Ahmedabad Plane Crash: What Is 'Mayday' Call That Air India Pilot Issued Before Losing Contact With ATC?
While the pilot sent a Mayday call to ATC shortly after takeoff, there was no response to ATC’s subsequent calls to the flight.
The Air India flight with 242 passengers onboard that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday sent a 'Mayday' call to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) immediately after take-off. The London-bound Boeing aircraft crashed in the Meghaninagar area moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport.
While the pilot sent a Mayday call to ATC shortly after takeoff, ATC did not get any response to its subsequent calls to the aircraft. A frantic search and rescue operation is underway at the accident site, with many casualties feared.
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said, “As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from Runway 23. It gave a MAYDAY call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC. The aircraft, immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site.”
The flight was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar, the DGCA confirmed.
What Is A Mayday Call?
In the aviation industry, "Mayday" is a distress call used by pilots and mariners when they believe that there is imminent danger and they need immediate assistance. This can happen during incidents of engine failure, fire or imminent crash.
This call is crucial for summoning assistance and is an internationally recognised signal system for aviation emergencies.
According to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, the protocol to seek assistance during ‘Mayday’ situations follows a standard content format.
First, the pilot is supposed to say ‘Mayday’ thrice. This is followed by the name of the station, call sign, type of aircraft and the nature of the emergency. After this, the aircraft is supposed to communicate the intention of the pilot in command, altitude, pilot qualification and any other details that might be necessary.
“Using this format will advise others of who you are, where you are, what the emergency is and how you plan to deal with it,” the UK CAA guidelines suggest.
Meanwhile, ‘Mayday out’ is a phrase used to end a distress transmission.
