United Airlines Pilot Declared ‘Mayday’ On Recent Flight—Nothing Unusual, Say Experts

A United Airlines pilot issued a mayday distress call after the Boeing 787 he was flying experienced engine failure shortly after taking off from Washington’s Dulles airport for Munich on July 25, though “mayday” calls are not unusual in aviation—letting air traffic controllers know when a flight needs priority handling.

A United Airlines Boeing 737 airplane like this one suffered engine failure last month after taking off from Washington DC’s Dulles airport. (Photo by Robert Alexander)

Getty Images

Key Facts

The flight “returned to Washington Dulles shortly after takeoff to address a mechanical issue,” United Airlines confirmed in a statement shared with Forbes, adding that the plane landed safely, all passengers deplaned normally and the flight was subsequently canceled.

“Mayday” when repeated three times “indicates imminent and grave danger and that immediate assistance is requested,” according to the Pilot/Controller Glossary published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“That’s by the book, exactly how it’s to be done,” John Cox, aviation safety expert and retired commercial airline pilot, told Forbes of the United incident, adding that giving the mayday call tells air traffic controllers “you need priority and to start moving airplanes away from you.”

Key Background

United Airlines flight 108 from Washington to Munich was operating a Boeing 787 with 219 passengers and 11 crew members on board, when one of the aircraft’s two engines failed. “Can the airplane fly just fine on a single engine? Yes, but that is something where you want to divert and get back on the ground,” Chad Kendall, an associate professor and FAA chief instructor in the Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science at Metropolitan State University of Denver, told Forbes. Pilots train repeatedly throughout their career for engine failure, multiple veteran pilots told Forbes. Air traffic controllers are used to “mayday” calls, Cox told Forbes. “And it’s even more normal outside the U.S.”

How Often Do Commercial Pilots Declare “mayday”?

“Most of the public has probably seen a movie where there is a pilot in very dire straits using ‘mayday, mayday, mayday,’ but in terms of pilot training this is a phrase to convey the type of handling and resources from air traffic control that they need in a situation,” Kendall told Forbes. At least one other United Airlines flight issued a “mayday” distress call last month, when a Boeing 737 on its way from Chicago O’Hare airport to Sarasota, Florida, on July 17 turned around after experiencing a mechanical issue, according to tower audio captured by Flight Follower.

Big Number

375,000. That’s the number of hours of operation per average turbine engine failure, according to the FAA. That translates to roughly one engine failure every 43 years of continuous flight.

What Other Distress Calls Do Pilots Use?

“PAN-PAN,” repeated three times, “indicates uncertainty or alert followed by the nature of the urgency,” according to the FAA’s Pilot/Controller Glossary. “PAN PAN is used in a lesser event, often for a mechanical issue that does not require urgency,” Kendall said. For example, in May, shortly after takeoff from New York’s John F. Kennedy airport, a Lufthansa Airbus A340 crew reported that one of the aircraft’s four engines failed while over the Atlantic, approximately 120 miles southeast of Boston. The pilot issued a “PAN-PAN” distress call and requested to return to JFK, where it landed safely.

Surprising Fact

“Mayday” comes from “m’aidez,” which means “help me” in French. The term “PAN-PAN” originates from another French word, “panne,” which means “breakdown” or “failure.” Both distress calls were adopted internationally in 1927.

Showbiz Viral