Air India pilot gave Mayday Call to ATC seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad: What is Mayday call and what makes it important
Flight operations at Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have been temporarily halted. (PTI photo)
An
Air India
pilot issued a critical Mayday call to Air Traffic Control (ATC) just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, before the Boeing 787 aircraft carrying 242 people crashed in a residential area. The emergency signal, transmitted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal commanding Flight AI-171 bound for London Gatwick, marked the final communication before the aircraft went silent and plummeted to the ground at 1:39 PM IST.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that after the Mayday call was made, no further response was received from the aircraft despite repeated attempts by ATC to establish contact. The plane crashed outside the airport perimeter in Meghaninagar area, sending up massive plumes of black smoke and triggering immediate emergency response operations.
Ahmedabad plane crash: What is a Mayday call
A Mayday call represents the most urgent distress signal in aviation and maritime communications, reserved exclusively for life-threatening emergencies where immediate assistance is required. The internationally recognized emergency procedure word must be repeated three times consecutively – "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" – during the initial declaration to ensure clarity and priority handling.
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The term originated in the early 1920s when Frederick Stanley Mockford, a radio officer at London's Croydon Airport, developed it as a phonetic version of the French phrase "m'aider," meaning "help me." By 1927, the International Radiotelegraph Convention officially adopted "Mayday" alongside the Morse code "SOS" signal as the standard voice distress call for aircraft and vessels worldwide.
Ahmedabad plane crash: What is a Mayday call
Aviation professionals use Mayday calls in scenarios involving engine failures, severe weather encounters, structural malfunctions, fire emergencies, or critical medical situations aboard aircraft. The distress signal indicates that the aircraft faces "grave and imminent danger requiring immediate assistance," distinguishing it from less urgent "Pan-pan" calls used for mechanical problems or medical issues that don't immediately threaten lives.
Upon declaring Mayday, pilots typically provide essential information including aircraft identification, current position, nature of emergency, number of people aboard, fuel remaining, and specific assistance required. This standardized format enables air traffic controllers and rescue services to coordinate swift emergency response.
Ahmedabad plane crash: Critical emergency response protocol
When ATC receives a Mayday call, all non-urgent radio communications must immediately cease, giving absolute priority to the distressed aircraft. Air traffic controllers coordinate with emergency services, nearby airports, and other aircraft to provide maximum assistance and clear airspace for emergency procedures.
The Federal Aviation Administration encourages pilots to include weather conditions, pilot intentions, present position and heading, altitude, and any other relevant information that could aid rescue operations. Making false Mayday calls constitutes a criminal offense in most countries, punishable by fines and imprisonment.
In the Ahmedabad crash case, the prompt Mayday transmission demonstrated the flight crew's adherence to emergency procedures even in the aircraft's final moments, providing crucial information for investigators and emergency responders despite the tragic outcome.
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