What Does a “Mayday” Really Mean? Inside the Final Moments of Jeju Air’s Doomed Flight

What does the “Mayday” declared by the Jeju Air pilot in the Muan Airport accident mean?

According to Yonhap News, the Jeju Air passenger plane involved in the accident on Sunday departed from Bangkok, Thailand, at approximately 1:30 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Muan Airport at around 8:30 a.m.

The Jeju Air plane failed to land on the runway at its scheduled arrival time and attempted a belly landing due to a malfunctioning landing gear, which caused the accident.

The Muan Airport control tower warned the plane of bird activity (bird strikes) at around 8:54 a.m. on the same day. At approximately 8:59 a.m., the distressed plane’s pilot declared a “Mayday” to the control tower.

The plane attempted to land on Runway 19 at 9:00 a.m., the opposite direction of the intended initially Runway 01. About three minutes later, at 9:03 a.m., the aircraft landed on the runway without its landing gear deployed and subsequently crashed, according to investigations.

The Mayday Jeju Air pilot declared just before the accident is an international emergency distress signal used for aircraft and other situations.

Mayday originates from the French phrase “venez m’aider,” which means “come and help me.” The latter part of the phrase, “m’aider,” was anglicized to become Mayday.

When a pilot declares a Mayday during a flight, air traffic controllers immediately prioritize the aircraft for landing, granting it precedence over other traffic.

The aircraft involved in the accident was a B737-800. At the time, 181 people were onboard, including 175 passengers, four cabin crew members, and two pilots. Of the 175 passengers, 173 were South Koreans, and two were Thai nationals. The accident resulted in the deaths of 179 passengers and injuries to two individuals, making it the worst aviation disaster in South Korean history in terms of casualties.