First pictures of Air India crash pilots who issued desperate mayday call before disaster
First pictures of Air India crash pilots who issued desperate mayday call before disaster
Air India flight AI171 crashed just seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport in India with 241 people on board
Some of the remains of the aircraft that crashed yesterday
(Image: CISF via AP )
The pilots of the Air India flight involved in a tragic crash which led to 241 fatalities have been pictured as details of their chilling mayday call emerge.
According to the air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the flight left from the airport's runway 23 at 1.39pm local time (9.09am BST). Soon after the take-off, the crew aboard the plane issued a "mayday" distress call. However, subsequent contact attempts with the aircraft went unanswered, India's aviation regulatory body said.
Flightradar24, the flight monitoring service, has said it observed a signal loss from the plane mere moments after take off. Tragically, before the aircraft crashed into a residential area soon after ascent, the experienced Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with 8,200 flight hours, along with First Officer Clive Kundar who had clocked up 1,100 hours, issued the distress signal.
With urgency, the captain broadcasted: "Mayday...no thrust, losing power, unable to lift." For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal who issued the mayday call prior to the tragic crash
Despite their efforts, the pilots couldn't regain control as the aircraft plunged to the ground just 1.5 miles from the runway edge, in Meghani Nagar - a crowded neighbourhood in Gujarat, reports the Mirror.
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Tragically, Air India revealed that of the 242 individuals on board flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, only Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived when the plane met with disaster on 12 June 2025.
The airline shared in a statement on X: "Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew.
First Officer Clive Kundar who was also on the plane
"The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital. The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national. The survivor is a British national of Indian origin.
"Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones. A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.
"Air India has also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information. Those calling from outside India can call on +91 8062779200."
According to the Aviation Safety Network database, this is the first crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Boeing has stated they are "working to gather more information".
The previous significant passenger plane accident in India occurred in 2020 when an Air India Express Boeing-737 overran a hilltop runway in southern India, resulting in 21 fatalities.
India's most catastrophic air disaster took place on 12 November 1996, when a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight collided midair with a Kazakhstan Airlines Flight near Charki Dadri in Haryana state, claiming the lives of all 349 people aboard both aircraft.
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