Ahmedabad plane crash: Pilot issued Mayday call before crash; what is it, and when is it issued?

AHMEDABAD: The pilot of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday had issued a Mayday call before the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

The London-bound flight had 242 people on board.The Boeing 787 aircraft, operating as Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, went down around 2pm in the Meghaninagar area, close to the airport perimeter. It had taken off at 1:39pm from runway 23."Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight AI-171 from (Ahmedabad to Gatwick) has crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad. There were 242 people on board the aircraft, consisting of 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew.

The aircraft was under the command of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar," Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

The DGCA statement confirmed that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal commanded flight gave a Mayday call to Air Traffic Control (ATC). "Captain Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8200 hours of experience. The copilot had 1100 hours of flying experience. As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmadabad 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.

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," it added.Several injured passengers were taken to the city civil hospital, news agency PTI reported. Authorities are yet to confirm the number of casualties.

Rescue and investigation operations are ongoing.Follow live updates

What is Mayday call?

"Mayday" is an internationally recognized distress signal used in emergencies by pilots, mariners, and other professionals to request immediate assistance. It signifies a life-threatening situation, such as a serious technical issue, accident, or imminent danger to the crew or passengers.The term "Mayday" comes from the French phrase "m'aider," which means "help me." Pilots use it over radio to alert air traffic control or nearby aircraft when they need urgent assistance. It signals an emergency that requires immediate attention and priority response from authorities or rescue teams.