What is a Mayday call that Air India pilot issued moments before Ahmedabad crash?

The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar.

A London-bound Air India plane with 242 passengers crashed in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad on Thursday. The chances of finding any survivors are very slim, said the local authorities. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that a team has been rushed to the spot for investigation.

Firefighting operation underway at the site where an Air India plane, B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, crashed.(ANI)

"On 12th June, 2025, Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad. There were 242 people on board the aircraft, consisting of 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew," said a senior DGCA official.

The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8200 hours of experience. The copilot had 1100 hours of flying experience, the official further added. The officers gave a mayday call to ATC minutes after taking off. However, they didn't respond to ATC's reply.

What's a Mayday call?

Mayday is an internationally recognised emergency word which is used to send a distress signal to air traffic control. It is mostly used by aircraft pilots and ship captains to send an emergency signal in case their vessel is on the verge of destruction. It alerts rescue authorities.

According to established conventions, a pilot or a mariner in duress needs to repeat the word three times in a row (Mayday, Mayday, Mayday) to trigger emergency response protocol.

History of Mayday

The mayday word was conceived as a distress call in the early 1920s by Frederick Stanley Mockford, officer-in-charge of radio at Croydon Airport, England. The word was derived from the French word m'aider, which means "come and help me".

The new word was incorporated for cross-channel flights in 1923. It replaced the previous distress call, which was the Morse code signal SOS.

What happens after Mayday call?

The Mayday call is issued by the person in command of an aircraft or a vessel in cases of severe emergency. These situations include engine failure, fire or any accident that threatens the safety and integrity of the aircraft or a ship.

After the protocol is initiated, radio traffic on the frequency is cleared for better communication, and the person who gave the Mayday call provides details of the emergency and their location. Then the authorities rush rescue and relief teams to the spot of the accident. This call makes it easier for the authorities to send rescue teams and make other arrangements for potential casualties.