Which term is the international radiotelephony distress signal meaning 'I am in distress'?

Which term is the international radiotelephony distress signal meaning 'I am in distress'?

• A. Break
• B. Confirm
• C. Mayday
• D. Go Ahead

Answer: (C)

In international radiotelephony, a distress signal that means “I am in distress” is Mayday. It’s the globally recognized call used when a person or craft is in imminent danger and needs immediate help. The signal is spoken three times in a row at the start of the transmission to clearly indicate an emergency and to give priority to this message over all others. Mayday is traditionally followed by information such as the vessel or aircraft identification, location, nature of the distress, and any required assistance. The other words serve different purposes: Break is used to interrupt or separate transmissions, Confirm is to acknowledge what was received, and Go Ahead invites the other party to continue or respond. None of those convey an urgent emergency requiring immediate rescue like Mayday does.

In international radiotelephony, a distress signal that means “I am in distress” is Mayday. It’s the globally recognized call used when a person or craft is in imminent danger and needs immediate help. The signal is spoken three times in a row at the start of the transmission to clearly indicate an emergency and to give priority to this message over all others. Mayday is traditionally followed by information such as the vessel or aircraft identification, location, nature of the distress, and any required assistance.

The other words serve different purposes: Break is used to interrupt or separate transmissions, Confirm is to acknowledge what was received, and Go Ahead invites the other party to continue or respond. None of those convey an urgent emergency requiring immediate rescue like Mayday does.