WATCH: Footage Shows Air India's Harrowing ‘32-Second' Flight Before Tragic Crash
Harrowing footage captures the mere few seconds Air India Flight 171 was airborne before tragically crashing shortly after takeoff.
The footage, captured by a CCTV camera at Ahmedabad Airport and shared by Indian news outlet NDTV, shows that the flight only hovered above ground for a short 32 seconds after it took off.
NDTV adds that the flight's entire trajectory—from gearing toward takeoff to the time of impact—only amounted to 59 seconds, based on the CCTV footage.
The shock footage depicts the plane lifting off before struggling to regain its altitude and quickly descending onto the ground. There is then a visible, large explosion.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was carrying 242 people—230 passengers and 12 crew members. It was traveling from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India to London's Gatwick Airport.
Air India has since confirmed that only one passenger survived the plane crash, with all other 241 people on board confirmed to be dead. The plane also hit a hostel for doctors when it crashed, increasing the number of casualties to more than 260 so far. The exact number is still varying among reports.
The crash's sole survivor is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national of Indian origin, per CNN. He's currently being treated at a hospital near the airport and is in 'not very critical condition,' according to Dr. Rajnish Patel, a professor and head of surgery at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, who spoke to CNN.
'I don't know how I am alive,' Ramesh said according to his younger brother, Nayan Ramesh, quoted in The New York Times.
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a formal investigation into the cause of the crash, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu announced on X Thursday.
Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg also released a statement indicating that the company spoke to Air India's Chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, to offer their support and that the 'Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.'
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New York Post
23 minutes ago
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Death toll in Air India plane crash climbs to 270 as search teams find more bodies on the ground
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Press Information Bureau HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The government is eagerly awaiting the results of the crash investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, and all necessary steps will be taken without hesitation, Kinjarapu said. Investigators on Friday recovered the plane's digital flight data recorder, or the black box, which was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and likely will lead to clues about the cause of the accident. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had started working with 'full force' to extract the data. 8 A man gestures angrily as he waits for the bodies of four relatives who died in the Air India plane crash, at a hospital in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, June 14, 2025. AP The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for both the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, said investigators should be able to answer some important questions about what caused the crash as soon as next week, as long as the flight data recorder is in good shape. Investigators likely are looking at whether wing flaps were set correctly, the engine lost power, alarms were going off inside the cockpit, and if the plane's crew correctly logged information about the hot temperature outside and the weight of the fuel and passengers, Guzzetti said. 8 Some relatives expressed frustration Saturday that the process of identifying the victims was taking too long. AP 8 A relative of a victim of Thursday's Air India plane crash is comforted as he breaks down at a hospital in Ahmedabad, India. AP Mistakes in the data could result in the wing flaps being set incorrectly, he said. Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide, and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts.
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Dr. Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad told The Associated Press the facility had received 270 bodies, adding that the lone surviving passenger was still under observation for some of his wounds. Advertisement 'He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon,' Gameti said Saturday. Hundreds of relatives of the crash victims have provided DNA samples at the hospital. Most bodies were charred or mutilated, making them unrecognizable. Some relatives expressed frustration Saturday that the process was taking too long. Authorities say it normally takes up to 72 hours to complete DNA matching and they are expediting the process. 'Where are my children? Did you recover them?' asked Rafiq Abdullah, whose nephew, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren were on the flight. 'I will have to ask questions. Government is not answering these questions.' Another relative persistently asked hospital staff when his relative's body would be handed over to the family for last rites. 'Give us the body,' the relative insisted. Advertisement Alongside the formal investigation, the Indian government says it has formed a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The committee will focus on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future and 'will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations,' the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement. Authorities have begun inspecting Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, Indian Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Saturday in New Delhi at his first news briefing since Thursday's crash. Eight of the 34 Dreamliner aircraft in India have already undergone inspection, Kinjarapu said, adding that the remaining aircraft will be examined with 'immediate urgency.' The government is eagerly awaiting results of the crash investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and all necessary steps will be taken without hesitation, Kinjarapu said. Investigators on Friday recovered the plane's digital flight data recorder, or the black box, which was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and likely will lead to clues about the cause of the accident. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had started working with 'full force' to extract the data. The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for both the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, said investigators should be able to answer some important questions about what caused the crash as soon as next week as long as the flight data recorder is in good shape. Advertisement Investigators likely are looking at whether wing flaps were set correctly, the engine lost power, alarms were going off inside the cockpit and if the plane's crew correctly logged information about the hot temperature outside and the weight of the fuel and passengers, Guzzetti said. Mistakes in the data could result in the wing flaps being set incorrectly, he said. Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts. Hussain reported from Srinagar, India. Rishi Lekhi in New Delhi contributed to this report.
