The Origin of a Universal Distress Call
The term "Mayday" was conceived in the 1920s by Frederick Stanley Mockford, a senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London. At the time, air traffic between Britain and France was increasing, and he was tasked with finding a distress word that would be easily understood by both English and French-speaking pilots. He proposed "Mayday," a phonetic approximation of the French phrase "m'aider," which translates to "help me." The term was adopted for international radio communications in 1923 and was formally recognized by the International Radiotelegraph Convention in 1927 as the spoken equivalent of the Morse code signal "SOS."
Declaring an Emergency
When a flight crew declares a Mayday, they repeat the word three times—"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday"—to ensure the transmission is clear and not mistaken for a routine message. This broadcast signals to all other aircraft and air traffic control (ATC) to cease non-essential radio traffic, giving the distressed aircraft sole priority on the frequency.
Immediately following the Mayday declaration, the pilots convey crucial information to ATC. This typically includes:
- The aircraft's call sign.
- Its precise location.
- The specific nature of the emergency.
- The number of people on board.
- The intentions or requests of the flight crew.
This rapid, clear communication is designed to give rescue and emergency services the vital details they need to mount an immediate and effective response.
Significance in the Air India Crash
The Mayday call from Air India flight AI171, which was carrying 242 people, confirmed that the crew was faced with a sudden and critical event shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad. The issuance of this ultimate distress signal instantly triggered emergency protocols on the ground, dispatching fire, medical, and security services to the eventual crash site. While the call itself signals a situation of extreme peril, its primary function is to activate a lifeline, ensuring that when the worst happens, a coordinated response is already underway.
