feat(layers): highlight aircraft broadcasting a transponder emergency

Flights and Military Flights tint aircraft red while the latest poll
carries squawk 7500/7600/7700 or an adsb.lol ADS-B emergency status
(general/unlawful/nordo/downed). Minimum-fuel and lifeguard priorities
are reported but not tinted. The Cockpit HUD aircraft-meta line names
the broadcast code in red. The status is not sticky: a cleared code
stops highlighting on the next refresh.

The analyst/voice query engine gains squawk, emergency and
emergencyKind fields. No new source or request: OpenSky state vectors
already carry the squawk and adsb.lol/readsb carries both fields.

Built by the Hex project (Crew Leo Agile dev team).

Co-Authored-By: Claude <[email protected]>

src/layers/flights/policy.js

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ export {
   ERROR_BACKOFF_INTERVAL,
 } from './recordPolicy.js';
 import * as Cesium from 'cesium';
+import { EMERGENCY_TINT_CSS } from '../../data/aircraftEmergency.js';
 
 export const FOCUS_EVIDENCE_DEV = import.meta.env?.DEV === true;
 
@@ -14,6 +15,11 @@ export const FOCUS_EVIDENCE_DEV = import.meta.env?.DEV === true;
 
 export const MIL_TINT = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString('#FFB800');
 
+/** Red tint for aircraft broadcasting an emergency (7500/7600/7700 or ADS-B status). */
+
+export const EMERGENCY_TINT =
+  Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString(EMERGENCY_TINT_CSS);
+
 // --- Ground traffic (owner reversal 2026-07-03: "absolutely we should see planes
 // taxiing and landing") -----------------------------------------------------------
 // Present-but-grounded planes are RENDERED instead of being skipped: same class

src/layers/flights/queries.js

@@ -167,6 +167,9 @@ export function createQueries({
         flightState.records.missingPolls.get(icao24) ||
         flightState.feed._backoff,
       ),
+      // This poll's transponder broadcast (not sticky; see records.js).
+      squawk: info?.squawk ?? null,
+      emergency: info?.emergency ? { ...info.emergency } : null,
       airline: info?.airline ?? null,
       // CLASS label follows the TR-3B conversion so every downstream card
       // (cockpit, Contacts, analyst) agrees with the triangle on screen.
@@ -219,7 +222,9 @@ export function createQueries({
    *   lon: number|null, altitudeM: number|null, speedMps: number|null,
    *   heading: number|null, verticalRateMps: number|null, onGround: boolean,
    *   military: boolean, aircraftClass: string|null, originCountry: string|null,
-   *   operator: string|null, routeOrigin: string|null, routeDestination: string|null}}
+   *   operator: string|null, squawk: string|null, emergency: boolean,
+   *   emergencyKind: string|null, routeOrigin: string|null,
+   *   routeDestination: string|null}}
    */
 
   function mapAnalystRecord(
@@ -253,6 +258,12 @@ export function createQueries({
       aircraftClass: tr3bAircraftClass(icao24, text(info?.klass)),
       originCountry: text(info?.originCountry),
       operator: text(info?.airline),
+      squawk: text(info?.squawk),
+      // True while this poll broadcast an emergency (7500/7600/7700 or the
+      // ADS-B status); priority statuses (lifeguard, minfuel) report the kind
+      // without the flag.
+      emergency: info?.emergency?.severity === 'emergency',
+      emergencyKind: text(info?.emergency?.kind),
       routeOrigin: routeOk ? text(info?.route?.origin?.code) : null,
       routeDestination: routeOk ? text(info?.route?.destination?.code) : null,
     };

src/layers/flights/records.js

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   pickRenderAltitudeM,
 } from '../../data/renderAltitude.js';
 import { classifyAircraft } from '../../data/aircraftClass.js';
+import { aircraftEmergency } from '../../data/aircraftEmergency.js';
 import {
   approxDistanceKm,
   GROUND_FLOOR_CLAMP_RADIUS_KM,
@@ -226,6 +227,10 @@ export class FlightRecords {
       // like callsign so a transient blank row doesn't blank the field.
       originCountry:
         stickyText(origin_country, prevMeta?.originCountry) || null,
+      // Per poll, NOT sticky: an emergency code clears when the crew resets
+      // it, so a blank squawk must not hold a stale 7700 on screen.
+      squawk: observation.squawk ?? null,
+      emergency: aircraftEmergency(observation),
       // OpenSky distinguishes the last position epoch from the last
       // transponder message. The fleet coast horizon uses this actual
       // contact time so a temporarily old position does not hard-freeze

src/layers/flights/records.test.mjs

@@ -106,3 +106,13 @@ test('ground transitions preserve last render height while a surface cell is col
   assert.equal(next.meta.renderAltitudeM, 1040);
   assert.equal(next.meta.wasAirborne, true);
 });
+
+test('civil emergency status follows the latest poll instead of sticking', () => {
+  const store = records();
+  const first = store.receive(observation({ squawk: '7700' }), view());
+  assert.equal(first.meta.squawk, '7700');
+  assert.equal(first.meta.emergency.kind, 'general');
+  const next = store.receive(observation({ squawk: '2000' }), view());
+  assert.equal(next.meta.squawk, '2000');
+  assert.equal(next.meta.emergency, null);
+});

src/layers/flights/rendering.js

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { cyberSonarBaseAlpha } from '../../cyberSonar.js';
 import { selectModelEligible } from '../../data/modelEligibility.js';
 import { civilAircraftModelSpec } from './modelSpec.js';
 import { CLASS_SCALE_2D } from '../../data/aircraftClass.js';
+import { isEmergency } from '../../data/aircraftEmergency.js';
 import { cockpitContactDotImage } from '../../data/cockpitContactDot.js';
 import { aircraftIcon, TRACKED_ICON_PX } from '../../data/aircraftIcons.js';
 import {
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import {
 import { limitCourseStep, courseSlewCapDps } from '../../data/motionModel.js';
 import {
   MIL_TINT,
+  EMERGENCY_TINT,
   GROUND_SCALE,
   COCKPIT_CONTACT_SIZE_PX,
   COCKPIT_CIVILIAN_COLOR,
@@ -54,13 +56,28 @@ export function createRendering({
   const { applyAircraftBillboardTreatment, applyAircraftModelTreatment } =
     services.recession;
 
-  /** Fleet (untracked) billboard tint: amber for known-military, white otherwise.
+  /** True while this contact's latest poll broadcast an emergency code. */
+
+  function _isEmergency(icao24) {
+    return isEmergency(flightState.records.data.get(icao24)?.emergency);
+  }
+
+  /** Fleet (untracked) billboard tint: red while broadcasting an emergency,
+   *  amber for known-military, white otherwise.
    *  Ground traffic gets NO special tint (owner verdict 2026-07-03 field test). */
 
   function _fleetBillboardColor(icao24) {
+    if (_isEmergency(icao24)) return EMERGENCY_TINT;
     return isMilitaryIcao(icao24) ? MIL_TINT : Cesium.Color.WHITE;
   }
 
+  /** Cockpit far-contact dot tint: the emergency red outranks the category tint. */
+
+  function _cockpitContactColor(icao24) {
+    if (_isEmergency(icao24)) return EMERGENCY_TINT;
+    return isMilitaryIcao(icao24) ? MIL_TINT : COCKPIT_CIVILIAN_COLOR;
+  }
+
   /** Fleet billboard scale: per-class scale, ×GROUND_SCALE while grounded. */
 
   function _fleetBillboardScale(icao24, klass) {
@@ -129,9 +146,7 @@ export function createRendering({
       bb.height = COCKPIT_CONTACT_SIZE_PX;
       bb.scale = limbScale;
       bb.scaleByDistance = _cockpitBillboardScaleByDistance();
-      bb.color = (
-        isMilitaryIcao(icao24) ? MIL_TINT : COCKPIT_CIVILIAN_COLOR
-      ).withAlpha(freshnessAlpha);
+      bb.color = _cockpitContactColor(icao24).withAlpha(freshnessAlpha);
       bb.rotation = 0;
       return;
     }
@@ -162,7 +177,7 @@ export function createRendering({
 
   function _modelColor(icao24) {
     if (icao24 === flightState._trackedIcao) return Cesium.Color.CYAN;
-    return isMilitaryIcao(icao24) ? MIL_TINT : Cesium.Color.WHITE;
+    return _fleetBillboardColor(icao24);
   }
 
   /** The FLEET's 3D-model regime: models3d enabled AND the camera zoomed in past the altitude
@@ -1009,9 +1024,7 @@ export function createRendering({
         flightState._cockpitNearContacts.has(icao24);
       const layerBaseColor =
         flightState._cockpitContactMode && !isCockpitNear
-          ? isMilitaryIcao(icao24)
-            ? MIL_TINT
-            : COCKPIT_CIVILIAN_COLOR
+          ? _cockpitContactColor(icao24)
           : _fleetBillboardColor(icao24);
       const baseColor = layerBaseColor;
       const treatment = applyAircraftBillboardTreatment({

src/layers/military/policy.js

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export {
   ERROR_BACKOFF_INTERVAL,
 } from './recordPolicy.js';
 import * as Cesium from 'cesium';
+import { EMERGENCY_TINT_CSS } from '../../data/aircraftEmergency.js';
 
 /**
  * @module militaryFlights
@@ -40,6 +41,11 @@ export const MIL_ICON_COLOR = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString('#FFB800');
 
 export const TRACKED_ICON_COLOR = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString('#FFD166');
 
+/** @constant {Cesium.Color} Red tint for aircraft broadcasting an emergency (mirror of flights) */
+
+export const EMERGENCY_ICON_COLOR =
+  Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString(EMERGENCY_TINT_CSS);
+
 // --- Ground traffic (owner reversal 2026-07-03; mirror of flights.js) ---------------
 // adsb.lol/readsb flags ground traffic with alt_baro === "ground" (no separate
 // boolean). Such aircraft are RENDERED instead of floating at the 3 km altitude

src/layers/military/queries.js

@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ export function createQueries({
         flightState.records.missingPolls.get(icao24) ||
         flightState.feed._backoff,
       ),
+      // This poll's transponder broadcast (not sticky; see records.js).
+      squawk: info?.squawk ?? null,
+      emergency: info?.emergency ? { ...info.emergency } : null,
     };
   }
 
@@ -156,7 +159,8 @@ export function createQueries({
    *   lon: number|null, altitudeM: number|null, speedMps: number|null,
    *   heading: number|null, verticalRateMps: number|null, onGround: boolean,
    *   military: boolean, aircraftClass: string|null, originCountry: null,
-   *   operator: string|null, routeOrigin: null, routeDestination: null}}
+   *   operator: string|null, squawk: string|null, emergency: boolean,
+   *   emergencyKind: string|null, routeOrigin: null, routeDestination: null}}
    */
 
   function mapAnalystRecord(icao24, info) {
@@ -187,6 +191,12 @@ export function createQueries({
       aircraftClass: tr3bAircraftClass(icao24, text(info?.klass)),
       originCountry: null,
       operator: text(info?.operator),
+      squawk: text(info?.squawk),
+      // True while this poll broadcast an emergency (7500/7600/7700 or the
+      // ADS-B status); priority statuses (lifeguard, minfuel) report the kind
+      // without the flag.
+      emergency: info?.emergency?.severity === 'emergency',
+      emergencyKind: text(info?.emergency?.kind),
       routeOrigin: null,
       routeDestination: null,
     };

src/layers/military/records.js

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { pickRenderAltitudeM } from '../../data/renderAltitude.js';
 import { stickyText, stickyNumber } from '../../data/aircraftMeta.js';
 import { classifyAircraft } from '../../data/aircraftClass.js';
+import { aircraftEmergency } from '../../data/aircraftEmergency.js';
 import {
   GROUND_FLOOR_WARM_MAX_ALT_M,
   LANDED_MISSING_POLL_LIMIT,
@@ -161,6 +162,9 @@ export class MilitaryFlightRecords {
         null,
       ),
       turnRateDps: prevMeta?.turnRateDps || 0,
+      // Per poll, NOT sticky (mirror of flights): a cleared code clears here.
+      squawk: aircraft.squawk ?? null,
+      emergency: aircraftEmergency(aircraft),
       onGround,
       // Round 7: sticky airborne history (see _likelyLanded).
       wasAirborne: prevMeta?.wasAirborne === true || !onGround,

src/layers/military/records.test.mjs

@@ -98,3 +98,19 @@ test('military records keep bounded partial retention and release metadata only
     'remove',
   );
 });
+
+test('military emergency status follows the latest poll instead of sticking', () => {
+  const records = store();
+  const first = records.receive(
+    observation({ squawk: '1234', emergency: 'minfuel' }),
+    context(),
+  );
+  assert.equal(first.meta.squawk, '1234');
+  assert.equal(first.meta.emergency.kind, 'minfuel');
+  assert.equal(first.meta.emergency.severity, 'priority');
+  const next = records.receive(
+    observation({ squawk: '1234', emergency: 'none' }),
+    context(),
+  );
+  assert.equal(next.meta.emergency, null);
+});

src/layers/military/rendering.js

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   screenProjectedRotation,
 } from '../../data/iconOrientation.js';
 import { limitCourseStep, courseSlewCapDps } from '../../data/motionModel.js';
+import { isEmergency } from '../../data/aircraftEmergency.js';
 import {
   PLANE_MODEL_SCALE,
   PLANE_MODEL_URL,
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import {
   COCKPIT_CONTACT_SIZE_PX,
   MIL_ICON_COLOR,
   TRACKED_ICON_COLOR,
+  EMERGENCY_ICON_COLOR,
   MODEL_ALT_CEIL_M,
   MODEL_MAX_ALL,
   MODEL_MAX,
@@ -159,7 +161,7 @@ export function createRendering({
       bb.height = COCKPIT_CONTACT_SIZE_PX;
       bb.scale = limbScale;
       bb.scaleByDistance = _cockpitBillboardScaleByDistance();
-      bb.color = MIL_ICON_COLOR.withAlpha(freshnessAlpha);
+      bb.color = _fleetBillboardColor(icao24).withAlpha(freshnessAlpha);
       bb.rotation = 0;
       return;
     }
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ export function createRendering({
     bb.height = icao24 === flightState._trackedIcao ? 24 : 20;
     bb.scale = _militaryBillboardScale(icao24) * limbScale;
     bb.scaleByDistance = _normalBillboardScaleByDistance();
-    bb.color = MIL_ICON_COLOR.withAlpha(cyberSonarBaseAlpha(bb));
+    bb.color = _fleetBillboardColor(icao24).withAlpha(cyberSonarBaseAlpha(bb));
   }
 
   /** Sprite kind for one contact's billboard. Identity for every aircraft except
@@ -189,7 +191,16 @@ export function createRendering({
 
   function _modelColor(icao24) {
     if (icao24 === flightState._trackedIcao) return TRACKED_ICON_COLOR;
-    return MIL_ICON_COLOR;
+    return _fleetBillboardColor(icao24);
+  }
+
+  /** Fleet (untracked) tint: red while the latest poll broadcast an emergency,
+   *  amber otherwise. Cockpit far-contact dots use it too. */
+
+  function _fleetBillboardColor(icao24) {
+    return isEmergency(flightState.records.data.get(icao24)?.emergency)
+      ? EMERGENCY_ICON_COLOR
+      : MIL_ICON_COLOR;
   }
 
   /** The FLEET's 3D-model regime: models3d enabled AND the camera zoomed in past the altitude
@@ -965,7 +976,7 @@ export function createRendering({
       const isCockpitNear =
         flightState._cockpitContactMode &&
         flightState._cockpitNearContacts.has(icao24);
-      const baseColor = MIL_ICON_COLOR;
+      const baseColor = _fleetBillboardColor(icao24);
       const treatment = applyAircraftBillboardTreatment({
         billboard: bb,
         baseScale:
@@ -1082,6 +1093,7 @@ export function createRendering({
     _applyFleetBillboardPresentation,
     _iconKind,
     _modelColor,
+    _fleetBillboardColor,
     _modelRegimeActive,
     _modelCap,
     _modelAddDistM,