diff --git a/error.vue b/error.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..065bc33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/error.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+<template>
+  <v-app>
+    <v-main class="error-page">
+      <v-container class="fill-height d-flex flex-column align-center justify-center text-center">
+        <div class="squawk-badge">
+          <span class="squawk-label">Squawk</span>
+          <span class="squawk-value">{{ displayCode }}</span>
+        </div>
+        <v-card class="atc-card pa-8 mt-8" max-width="640" elevation="16">
+          <p class="text-overline text-secondary">ATC TRANSMISSION</p>
+          <h1 class="text-h4 text-white font-weight-bold mt-2">Are you ready to copy a number?</h1>
+          <p class="text-body-2 text-medium-emphasis mt-3">
+            {{ introLine }}
+          </p>
+          <div class="conversation mt-6">
+            <p class="conversation-line">
+              <span class="speaker atc">ATC</span>
+              <span class="message">OpenSquawk flight, confirm ready to copy.</span>
+            </p>
+            <p class="conversation-line">
+              <span class="speaker pilot">Pilot</span>
+              <span class="message">Ready when you are.</span>
+            </p>
+            <p class="conversation-line">
+              <span class="speaker atc">ATC</span>
+              <span class="message">Squawk <span class="code">{{ displayCode }}</span>.</span>
+            </p>
+            <p class="conversation-line">
+              <span class="speaker pilot">Pilot</span>
+              <span class="message">{{ pilotResponse }}</span>
+            </p>
+          </div>
+          <v-alert
+            v-if="!is404"
+            type="warning"
+            variant="tonal"
+            density="comfortable"
+            border="start"
+            border-color="warning"
+            class="mt-6 text-left"
+          >
+            {{ statusMessage }}
+          </v-alert>
+          <v-btn
+            color="primary"
+            size="large"
+            class="mt-8"
+            prepend-icon="mdi-home"
+            @click="handleReturn"
+          >
+            Return to base
+          </v-btn>
+        </v-card>
+        <p class="mt-8 text-medium-emphasis status-footnote">
+          {{ statusHint }}
+        </p>
+      </v-container>
+    </v-main>
+  </v-app>
+</template>
+
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import { computed } from 'vue';
+import type { NuxtError } from '#app';
+import { clearError } from '#app';
+
+const props = defineProps<{ error: NuxtError }>();
+
+const statusCode = computed(() => {
+  const code = props.error?.statusCode ?? 500;
+  const parsed = Number(code);
+  return Number.isFinite(parsed) ? parsed : 500;
+});
+
+const is404 = computed(() => statusCode.value === 404);
+const displayCode = computed(() => (is404.value ? '4040' : statusCode.value.toString()));
+const statusMessage = computed(
+  () =>
+    props.error?.message ||
+    props.error?.statusMessage ||
+    'An unexpected error grounded this request.'
+);
+
+const introLine = computed(() =>
+  is404.value
+    ? "We couldn't find that frequency in our airspace. Let's vector you somewhere safe."
+    : 'Something caused a little turbulence, but the tower is already on it.'
+);
+
+const pilotResponse = computed(() =>
+  is404.value
+    ? `Squawking ${displayCode.value}. Looks like that channel is dark.`
+    : `Squawking ${displayCode.value}. Holding short while we investigate.`
+);
+
+const statusHint = computed(() =>
+  is404.value
+    ? 'Status 404: This page never checked in with ATC. Double-check the address or head back home.'
+    : `Status ${statusCode.value}: ${statusMessage.value}`
+);
+
+const handleReturn = () => {
+  clearError({ redirect: '/' });
+};
+</script>
+
+<style scoped>
+.error-page {
+  background:
+    radial-gradient(circle at 15% 20%, rgba(34, 211, 238, 0.18), transparent 55%),
+    radial-gradient(circle at 80% 0%, rgba(14, 165, 233, 0.15), transparent 65%),
+    linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(7, 12, 26, 0.95) 0%, rgba(7, 9, 18, 0.98) 100%);
+  color: #ffffff;
+}
+
+.squawk-badge {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.75rem;
+  padding: 0.5rem 1.5rem;
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  border: 1px solid rgba(34, 211, 238, 0.4);
+  background: rgba(10, 15, 28, 0.65);
+  backdrop-filter: blur(12px);
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  letter-spacing: 0.4em;
+  font-size: 0.75rem;
+  color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.75);
+}
+
+.squawk-label {
+  font-weight: 600;
+  letter-spacing: 0.35em;
+}
+
+.squawk-value {
+  font-family: 'Space Mono', 'Roboto Mono', monospace;
+  font-size: 1.5rem;
+  letter-spacing: 0.05em;
+  color: #22d3ee;
+}
+
+.atc-card {
+  background: rgba(9, 14, 28, 0.86);
+  backdrop-filter: blur(18px);
+  border: 1px solid rgba(34, 211, 238, 0.12);
+  box-shadow: 0 30px 60px rgba(1, 5, 16, 0.6);
+}
+
+.conversation {
+  border-left: 2px solid rgba(34, 211, 238, 0.25);
+  padding-left: 1.5rem;
+}
+
+.conversation-line {
+  display: flex;
+  gap: 1rem;
+  align-items: baseline;
+  margin-bottom: 0.75rem;
+  text-align: left;
+}
+
+.conversation-line:last-child {
+  margin-bottom: 0;
+}
+
+.speaker {
+  font-size: 0.75rem;
+  letter-spacing: 0.2em;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  min-width: 3.5rem;
+}
+
+.speaker.atc {
+  color: #22d3ee;
+}
+
+.speaker.pilot {
+  color: #fbbf24;
+}
+
+.message {
+  flex: 1;
+  color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);
+}
+
+.code {
+  font-family: 'Space Mono', 'Roboto Mono', monospace;
+  color: #22d3ee;
+  font-size: 1.15em;
+}
+
+.status-footnote {
+  max-width: 520px;
+  line-height: 1.6;
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 600px) {
+  .atc-card {
+    padding: 2rem !important;
+  }
+
+  .conversation {
+    padding-left: 1rem;
+  }
+
+  .speaker {
+    min-width: 3rem;
+    letter-spacing: 0.15em;
+  }
+}
+</style>