Mayday

"Mayday" is a military aviation term that indicates an Aircraft has lost its ability to fly and is about to crash or crash-land. "Going down" is an alternative term. Shacker Pilots tend to use "going down" more often than "Mayday", but both terms are understood.

There could be various reactions to a "Mayday" call, but often there is little anyone can do about it until the aircraft is down on the ground. Should the crew/passengers survive, a rescue mission may be organized to get them back to friendly vicinity or back to base.