The Aviation Ministry on Saturday confirmed that the final transmission from the ill-fated Air India Flight AI-171 was a desperate “Mayday, Mayday” call from the cockpit, made just moments before the aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off at 1:39 pm but failed to climb beyond 650 feet.
Within 36 seconds, it plummeted and exploded into a fireball after crashing into a student hostel in Medhaninagar, a densely populated area just 2 kilometres from the airport.
ATC received distress signal moments before crash
Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Ahmedabad received the emergency call but lost contact almost immediately.
Seconds later, the aircraft, fully loaded with fuel, went down in what has become India’s worst aviation disaster since the 2010 Mangaluru crash that killed 158 people.
Aviation Secretary S.K. Sinha informed reporters that the ministry was alerted at around 2:00 pm, approximately 20 minutes after the incident.
“The aircraft was carrying 242 individuals—230 passengers, 10 crew members, and 2 pilots,” he stated during a press briefing.
Aircraft crashed into residential building near airport
The aircraft struck a student hostel upon crashing, causing devastation on the ground. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Sundar were piloting the flight.
Tragically, only one person survived the crash.
Officials expect the death toll to increase due to possible casualties on the ground.
The aircraft had completed its earlier Paris, Delhi, Ahmedabad journey without any reported technical issues.
However, during the Ahmedabad–London leg, the Dreamliner suffered what appears to be a sudden and catastrophic loss of thrust.
Experts have not ruled out causes such as a bird strike or engine failure.
Black Box recovered, probe underway
Investigators have recovered the aircraft’s black box, which is expected to provide critical information about the flight’s final moments.
Over 100 personnel, including 40 aviation engineers, have joined the ongoing investigation and wreckage clearance operations.
The disaster has reignited concerns about aviation safety in India.
With 241 lives lost, the tragedy has shocked the aviation sector and the nation at large.
Authorities have pledged a thorough and transparent investigation to uncover the exact cause and prevent future incidents.
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