço Aéreo Subdepartamento de Operações (SDOP) Avenida General Justo, 160 Aeroporto Santos Dumont CEP 20021-130 – Rio de Janeiro – RJ – Brasil TEL: +55 (21) 2101-6936 +55 (21) 2101-6114 Home page: https://www.decea.mil.br/ AFTN: SBRJYGYO Administrative SDOPCEA The responsability for provision of an aeronautical SAR service within SRR under Brazilian jurisdiction is one of the stablished Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centers (ARCC). The addresses and contacts of ARCC are: |
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The applied procedures are the contained in the Convention on International Civil Aviation (CACI) Annex 12 and its supplement Doc. 9731-AN/958 – International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual (IAMSAR).
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Brazilian Aeronautical SRR has its limits coinciding with the Flight Information Regions (FIR) in the entire region prescribed by Doc. 8733/ANP/CAR/SAM - Air Navigation Plan - Regions of the Caribbean and South America, as shown below.
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The Brazilian Aeronautical SAR functions as a system, by interrelating various organizations, aiming at the rational and efficient use of Search and Rescue resources, without the need to maintain a structure for exclusive use. The resources of the Brazilian Air Force Organizations are engaged in the Search and Rescue Operations, as well as the Brazilian Army Organizations and Brazilian Navy ships, are available if need be.
LOCATION OF SEARCH AND RESCUE (SRU) UNITS The SAR Units (SRU) available to meet Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Operations are located at: |
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SAR facilities table legend:
PRU – Parachute rescue units. ELR (extra long range aircraft) – aircraft with a radius of action equal or greater than 2,780 Km (1,500NM), plus 2 ½ hours search remaining. MRG (medium range aircraft) – aircraft with a radius of action of 740 Km (400 NM), plus 2 ½ hours search remaining. HEL-L (Light Helicopter) - Light helicopters with a radius of action for search purposes up to 185 Km (100 NM) and capacity for evacuating 1 to 5 people. HEL-M (Medium Helicopter) – medium helicopters with a radius of action for search purposes of 185/370 Km (100/ 200NM) and a capacity for evacuating 6 to 15 people. HEL-H (Heavy Helicopter) – heavy helicopters with a radius of action for search purposes of more than 370 km (200NM) and a capacity for evacuating more than 15 people. RV (rescue vessel) – seagoing craft, good manoeuvrability, long range and relatively high speed. Patrol boats, customs and pilot launches, among others, are of particular value if assigned as high priority for search and rescue operations. RB (Rescue boat) – short-range coastal or river craft with an approximate speed of 14 knots or higher. |
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COSPAS-SARSAT GROUND SEGMENT PROVIDER
Brazil participates in the COSPAS-SARSAT System as a Ground Segment Provider, having as its main unit the COSPAS-SARSAT Brazilian Mission Control Center (BRMCC), whose mission is to process, validate and transmit distress data to aeronautical and maritime RCC, SPOC and other MCC. |
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ELT/PLB REGISTRATION
All Brazilian aircraft 406 MHz beacons must be registered at the BRMCC. The owner or operator of aircraft or ultralight must fill the registration form in accordance with the instructions available on the home page listed below. All emergency beacons with Brazilian code used on aircraft, as well as SPOT, in accordance with Ordinance n° 8795/SPO paragraph 91207 (a)(5) of RBAC n° 91, must be registered in the BRMCC database. The owner or operator must complete the registration form as instructed on the website: infosar.decea.mil.br |
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* somente para mensagens automatizadas do sistema COSPAS-SARSAT * only for automated messages in the COSPAS-SARSAT System ** somente para mensagens administrativas **only for administrative messages |
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The emergency frequencies used to transmit and receive distress messages from an aircraft and/or a vessel requesting an immediate assistance are the following:
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The Operating Agreements signed between the Brazilian Department of the Airspace Control (DECEA) and the authorities of the Rescue Coordination Centers in neighboring States seek to meet international standards of cooperation provided in Annex 12 to OACI, in order to retrieve persons in distress.
Brazil has signed and ratified the SICOFAA Multilateral SAR Agreement. The Aeronautical SAR System (SISSAR) has an operating agreement with the Brazilian Navy (MB) for mutual assistance to a search and rescue operation. Interoperability and joint efforts between the SISSAR and Brazilian Navy guarantee prompt response to a request for help both on land and at sea. All effective operating agreements can be found in option PUBLICATIONS, only in Portuguese, following the web link: https://publicacoes.decea.gov.br/ |
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NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR FOREIGN SEARCH AND RESCUE UNITS (SRU) TO GET INTO BRAZILIAN TERRITORY:
The authorization for military aircraft, foreign civil public or private aircraft to enter into Brazilian territory in order to execute Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations will be granted under the following conditions:
On being authorized the inflow of foreign resource for the accomplishment of SAR Operation in Brazil, the holder of the resource shall send to EMAER the data necessary to the emission of the authorization for flight through Brazilian airspace by proper diplomatic means. The SAR resources made available by neighboring States will be applied by the Brazilian ARCC responsible for the SAR Operation, through close coordination with RCC or the authority which has provided it. |
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The Brazilian Aeronautical Search and Rescue Service is available to respond to requests from other countries, in accordance with the provisions of ICAO Annex 12 and has air resources, ground teams and specialized parachutists trained to perform SAR functions, upon prior request made to DECEA.
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The Department of Airspace Control adopts the standards, recommended methods and procedures contained in ICAO Annex 12 and Doc. 9731-AN/958- International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual - IAMSAR (IMO/ICAO).
EMERGENCY SIGNALS AND WORDS USED There are three spoken emergency signals used by aircraft: |
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DISTRESS SIGNAL
- MAYDAY (pronounced M’AIDER) is used to indicate that a mobile aircraft is in imminent distress and requires immediate assistance; and - has priority over all other communications. |
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URGENCY SIGNAL
- PAN-PAN (pronounced PAHN-PAHN) is used when the safety of a mobile aircraft is in jeopardy. - The urgency signal PAN-PAN should be used when an unsafe situation exists that may eventually involve a need for assistance; and - has priority over all but distress traffic. |
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SAFETY SIGNAL
- SECURITY (pronounced SECURITAY) is used for messages concerning safety of navigation or giving important meteorological warnings. Any message headed by one of these signals has precedence over routine messages. -The signal is usually repeated three times at the beginning of the message. A pilot-in-command in distress situation should declare a distress condition using the MAYDAY signal. For a more detailed listing of procedural words to use, refer to the International Code of Signals. |
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METHODS OF ALERT
DISTRESS ALERT FROM AN AIRCRAFT The aircraft would normally notify an ATS unit, which should notify the ARCC. Use the frequency 121.5 MHz if there is no response on the assigned en-route frequency: ELT and PLB The ELT and PLB are means to send emergency signals, intended for use with COSPAS-SARSAT System satellites, to alert SAR authorities to a distress situation. The ELT transmits a signal, activated automatically or manually, that alerts SAR authorities and allows rescue facilities to home in on the distressed aircraft. The PLB can also be used in ultralight aircraft to send distress alerts. It is regulated by specific legislation (AIC N 02/2014) and must be registered in BRMCC. |
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WHEREVER A DISTRESS CALL OR MESSAGE IS INTERCEPTED:
- plot the position of the aircraft in distress, if given; - if possible, take a bearing on transmission; - proceed to the position given by the aircraft in distress; - in addition, compliance with communications procedures as required. |
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NOTE 1: For communications during the search and rescue operations the codes and abbreviations published in Doc. 8400/3 - ICAO Abbreviations and Codes are used.
NOTE 2: Information concerning VHF direction-finding stations (VHF-DF), such as: station names, frequencies, hours of operation, locations, procedures and call signs are published in GEN 3.4-3 (item 3.7), ENR 1.1-2 (item 7, sub items 7.1 to 7.5) and AD 2 SBNT and SBEG (item 2.18). NOTE 3: The aeronautical stations will maintain permanent listening watch on the international emergency frequency 121.50 MHZ. |
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SIGNALS USED FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE
The search and rescue signals used are those specified in Annex 12, chapter 5, paragraph 5-8 and Appendix. The table below shows the ground-air visual signal codes to be used internationally. |
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