What Does “Mayday” Call Mean, Why Pilots Use It
What Is Mayday Call ? A major plane crash occurred at Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat this afternoon. Air India flight AI-171, bound for London, crashed seconds after takeoff. The plane was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
Two minutes after the flight took off at 1:38 pm, an explosion occurred on the plane near the airport boundary. It crashed near the Air Customs Cargo Office. As soon as the flight started, the pilot made a Mayday call to ATC (Air Traffic Control), but after that, communication with the plane was lost. Now the question arises, what is this Mayday call?
What is a Mayday call?
When a pilot or captain of an aircraft face a very serious problem, such as a mechanical failure, fire or imminent crash, he or she says ‘Mayday, Mayday, Mayday’ on the radio. This call has been decided internationally, indicating that there is a threat to life and immediate assistance is required.
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What is the story behind the word ‘Mayday’?
The term originated in 1923 at Croydon Airport in London. It was coined by Frederick McFadden, a radio officer there. He derived it from the French word ‘m’aider’, which means “help me!” Later, in 1948, it was included in international law, so that pilots from every country could use the same word in an emergency
Not just pilots, who else uses it?
Mede is not just for aircraft. It is also used by seaplanes, fire brigades, police and road transport agencies in many countries. Sometimes it also happens that the radio of the aircraft or ship in trouble is not working. Then another aircraft or ship relays the Mede call on its behalf. In countries like the US, if someone makes a false Mede call, he can be imprisoned for 6 years and fined up to 2.5 lakh dollars (about 2 crore rupees).
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