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Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Did pilot DELIBERATELY crash Air India plane? Flight safety expert says new investigator revelations mean action by crew was 'absolutely' cause of disaster that killed 241
Fresh forensic evidence from the tragic Air India crash, which claimed the lives of 241 passengers, suggests crew's actions were 'absolutely' the cause of the tragedy, an aviation expert has claimed. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed mere minutes after it had taken off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, plummeting into a residential area, called Meghani Nagar, while claiming 19 more lives of those on the ground. Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have since released the first forensic details into the tragedy which could reveal the cause of what is said to be one of the worst tragedy's in india's aviation history. Among the new information, is the final conversation between the doomed aircraft's pilots, captured using the cockpit voice recording, suggesting the fuel had been 'cut off' in their final moments. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is thought to have lost power when the fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped, starving the engines of fuel, according to the recent preliminary report. Several questions have emerged as the fuel lever is designed to be 'highly reliable' and are constructed to stop unintentional activation, with one of India's leading aviation experts, Captain Mohan Ranganthan, suggesting it may have been deliberate. Each lever has to be pulled upwards to be unlocked, before it can be flipped and they also have further protective guard brackets to safeguard against any bumps and nudges. 'It has to be done manually, it cannot be done automatically or due to a power failure,' Captain Ranganathan told NDTV of the fuel levers. 'The fuel selectors they aren't the sliding type they are always in a slot. The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrifying clip 'They are to pull them out or move them up or down, so the question of them moving inadvertently out of off position doesn't happen. It's a case of deliberate manual selection.' He later said 'nothing else' would explain why both switches were moved into the off position just after take off, alleging: 'It had to be deliberately done.' When questioned if he was suggesting one of the pilots 'deliberately' switched off the fuel lever, while fully aware of the possibility of a crash, he answered: 'Absolutely', before asserting they were looking at a potential 'pilot-induced crash.' It comes shortly after the final words of the pilots before the devastating crash were published by the Indian authorities, detailing how one was heard asking the other why 'did you cut off' the fuel supply, while the other responded he 'didn't'. It did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain Sumeet Sabharwal and which by the co-pilot, Clive Kunder, nor which pilot immediately transmitted the distress call: 'Thrust not achieved... falling... Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' The grieving families of the Air India victims have been left confused, with some left angered by the preliminary report's findings, as they call for transparency into how the tragedy happened. Bhaval Shah, a family friend of Kinal Mistry, 23, who died in the crash, told The Times: 'If these switches can't be turned off easily and if no software glitch could have been responsible, then it is deliberate, isn't it? Then it's sabotage or suicide.' Deepti Sawhney, whose three relatives were killed in the disaster, told NTDV that she wanted all the findings to be made public. 'We must have a free, fair and transparent investigation,' she said. 'There are a lot of heavyweights involved — Air India, Boeing — who will want to save their skin. The families must get the truth.' The plane only ever reached as high as 625ft, immediately beginning to lose thrust and sink down moments after setting off to London, later exploding into a fireball after smashing into a hostel on the ground in Gujarat, killing all but one on board. Investigators' early assessments indicate no apparent fault with the Boeing or its engines, suggesting that Boeing and engine maker GE had no apparent responsibility for the accident. The report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, published late on Friday, said the jet was carrying 54,200kg of fuel, which was within the 'allowable limits'. Fuel samples retrieved from the aircraft's refuelling tanks were also deemed 'satisfactory'. The left main landing gear (LH MNLG and left wing were collided with the middle of Building C (left), 345 feet south from the point of contact. Some of the left engine broke away hitting a corner on Building D (middle). The aircraft's nose was found 307 feet southwest from Building A The flap handle lever on the plane was significantly burnt (left)ad was found in a 5-degree position, consistent with a normal take off. However the landing gear (pictured middle and right) was in a 'DOWN' position CCTV footage (pictured) from the airport shows the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) being deployed as the aircraft lifts off A view of the site where a plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in India's western state of Gujarat on June 12, 2025 'The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec,' the report said. 'The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off. 'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.' But the report does not say how the switch - which is used to start or shut down the engines and are typically left on during flight - could have flipped to the cutoff position. Investigators are currently focusing on a previous Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) by the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2018, which said some Boeing 737 fuel control switches were put into the aircrafts with the locking feature disengaged. Although the problem was never deemed unsafe, an Airworthiness Directive (AD), which is legally enforceable, was issued to correct the problem with some of the levers. Boeing 787-8 aircrafts, as well as the Air India plane, use the same design switch. And due to the SAIB only being recommended, Air India did not carry out advised inspections. All pilots and crew had passed breathalyser and were deemed fit to fly, according to the report, which detailed how both Sabharwal and Kunder had enough rest before taking to the skies. Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025 At the crash site, both fuel switches were found in the run position with the report detailing there had been indications of both engines relighting before the low-altitude crash. An ex-investigator with India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) speculated whether the switch may have tripped due to possible issues with the plane electronic control unit. Capt Kishore Chinta told the BBC: 'Can the fuel cut-off switches be triggered electronically by the plane's electronic control unit without movement by the pilot? If the fuel cut-off switches tripped electronically, then it's a cause for concern.' Referring to data recovered from the plane's two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR), it continues: 'As per the EAFR, the Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN at about 08:08:52 UTC. The APU Inlet Door began opening at about 08:08:54 UTC, consistent with the APU Auto Start logic. 'Thereafter at 08:08:56 UTC the Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN. 'When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction.' Flipping to cutoff almost immediately cuts the engines, and is most often used to turn engines off once a plane has arrived at its airport gate and in certain emergency situations, such as an engine fire. The preliminary report does not indicate there was any emergency requiring an engine cutoff. The new findings appear to tally with theories reportedly put forward on the US side of the investigation, which also noted that the switches controlling fuel flow to the aircraft's twin engines were turned off shortly after takeoff. It remains unclear why they were turned off, and investigators have been left wondering whether it was deliberate, accidental or corrected too late. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, one potential sign that the switches were off was the deployment of the plane's emergency power system, a Ram air Turbine or RAT. The RAT usually comes into action when both engines lose power or if pressure in all three hydraulic systems are critically low - both essential components of keeping a flight going. The landing gear was also found in a downward position. Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline accident investigator and aviation expert at Ohio State University said: 'The deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) strongly supports the conclusion that both engines had failed' He believes the pilot at the helm of the aircraft had no time to think. According to investigators, crew tried to act but the crash transpired to quickly. If the preliminary findings hold, that would exonerate the Dreamliner's manufacturer Boeing and engine developer GE Aerospace. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said: 'At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers.' The agency, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade. Last month, the tragic crash claimed the lives of 169 Indian passengers on board, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, as well as 12 crew members and left only one survivor - British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40. At least 19 people were also killed on the ground as the doomed Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner came down in a residential area moments after takeoff. Air India, the nation's oldest airline, has been trying to revitalise its operations after several years under government control. The airline company says Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was flying the plane, had more than 10,000 hours of experience on wide-body jets, while co-pilot Clive Kunder had logged over 3,400 hours. The crash marked the first fatal incident involving a Dreamliner and was a major setback for Boeing, which is facing ongoing scrutiny over its aircraft safety standards. The US National Transportation Safety Board is assisting with the Indian-led investigation, while the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and GE Aerospace are providing technical support. It declined to comment on the release of the report. Reports indicate there have been tensions building between American and Indian officials. One of the biggest points of contention is the delay in accessing and analysing the plane's black boxes. The Americans are not pleased with the slow pace at which data is being extracted from the cockpit voice and data recorders. Pictures have been published on local media of crew members who were on board the Air India flight Air hostess Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam was named by local media as being on board the ill-fated Flight 171 Their shocked business partner Shoyeb Khan Nagori told MailOnline: 'I had dinner with them last night. They were a lovely family and Akeel and his wife were extremely successful people' (Pictured: Akeel Nanawaba) Pictured: Hannaa Vorajee, Akeel Nanawaba's wife. The successful couple ran a global recruitment agency with offices in Ahmedabad and Gloucester Read More Horrifying moment tourist plane nose dives and crashes yards from houses killing three The US team at one point even considered pulling out of the probe before eventually deciding to carry on. The US investigators have since returned home. The Dreamliner, which was first delivered to Air India in 2012, has been used for many international routes. Although officials have initially focused on the fuel control switches, they have cautioned nothing has yet been ruled out yet. Sole survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh had been in the country on a business trip with his brother Ajaykumar, 35, before they boarded the doomed flight travelling from Ahmedabad to Gatwick on Thursday. In what has been described as a miracle, Viswash - seated in 11A by the exit - survived, but his sibling who was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J perished in the fireball explosion. Before the discovery of the British survivor, authorities said that they believed no one had escaped the flight alive. Eleven of those on board were children, including two newborns. The Boeing jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat at around 1.40pm (0810 GMT), officials said. Ahmedabad, the main city of India's Gujarat state, is home to around eight million people, and the busy airport is surrounded by densely packed residential areas. Adam Taju, 72, and his wife Hasina, 70, (pictured) were flying back to the UK with their son-in-law Altafhusen Patel, 51, when they lost their lives in the tragedy Adam was described as 'a wonderful man, a community man', who was 'always out and about supporting communities'. Pictured: Altafhusen Patel, 51, who perished in the tragedy alongside his father-in-law and -mother-in-law Preliminary flight tracking data from flightradar24 reveals the plane reached an altitude of just 625ft after takeoff - a height far below standard for a commercial aircraft several minutes into departure. According to data logs, recorded at 30-second intervals, the plane remained on the ground or was taxiing slowly for over four minutes after it first registered on public trackers. The plane took off and reached 625ft, but no further gains in altitude were recorded before the crash. An Air India spokesman said: 'Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time.' The spokesman added: 'Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. 'We continue to fully co-operate with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and other authorities as their investigation progresses. 'Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB.'
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Report: Air India pilots' final words to each other before crash
By The final words shared by the pilots of the Air India crash, which tragically claimed the lives of 241 passengers, have been revealed—and they may hold a vital clue as to what caused the disaster. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12, plummeting into a residential area called Meghani Nagar and claiming 19 additional lives on the ground. The final cockpit conversation between the doomed aircraft's pilots could shed light on the last moments. One asked why the plane's fuel had been cut off shortly before the crash, while the other denied doing so. Amid the confusion, one voice is heard saying, 'Did you cut off?' and the other responds, 'I didn't,' according to a report by Indian authorities. It did not clarify whether Captain Sumeet Sabharwal or co-pilot Clive Kunder made the remarks or issued the distress call: 'Thrust not achieved... falling... Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' Investigators believe the Boeing 787 lost power when the fuel cutoff switches flipped nearly simultaneously, starving the engines. The fuel switches are designed to be highly reliable and safeguarded against accidental activation. Each lever must be pulled upward and flipped, and they are protected by guard brackets. Experts like John Cox, a U.S. aviation safety specialist, say bumping them unintentionally is nearly impossible. At 08:08:42 UTC, the aircraft reached a max airspeed of 180 knots. One second later, both fuel cutoff switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF. Engine readings dropped immediately as fuel was cut. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel was cut, and the reply was that he hadn't done it. But the report offers no explanation for how the switches, meant to remain in the RUN position during flight, ended up in CUTOFF. Attention has now turned to a 2018 FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) regarding similar switches on Boeing 737s that were sometimes installed without a locking feature. Though not considered unsafe, an Airworthiness Directive was issued. The 787-8 uses the same switch design, and Air India did not perform the recommended inspections. Despite this, the crew had passed all breathalyser tests and were deemed fit to fly. At the crash site, both switches were found in the RUN position, with signs that the engines had attempted a relight. One ex-AAIB investigator speculated whether the electronic control unit may have tripped the switches. Data from the Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders showed the fuel switches flipping back to RUN shortly after the initial cutoff. This triggered the APU inlet door to open, in line with auto-start logic, and the FADEC system began a relight sequence. Still, no emergency was identified to justify the cutoff. U.S. investigators have also noted the fuel switches were turned off shortly after takeoff. The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed — a backup system used when both engines fail — supporting the engine failure theory. With the landing gear found down, some believe the crash happened too fast for the crew to recover. If preliminary findings hold, Boeing and GE may be cleared. However, tensions between Indian and U.S. officials have risen, particularly over delays in analyzing the black boxes. The U.S. team briefly considered pulling out of the investigation but ultimately stayed.
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Air India pilots' final words to each other before crash that killed 241 people on board - which may hold vital clue to cause of horrific accident
The final words shared by the pilots of the Air India crash, which tragically claimed the lives of 241 passengers have been revealed, and it may hold a vital clue. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed mere minutes after it had taken off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, plummeting into a residential area, called Meghani Nagar, while claiming 19 more lives of those on the ground. Now the final conversation between the doomed aircraft's pilots could shed light on what happened in those final moments, as one asked why the plane's fuel had been cut off shortly before the crash. Amid the perplexity, one can be heard asking the other why 'did you cut off' the fuel supply, while the other responded he 'didn't', according to a report by Indian authorities. It did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain Sumeet Sabharwal and which by the co-pilot, Clive Kunder, nor which pilot immediately transmitted the distress call: 'Thrust not achieved... falling... Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is thought to have lost power when the fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped, starving the engines of fuel, according to the report by Indian accident investigators. However, several questions remains as lever-lock fuel switches are designed to be 'highly reliable', as they are constructed to stop unintentional activation, according to investigators. The lever has to be pulled upwards to be unlocked, before they can be flipped, and they also have further protective guard brackets to safeguard against any bumps and nudges. 'It would be almost impossible to pull both switches with a single movement of one hand, and this makes accidental deployment unlikely,' a Canada-based air accidents investigator told the BBC. The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrifying clip John Cox, U.S. aviation safety expert, said a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines. 'You can't bump them and they move,' he said. The plane immediately began to lose thrust and sink down moments after setting off to London, and exploded into a fireball after smashing into a hostel on the ground in Gujarat, killing all but one on board. Investigators' early assessments indicate no apparent fault with the Boeing or its engines, suggesting that Boeing and engine maker GE had no apparent responsibility for the accident. But the report does not say how the switch - which is used to start or shut down the engines and are typically left on during flight - could have flipped to the cutoff position. Investigators are currently focusing on a previous Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) by the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2018, which said some Boeing 737 fuel control switches were put into the aircrafts with the locking feature disengaged. Although the problem was never deemed unsafe, an Airworthiness Directive (AD), which is legally enforceable, was issued to correct the problem with some of the levers. Boeing 787-8 aircrafts, as well as the Air India plane, use the same design switch. And due to the SAIB being recommended, Air India did not carry out advised inspections. The number of fatalities is not yet known but rescuers said at least 30 bodies have so far been recovered from a building At the crash site, both fuel switches were found in the run position with the report detailing there had been indications of both engines relighting before the low-altitude crash. All pilots and crew had passed breathalyser and were deemed fit to fly, according to the report, which detailed how both Sabharwal and Kunder had enough rest before taking to the skies. An ex-investigator with India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) speculated whether the switch may have tripped due to possible issues with electrics in the plane's control unit. He told the BBC: 'Can the fuel cut-off switches be triggered electronically by the plane's electronic control unit without movement by the pilot? If the fuel cut-off switches tripped electronically, then it's a cause for concern.' The report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, published late on Friday, said the jet was carrying 54,200kg of fuel, which was within the 'allowable limits'. Fuel samples retrieved from the aircraft's refuelling were also deemed 'satisfactory'. 'The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec,' the report said. 'The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off. 'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.' Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025 Referring to data recovered from the plane's two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR), it continues: 'As per the EAFR, the Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN at about 08:08:52 UTC. The APU Inlet Door began opening at about 08:08:54 UTC, consistent with the APU Auto Start logic. 'Thereafter at 08:08:56 UTC the Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN. 'When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is inflight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction.' Flipping to cutoff almost immediately cuts the engines, and is most often used to turn engines off once a plane has arrived at its airport gate and in certain emergency situations, such as an engine fire. The preliminary report does not indicate there was any emergency requiring an engine cutoff. The new findings appear to tally with theories reportedly put forward on the US side of the investigation, which also noted that the switches controlling fuel flow to the aircraft's twin engines were turned off shortly after takeoff. It remains unclear why they were turned off, and investigators have been left wondering whether it was deliberate, accidental or corrected too late. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, one potential sign that the switches were off was the deployment of the plane's emergency power system, a ram air turbine or RAT. The RAT usually comes into action when both engines lose power or if pressure in all three hydraulic systems are critically low - both essential components of keeping a flight going. The landing gear was also found in a downward position. Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline accident investigator and aviation expert at Ohio State University said: 'The deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) strongly supports the conclusion that both engines had failed' He believes the pilot at the helm of the aircraft's wheel had no time to think. According to investigators, crew tried to act but the crash transpired to quickly. If the preliminary findings hold, that would exonerate the Dreamliner's manufacturer Boeing and engine developer GE Aerospace. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said: 'At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers.' The agency, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade. Last month, the tragic crash claimed the lives of 169 Indian passengers on board, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, as well as 12 crew members and left only one survivor - British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40. At least 19 people were also killed on the ground as the doomed Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner came down in a residential area moments after takeoff. Javed Ali Syed, a hotel manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel and his wife Mariam were passengers on the fallen Air India Flight 171 this morning Air India, the nation's oldest airline, has been trying to revitalise its operations after several years under government control. The airline company says Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was flying the plane, had more than 10,000 hours of experience on wide-body jets, while co-pilot Clive Kunder had logged over 3,400 hours. The crash marked the first fatal incident involving a Dreamliner and was a major setback for Boeing, which is facing ongoing scrutiny over its aircraft safety standards. The US National Transportation Safety Board is assisting with the Indian-led investigation, while the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and GE Aerospace are providing technical support. It declined to comment on the release of the report. Reports indicate there have been tensions building between American and Indian officials. One of the biggest points of contention is the delay in accessing and analysing the plane's black boxes. The Americans are not pleased with the slow pace at which data is being extracted from the cockpit voice and data recorders. Pictures have been published on local media of crew members who were on board the Air India flight The US team at one point even considered pulling out of the probe before eventually deciding to carry on. The US investigators have since returned home. The Dreamliner, which was first delivered to Air India in 2012, has been used for many international routes. Although officials have initially focused on the fuel control switches, they have cautioned nothing has yet been ruled out yet. Sole survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh had been in the country on a business trip with his brother Ajaykumar, 35, before they boarded the doomed flight travelling from Ahmedabad to Gatwick on Thursday. In what has been described as a miracle, Viswash - seated in 11A by the exit - survived, but his sibling who was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J perished in the fireball explosion. Before the discovery of the British survivor, authorities said that they believed no one had escaped the flight alive. Eleven of those on board were children, including two newborns. The Boeing jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat at around 1.40pm (0810 GMT), officials said. Ahmedabad, the main city of India's Gujarat state, is home to around eight million people, and the busy airport is surrounded by densely packed residential areas. Preliminary flight tracking data from flightradar24 reveals the plane reached an altitude of just 625ft after takeoff - a height far below standard for a commercial aircraft several minutes into departure. According to data logs, recorded at 30-second intervals, the plane remained on the ground or was taxiing slowly for over four minutes after it first registered on public trackers. The plane took off and reached 625ft, but no further gains in altitude were recorded before the crash. An Air India spokesman said: 'Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time.' The spokesman added: 'Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. 'We continue to fully co-operate with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and other authorities as their investigation progresses. 'Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB.'
The Guardian
14-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Air India captain sent mayday less than minute before crash, say authorities
'Mayday, mayday,' was the final radio message sent by the pilot of the Air India 171 flight bound for London, moments before it crashed to the ground, killing more than 270 people. In a briefing by India's aviation authorities on Saturday, authorities confirmed that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was piloting the flight, sent a distress call to air traffic control less a minute after it took off from Ahmedabad airport at 1:39pm on Thursday. When air traffic control responded to the pilot's emergency mayday call, 'there was no response', said Samir Kumar Sinha, a secretary for India's aviation ministry. He said the plane went down seconds later. Sinha said that initial investigations had shown the plane had reached a height of 650ft after takeoff, after which it began to rapidly descend and hit the ground in Meghani Nagar, 2km from Ahmedabad airport. The 227-tonne plane crashed into a hostel where medical students and their families were living. All but one of the 242 people on board were killed in what was one of India's worst aviation disasters in decades. The collision with the hostel also killed at least three student doctors and one doctor's wife who was heavily pregnant, as well as several labourers and vendors working in the area. Indian aviation authorities would not be drawn into conjecture on the cause of the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which has been the source of global speculation, but emphasised that 'every theory going around about the crash will be looked at'. Sinha said the flight data recorder, known as the black box, of the flight had been recovered and was being looked into by investigators A complete assessment of the incident would be completed within three months. Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, the civil aviation minister, told the press briefing: 'The decoding of this black box is going to give in-depth insight into what would have actually happened during the process of the crash.' A team of four UK aviation accident experts arrived in Ahmedabad, in the west Indian state of Gujarat, on Friday night to assist in the crash investigation. By Saturday morning, the death toll had risen to at least 274, as investigators continued to comb through the wreckage and another body was recovered from beneath the wing of the plane. Families of the victims continued to gather at the Civil hospital in Ahmedabad where the dead were brought, as anger and frustration grew at the delay in handing over the bodies of their loved ones. Anil Patel, who lost his son Harshit, 30, and daughter-in-law Pooja, 28, in the crash, was increasingly agitated at the delay. He was among hundreds of relatives who had submitted DNA samples to help identify his son's body but said he had received no information since. 'We still don't know exactly when we'll get the body,' he said. He described his son and daughter in law as 'all I had left' after his wife died of cancer six years ago. Harshit had moved to London two years ago but would video call his father every day. 'Even yesterday, when I was sitting outside the postmortem block, I could smell the stench of charred bodies from inside,' said Patel. 'It's hard to accept that my son is also lying in there. I just want to bring them home soon. The longer they stay there, the more they'll deteriorate. I just can't bear the thought.' Authorities emphasised that the task of identifying the dead, many which were heavily charred or dismembered from the force of the crash, was a complex task, slowing down the process of returning the victims to their families. 'We are dealing with at least 250 samples, and for each match, we have to cross-verify it against this entire pool. It's a process of elimination, and that naturally takes time,' said one official, speaking at the hospital, emphasising that the team at the hospital had been working through the night to accurately match the DNA to the bodies. The sole surviving passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, whose escape from death was widely described as a 'miracle' by experts, remained in hospital in Ahmedabad under observation but was said to be recovering. Dr Gameti, of Ahmedabad civil hospital, said Ramesh was 'doing very well and will be ready to be discharged any time soon'.
The Independent
14-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
‘My grandson was burnt alive': Grief engulfs neighbourhood where Air India crash killed dozens on the ground
Grief hangs heavy in Meghani Nagar in Ahmedabad, as the wreckage of a London‑bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner lies smouldering in the compound of BJ Medical College. The devastating crash – which took place around 2pm local time on Thursday – left emergency services scrambling amid thick plumes of smoke and debris, entire streets in shock and families shattered. All but one of the 242 people on board the flight were killed, but there were dozens more fatalities on the ground as the plane came down in a residential area. Among those devastated by the unfathomable tragedy is the Patni family. Seventy-year-old Babibehen Babu Bhai Patni sits on the gritty communal floor of her residential society, utterly inconsolable. Click here for the latest updates on the crash She mourns her 12-year-old grandson Akash, whose life was tragically cut short, while her son and daughter‑in‑law suffered grievous injuries. The young boy was accompanying his mother, Sitabehen Patni, when he fell asleep beneath a tree near their tea stall on the college grounds. Moments later, the aircraft hurtled from the sky, engulfing him in a fatal fire. 'All that remains of him is his burnt body, almost looking like a piece of ash,' Babibehen says, her voice choked with agony. 'My daughter… her arm, her leg, all burnt. She is serious and in ICU. My son is also burnt. Nothing of my grandson's is left. What will I do? Is this even his age to die?' Her grief is unfiltered, raw, and unrelenting as she wails loudly, surrounded by the women of her community. The body of Akash remains at the hospital in Ahmedabad, awaiting identification and release to his family – a cruel limbo that amplifies her sorrow. Outside the Civil Hospital, 24‑year‑old Kajal Patni – Akash's grief-struck elder sister – waits in the oppressive sun as she retraces the final moments of her brother's life 'He had gone to get lunch for my parents at around 2pm,' she explains. 'Mum had come home for a quick shower, so he took a nap waiting for her. She was almost back when the crash happened. A deafening explosion was followed by wisps of dark smoke. When she ran towards him, everything was pitch‑black. Tears stream down her face. 'The authorities haven't told me when I will see his body. I just want my brother… I feel restless, suffocated, like I cannot breathe. Both my children used to play around him. What will I tell them?' This grief is not contained within hospital walls; it spills across the campus grounds, amplified by cellphone videos circulating of Akash's charred, unidentifiable remains lying in the rubble. Inside the medical college hostel kitchen, 30‑year‑old Shahana Khatoon was cleaning pots when the calamity struck. 'I heard a huge explosion,' she recalls, eyes distant. 'Suddenly, everything went black – from the dense smoke. At first, I thought it was a big storm. But then people started yelling, 'A plane has crashed! Run!' Debris and dust filled the air. I was terrified.' She and a colleague attempted to flee, aided by two boys eating at a café nearby. 'They saved us, but both were injured in the melee,' she says, referring to the chaos left in the wake of the crash. Now, Khatoon anxiously awaits news of her missing co‑worker and the woman's two-year-old granddaughter, Adiya. 'Their bodies haven't been found,' she says, voice quivering. 'We're still looking for them.' Her husband, Kurban Ali, 35, rushed to the site fearing for his wife and daughter's lives. 'I was frantic,' he says. 'Police wouldn't let me in. My wife and daughter returned about four hours later – thankfully okay –but those hours were quite painful for me. I did not know whether they were dead or alive.' 'It was at least an hour after the incident, that my wife managed to contact me and tell that she was safe,' he says, standing outside his society. Footage recorded by residents captured the scene: thick black smoke swallowed hundreds of metres of the campus, as survivors frantically tried to escape the blast zone. From his sixth-floor kitchen window, 38‑year‑old Arunbhai Mangal Bhai Parmar witnessed the horrifying descent of the aircraft. 'It was flying straight, then suddenly just stopped –parked in the air – and plunged,' he says, mimicking its sudden drop. 'Then came the blast.' He tried to assist but was thwarted by fire and security barriers, he says. 'The rescue work could only begin once the fire brigade arrived – about 30 minutes later. Even then, I could do nothing; police had already blocked access.' Surrounding streets were thrown into pandemonium. Just next door, 55‑year‑old Suresh Bhai was tending to his sewing shop when he heard the tremendous impact. 'At first, we thought it was a bomb. There was a massive plume of smoke, and we were terrified there might be another explosion,' he recalls. 'At first we thought it was an attack or something. There was a lot of chaos. Everyone started rushing down. Firefighters came in soon. We were all scared that what if it is a bomb blast and feared there might be another." In the hours that followed the crash, debris lay strewn across the campus compound. Initial images show a jagged section of fuselage embedded in the college building. At least five medical students enrolled at BJ Medical College died, and around fifty others were injured. The charred remains of the building where the jet had smashed remain ominously blackened. The impact of the plane crash could also be seen outside the post-mortem office of Civil Hospital, located about a kilometre from the impact site. The air was thick with the smell of burnt bodies, with officials, civilians and media personnel roaming around with their faces covered with masks. Hundreds of relatives gathered outside sat inert, their expressions vacant with loss and uncertainty. Some waited for the bodies of loved ones, others held on to a flicker of hope, as ambulances arrived in quick succession. Security forces – police, CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), NSG (National Security Guard) and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) – were rapidly deployed after the crash, and the government swiftly imposed strict information controls. Air India's parent company, the Tata Group, has pledged Rs10m – roughly £86,000 –to the next of kin of each victim. They will also cover medical expenses of the injured and assist in rebuilding parts of the college. But as yet, the final death toll from the ground has yet to be confirmed. Officials on condition of anonymity told The Independent that at least seven bodies have been released to families after post‑mortem checks and DNA tests. A senior hospital official said: 'They have instructed us not to release the death toll for another two days, until all bodies are identified.'
