Some years ago I was over eastern PA in IMC and had the alternater
fail. I told NY Center I wanted to land at Lancaster because of the
failure, and I was specifically asked if I wanted to declare an
emergency. Of course it wasn't one, and I made no such demand, but
understood that if I said that word they could clear traffic more
aggressively than having to fit me into the approach patterns like a
normal IFR arrivial.

So they do ask, sometimes. Sometimes it's a CYA thing, but I think
much more often it's ATC trying to understand how serious the problem
is.


On Feb 25, 8:49 am, "Steven P. McNicoll"
wrote:
"C J Campbell" wrote in avecable.com...



Maybe Steve can elucidate what it means when ATC asks you if you would
like to declare an emergency and what happens when you do. I think at
least
part of it is calling out the emergency equipment on the ground.

I can't personally recall a controller asking a pilot if he'd like to
declare an emergency. I don't believe FAAO 7110.65 ever directs a
controller to ask a pilot if he'd like to declare an emergency. It does say
an emergency can be declared by the controller as well as a pilot. Pilots
are often hesitant to declare an emergency, but I've never known a
controller to be. In situations that have the properties of an emergency
ATC tends to treat it as an emergency without advising the pilot.