Air India crash: What was the ‘MAYDAY’ call given by the plane before crashing in Ahmedabad?
Ahmedabad: A tragic air crash occurred near Ahmedabad shortly after take-off on Thursday, when an Air India flight bound for London crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar. The plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, had taken off from Ahmedabad International Airport at 1:38 PM with 242 people on board.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the pilots made a distress call, known as a “MAYDAY” call, to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) shortly after takeoff. This was the last communication from the aircraft. After the emergency message, the plane went silent and crashed moments later just outside the airport.
The flight was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned pilot with 8,200 flying hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of experience.
What is a MAYDAY Call?
In aviation, “MAYDAY” is the most urgent distress signal that a flight crew can send to air traffic controllers. The term comes from the French phrase "m’aider", meaning "help me." It is repeated three times, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” to avoid confusion with other radio messages.
Pilots issue a MAYDAY call when the aircraft faces a serious emergency such as an engine failure, severe weather, technical malfunction, or a medical crisis. The call alerts ATC and nearby aircraft that immediate help is needed. Once received, all other communications are paused, and the focus shifts to supporting the distressed flight.
In this case, the Air India aircraft gave the MAYDAY signal just after takeoff, but before the pilots could explain the situation or respond to further communication, the aircraft crashed.
169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian were onboard the Air India flight. Emergency services rushed to the scene, and rescue operations are ongoing.
A full investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.
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Kharge has put 'full stop' to leadership speculation in Karnataka: Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge has put a "full stop" on the issue of leadership change in the state.
Kharge's statement has a lot of significance and there ends the matter for now. Everyone in the party should respect and accept this, he said.
Parameshwara was referring to Kharge's statement on Thursday that there was no chief minister change in Karnataka "for now" and that the leadership issue in the state will be resolved soon.
Kharge's statement came amid speculation within the party and political circles about a possible decision on leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, once the results for assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two assembly segments in Karnataka, are announced.
"Mallikarjun Kharge is our party's national president. He has a lot of experience. Several people, including me, have said that in the case of change (in leadership), if he (Kharge) comes (as CM), no one could speak in front of his experience and everyone would accept it. While replying to it, Kharge said that there is a chief minister now, and there is no question of change as of now," Parameshwara said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I welcome his (Kharge) statement because I feel he has expressed his opinion after a discussion involving him, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala (both AICC general secretaries). I may be right or wrong. I feel that his statement has a lot of significance. So that matter ends there for now."
Responding to a question on repeated statements by several party leaders regarding leadership change, the home minister said, what the AICC chief has said on the matter is final. It should be respected and accepted by all in the party. There is no meaning in interpreting it further.
"I cannot respond to what others say, but I can say my opinion. In my opinion, the AICC chief is the supreme authority in the party. He, along with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, are our high command. If the high command has said something, we should both respect and accept it. There ends the matter," he said.
Kharge has put a "full stop" on the issue, he further said, adding that, "When he has said there is no change. It is a full stop."
Responding to a question on Parameshwara's recent statement about Kharge becoming chief minister, the AICC chief on Thursday said, "You (media), he (Parameshwara), and people at the top say that it is better if I become CM. But more than fate, as per my ideology and my service to the party so far, Sonia Gandhi makes decisions regarding me."
He had further said, "But that question does not arise now. There is already a CM here. If Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and I together have to take any decision in that direction, it will take some time. Let's wait and see."
Kharge on Friday too said no date has been fixed yet to discuss a possible leadership change in Karnataka.
Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar have been insisting on his elevation in line with a reported power-sharing agreement with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah when the party won the 2023 Assembly elections. Some have even claimed that "sweet news" is expected by May 15, which is Shivakumar's birthday.
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025.
The speculation has been fuelled by a reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
