A passenger who traveled on the inbound leg of the doomed Air India Flight hared a video highlighting several “unusual things” that were “not working” on the aircraft before the crash.
On Thursday (June 12), Air India Flight AI171 departed from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 13:38 local time, en route to London’s Gatwick Airport.
Less than a minute after liftoff, the plane’s transponder signal vanished when it had reached only 625 feet.
Moments later, the Boeing 787-8 slammed into a doctors hostel in meghani negar triggering an enormous explosion and fireball that consumed nearby buildings and sent thick smoke soaring into the sky.
Eyewitnesses described apocalyptic scenes. “We heard a huge explosion and rushed out of our homes,” said local resident Raju Prajapati, per the Telegraph. “There were thick plumes of black smoke rising into the sky. People were shouting and running in all directions.”
Among the 242 people on board were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, one Canadian, and 11 children.
According to The Mirror , a passenger named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is believed to have miraculously survived the tragic plane crash.
The British man revealed that he was in seat 11A of the aircraft and had suffered “impact injuries” on his chest, eyes, and feet. He also explained there was “a loud noise” before the plane crashed.
The 40-year-old, who has lived in London for 20 years and was in India for a few days to visit his family, said: “It all happened so quickly.”
He was going back to the UK with his 45-year-old brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh.
The pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, had over 8,200 hours of flying experience. The plane reportedly issued a mayday call before going silent, but air traffic control received no further response.
In a disturbing twist, just hours before the crash, a passenger who had flown on the aircraft’s inward journey took to social media to share concerns about “unusual things” not working on the plane.
In a video posted to X, the man, who goes by the @akku92, pointed out that the air conditioning, lights, and TV screens were all malfunctioning.
“AC’s still not working. It’s very hot today,” he says in the clip while visibly sweating. “It’s Dreamliner 787,” he adds, panning the camera to show himself.
He later remarks: “Nothing’s working. I don’t know why I booked this flight today,” noting that the aircraft had been stationary on the tarmac for over 15 minutes with no update from the crew.
It remains unclear whether the technical issues reported by the passenger are related to the fatal crash.
This marks the first-ever crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in its 14 years of service. Boeing, already under fire over safety concerns with other models, has yet to comment.
Air India has issued a statement confirming the crash and urging families to contact a dedicated hotline.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”
UK Prime minister sir keir starmer echoed those sentiments: “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. My thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
Following the tragedy, all outgoing flights from Ahmedabad’s airport have been suspended as rescue and recovery operations continue.
