Monarch Mayday into LGW 15/6/2003
 

Whilst at work yesterday i heard an American Airlines Pilot do the usual request and asked for its stand and location when on the ground, however after the stand was given, he repeated back and said "i guess you guys are kind of busy with this mayday!"

So interested as i was i enquired later on that day to Servisair, who informed me that the airline in question was a monarch aircraft, however they said they do not handle them.

I know that the mayday called was not as serious as i first thought. Thankfully no one has been reported injured.

Does anyone have anymore information on this.

Was an A300, pressurisation failure whilst in the climb over the Channel, as far as I heard.

Emergency descent and otherwise uneventful return to EGKK.

Cheers that has really cleared things up for me, i hate it when you here something such as this and have no information on it.
it was maybe a bit extream to call mayday dont you think.

However can you ever be to over protectuve of your aircraft.

thanks.:ok:

<<it was maybe a bit extream to call mayday dont you think>>
So you don't think executing an emergency descent, without ATC clearance, in some of busiest airspace in the world, warrants "immediate assistance" from ATC in ensuring the area below you is clear?

Or maybe you do not know what "Mayday" means? Especially judging by this comment <<However can you ever be to over protectuve of your aircraft>>

Might I suggest it was up to the crew to judge whether or not a Mayday was warranted, and not someone wo by their own admission knows nothing about what happened....

NoD

If a mayday was warranted is only known in the future. It sure as hell gets the attention of everybody, and thats the idea, as said; an emergency descent tru the most bussiest airspace does need everybodies attention. well done!

rgrds

Hallo? M.79- on the flimsiest of information, you are apparently such an aviation expert (exactly what are you that you can pontificate on such an incident?), you can declare a decision on what you think of the validity of the crew's reaction given a one line description of the rough circumstances!
You need to learn 2 things if you are going to get on in aviation:
1- never get cocky
2- keep mouth shut until you know as much as possible
3- hesitate to criticise others who know far more than you
4- have an informative profile

OK that's 5. I'll work on my counting, you keep criticism to yourself until you know a bit more about aviation.

If the guys involved thought it warrented a mayday, then thats good enough for me.

Always easy to be wise after the event when you weren't there.
Well done guys.

One comment though.......depends where you are in europe as to which call you use. Some foreign parts dont seem to know what a Pan call is especially when you have to cut through a lot of background local lingo.

Go for the attention getter if you think it warrents it. You will get the space you need!

Coop

"Emergency descent"

Mayday = Emergancy...... without a doubt.

Whilst agreeing with notso, you could almost go so far as to say a PAN would have been understating it....

And without the mayday, you wouldn't even get a priority approach back into Gatwick!

Thankyou all for your responses and i have noted and read them all.

I agree with the majority of comments, however i would just like to rectify a few points:
1: i have been in the aviation industry since 16
2: i fly the 737-800NG for one of the top charter airlines and have done for two years, so for those of you who dictate to me about busy airspace i suggest that you think about whom you may be talking to as i know about the busy airspace!
3: the little information i was given buy the dispatcher of my flight
led me to beleive that the incident was minor and was extreme to call mayday!

However an honest man i am i admit that in the same situation i would have immediatly called the same.

I needed the facts, now i have received them i am aware more.

Regards F/O -------:uhoh:

To Notsofantatsic i think the word you may be searching for is sorry and im so embarrassed

Flying Mach...good for you

Eat some humble pie...I doesn't do anyone any harm, from time to time, but remember the basics.

As an FO you will have many stories and opinions to tell, when having graduated to the left seat, you will have even more funnier stories to tell your grandchildren; that's the baeauty of life <s>

But, if you think that 2 years apprenticeship with a charter airline affords the luxury to know all, then go back to square one again, especially in CRM terms.

You may not like it; but given in a true CRM sense :O

Fair Enough point well said and taken....................:\ :ok:

Spelling Mayday
 

Well observed, 'Gunship'. I BELIEVE that "'I' before 'E' except after 'C'" helps as a good basis, or so I HEAR, but perhaps only in EXTREME cases. However, English not being my first language I leave it up to the 'Brits' to correct me... However, most are too busy learning our other beautiful European languages. Reading a good book (I'm not sure that Flight International would count as good literature) helps to iron out those spelling and grammatical niggles. :E

Notso fantastic. Brilliant prose there old chap. Those numbered attributes of how to get on in aviation would have passed right over the heads of the majority of check pilots I have encountered in life.:p

Why thank you Sire! In aviation, it seems unerring that pride comes before a fall. Arrogance gets wiped over the floor eventually. I have seen the hardest, most unpleasant, check pilot I have ever known, completyely screw up in the simulator (join a hold after a G/A flying another hold's procedure. to compound the error, this Captain was so arrogant that when I tried to query, he waved a hand in my face and said 'shut-up'. What to do? I tried a second time- same reaction. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see our check Captain's body shaking as he was trying to restrain his mirth. Notso sitting there panicking- I couldn't leave the idiot- I had to give him a third chance, and I got a third brusque brush-off without listening to me. That done I could sit back and watch the genius ball-up, and enjoy it ! And I did, greatly. And afterwards, I bade him 'Good-day', looking this idiot square in the eye who had dared fail me not so long before.
The aviation genius of the century went on to become chief trainer with a Scottish 747 start up. Whilst 'training' their new crews at Pan Am MIA Academy in 1987(I was there too), the fledgling fell off its perch. I heard he promptly flew himself home on the company ticket and took his trainees tickets with him , leaving them stranded with unpaid hotel costs and no support. True or not, if an aviation leviathan can screw up so unprofessionally, who are we to criticise others?