A passenger who had flown on the incoming leg of the ill-fated Air India flight posted a video online drawing attention to several “strange issues” he noticed on the aircraft before the crash.
On Thursday, June 12, Air India Flight AI171 took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at 1:38 p.m. local time, heading for London’s Gatwick Airport.
Tragically, within seconds of takeoff and at an altitude of just 625 feet, the plane’s transponder signal disappeared.
Moments later, the Boeing 787-8 crashed into a doctors’ hostel in the Meghani Nagar area, setting off a massive explosion and fire that engulfed nearby structures and filled the sky with dense, black smoke.
Local residents described horrifying scenes.
“There was a huge blast, and we all ran out of our homes,” said Raju Prajapati, as reported by The Telegraph.
“Smoke was billowing everywhere, and people were screaming and fleeing in all directions.”
The aircraft was carrying 242 individuals, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 11 children.
According to The Mirror, one passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is believed to have miraculously survived.
Seated in 11A, the British citizen reported sustaining chest, eye, and foot injuries from the impact. He recalled a loud noise just before the crash and said the incident happened in a matter of seconds.
Ramesh, 40, who has been living in London for two decades, had been visiting family in India. He was returning to the UK with his 45-year-old brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot of the doomed flight, had over 8,200 hours of flying experience.
The aircraft reportedly issued a mayday signal before going silent, and no further communication was received by air traffic control.
In an unsettling development, just hours before the crash, a passenger who had flown on the plane’s inbound journey shared a video on social media warning of malfunctions onboard.
Using the handle @akku92 on X, the man highlighted issues with the air conditioning, lighting, and entertainment screens.
“It’s still really hot, the AC isn’t working,” he says in the video, visibly sweating. “It’s a Dreamliner 787,” he adds while showing himself on camera.
He also notes that the plane had been idle on the tarmac for over 15 minutes without any explanation from the crew, adding, “Nothing’s working. I don’t know why I booked this flight today.”
Whether these technical glitches were connected to the fatal crash remains unknown at this time.
This disaster marks the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its debut 14 years ago.
Boeing, already under scrutiny for safety lapses on other aircraft models, has yet to release a public statement.
Air India has confirmed the crash and has set up a special hotline for affected families.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow on X, writing: “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. My thoughts are with all those affected.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also shared his condolences, stating: “The reports of a London-bound flight with British nationals crashing in Ahmedabad are deeply distressing. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.”
In the wake of the catastrophe, all departures from Ahmedabad Airport have been suspended as rescue operations continue.
