• Source:JND
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The Air India pilots of flight AI2913 had issued a "mayday" call on Sunday due to a fire indication in the right engine, before returning to the Delhi airport minutes after takeoff. However, the Mayday call was later downgraded to "PAN-PAN" to indicate urgency instead of emergency. The flight, operating from Delhi to Indore, landed back safely after being airborne for over 30 minutes.

Soon after the mayday call, the air traffic control (ATC) at the Delhi airport announced full emergency and put fire as well as rescue teams on standby.  

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As per the statement issued by Air India on Sunday, as soon as the cockpit crew received a fire indication, the crew opted to follow the standard procedure and returned to Delhi after shutting down the engine. Air India had confirmed that all passengers and crew members were safe.

"Flight AI2913, operating from Delhi to Indore on 31 August, air-returned to Delhi shortly after take-off, as the cockpit crew received a fire indication for the right engine. Following standard procedure, the cockpit crew elected to shut down the engine and returned to Delhi where the flight landed safely," a statement by Air India said.

"The crew had initially made a MAYDAY call to the air traffic control, but later downgraded it to PAN-PAN to indicate urgency rather than an emergency. We confirm that the flight did not make an emergency landing at Delhi. At Air India, the safety of passengers and crew are our top priority," the statement added.

What Is MayDay?

In aviation and maritime communications, "Mayday" is the most urgent distress call. It signals an emergency that poses a risk to human life, e.g., complete engine failure, fire, or catastrophic crash. If pilots use the word "Mayday" three times on the radio, they are requesting immediate assistance and complete priority from air traffic control.

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The term "Mayday" is derived from the French expression venez m'aider (come help me). It was invented by Frederick Stanley Mockford, a chief radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, in the 1920s so that both the English and French languages could understand the distress call.

In case a pilot issues a Mayday:

-Airspace grants absolute priority to the aircraft.

-Emergency services are notified and on standby.

-Other planes are directed out of the way.

-Radar scanning is increased until the problem is solved.