Why do planes say souls on board?

When an air traffic controller asks a pilot, during an emergency, for the number of souls on board, it communicates to the pilot that the controller and pilot are focusing extra hard together on solving the emergency successfully, and that one word tells the pilot that the controller is going to be marshalling …

Why are ship passengers called souls?

The term “souls” is used because the International Morse Code Distress Signal SOS (Save Our Soul) but in fact the correct term in aviation is POB (Person(s) On Board). See item 19 of an ICAO Flight Plan. Because it succinctly accounts for flight deck crew, cabin crew and passengers in total.

Do animals count as souls on board?

The FAA, in an Advisory Circular in 2008, defined “souls on board” as the “total number of passengers and crew” to the exclusion of animals because they are “cargo.”

Where did the term souls on board come from?

A vessel responding to a sinking ship needed to know how many “humanoid life-forms” there were on the sinking ship so they could tell when they had found everybody. As noted above, “person” or “people” might exclude slaves or servants in some situations whereas the term “souls” would mean every human on board.

When do pilots say there are 155 souls on board?

“There are 155 souls on board” The number of “souls” on an aircraft refers to the total living bodies on the plane: every passenger, pilot, flight attendant and crew member, according to Lord-Jones. Pilots often report the number of “souls” when declaring an emergency, she says, so rescuers know the amount of people to search for.

What does the number of Souls on a plane mean?

The number of “souls” on an aircraft refers to the total living bodies on the plane: every passenger, pilot, flight attendant and crew member, according to Lord-Jones. Pilots often report the number of “souls” when declaring an emergency, she says, so rescuers know the amount of people to search for.

What does it mean to say souls on board?

It is the standard terminology, and when you file any flight plan that’s the term for number of people on the plane; but when you hear it said out loud by a controller it’s usually a bad sign. It fills me with dread.) ATC: Say fuel remaining.

Why does the air traffic controller ask the number of Souls on board?

When an air traffic controller asks a pilot, during an emergency, for the number of souls on board, it communicates to the pilot that the controller and pilot are focusing extra hard together on solving the emergency successfully, and that one word tells the pilot that the controller is going to be marshalling resources to help in every…