What's 'Mayday' call that Air India pilot issued before crash
What's the story
An Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday afternoon.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which had 242 people on board, reportedly failed to climb and went down around 1:38pm, crashing into a building and exploding.
All have been reported dead.
Just before the aircraft lost contact, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal issued a "Mayday" call to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.
Distress signal
What is a 'Mayday' call?
A "Mayday" call is an internationally recognized distress signal used in aviation and maritime communication to indicate a life-threatening emergency.
The term originates from the French phrase "m'aider," meaning "help me." It was first introduced in the 1920s and has since become standard protocol worldwide.
The call is always repeated three times ("Mayday, Mayday, Mayday") to ensure clarity, especially over noisy or poor-quality radio transmissions.
Caller
When is the call made?
The "Mayday" call is made by the person in command of a vehicle or vessel—usually a pilot or ship's captain—when facing a severe emergency.
This could include engine failure, onboard fire, loss of control, or any other situation threatening the safety of the aircraft/ship and its occupants.
In aviation, pilots communicate "Mayday" calls to ATC over radio; however, another nearby aircraft/ship may also relay it if the original caller loses communication.
Protocol
What happens next?
Once a "Mayday" call is made, all radio traffic on that frequency is cleared. The distressed person then provides their location, the nature of the emergency, and other key details.
ATC or emergency services then take over with rescue coordination.
In the Air India plane crash case, shortly after the pilot gave a MAYDAY call, ATC called back; however, the aircraft did not respond to any subsequent calls from ATC.
Incident details
Flight was heavily fueled for long-haul London journey
Aviation expert Sanjay Lazar told NDTV the aircraft suffered a "catastrophic failure to climb," losing control at just 825 feet above ground.
The Dreamliner was heavily fueled for the long-haul flight to London, which likely worsened the explosion on impact.
The plane crashed on top of the dining area of BJ Medical College hostel, killing five students as well.