What is the international distress call that is repeated three times at the start of a transmission?

• A. Mayday Mayday Mayday
• B. Securite
• C. Pan-Pan Pan-Pan Pan-Pan
• D. SOS

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is understanding what signal pilots and mariners use to declare a life-threatening emergency over the radio. Saying “Mayday” three times at the start of a transmission is the standard international distress call for grave and imminent danger. Repeating it three times helps ensure everyone listening—aircraft, ships, and rescue stations—clearly recognizes the urgency, even if there’s interference or language differences. It signals that immediate, life-saving assistance is required and the speaker will provide essential details like identification, position, and nature of the emergency after the call.

The other terms serve different purposes. Securite is a safety advisory used to warn about hazards or important information without implying immediate danger to the life of the speaker. Pan-Pan signals an urgent situation, but not necessarily a life-threatening one. SOS is a Morse code distress signal historically used in emergencies, but in modern radiotelephony the spoken distress call is Mayday, not SOS.