Experts reveal if seat 11A is really a 'miracle' spot where you're likely to survive crash after Air India horror
A British man sitting in seat 11A survived the fatal Air India Flight 171 to the awes of the world as many said it was an un-survivable flight. Now, experts have discussed whether such 'miracle seats' that can survive a plane crash actually exist.
When Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 40, emerged from the wreckage of the Air India flight alive on Thursday, the world declared it a miracle as the other 241 passengers tragically perished.
'I don't know how I came out of it alive', Ramesh, who was traveling with his brother from India to London, said from his hospital bed.
His boarding pass, which he managed to take with him, showed he was sitting in seat 11A, which has since been dubbed the miracle seat following the gruesome crash of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Several factors, including his seat position, could have played into his miraculous survival, experts said.
Ramesh was sitting in a window seat in the emergency exit row, meaning he had the easiest access to get off the plane the fastest.
'I do think it had something to do with it,' Ella Atkins, the head of the Crofton Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Department at Virginia Tech, told DailyMail.com, calling his survival an 'extraordinary miracle.'
'He happened to be ejected in a way that didn't kill him.'
The 58-year-old Virginian, who has been an engineer since 1988, said one's placement inside an aircraft 'absolutely' matters when it comes to surviving a horrific crash, such as Ramesh did.
However, it's nearly impossible for passengers to preselect a seat that's going to save them as a plane can crash in so many different ways, the aerospace engineer said.
Unsurprisingly, for frontal impacts, it's safest to be in the back of the plane. For tail impacts, the front. For a fuselage problem, the middle is the most dangerous spot as that's where the fuel is located.
If the plane nosedives into the ground, crashes while upside down or lands in the middle of the ocean, the likelihood of a 'miracle seat' saving you from death diminishes to near zero.
Without having some magical foresight, passengers cannot predetermine the exact seat that has the highest potential of saving their lives.
'I'm not going out [of my way] to ask for 11A after this,' Atkin, a frequent flyer, said. 'If I had to choose a place not to sit, it'd be first class.'
However, that doesn't stop the professor from snagging the upgrade every time Delta offers it to her because air travel continues to be exceptionally safe.
The logic about economy being safer centers on the fact that most plane crashes are frontal impacts - with business and first class seats usually situated at the front of the cabin.
'Any aircraft can crash like any car can,' she told DailyMail.com 'I don't think there's a miracle seat... Every accident is so unique.'
For a December 2024 Jeju Air flight, a 737 plane that slammed into a concrete barrier and burst into flames, the 'miracle seats' happened to be crew spots at the back of the plane - quite far from the general location Ramesh's seat would have been on that flight.
A 737 is a small plane with a single aisle with two rows, while a 787 has a dual aisle and three rows of seating.
Some experts say this can make a difference in some crashes.
In the instance of a water landing, you're more likely to find a miracle seat on a single aisle aircraft because their fuselages are slightly more rigid and less likely to tear apart on impact.
One prime example is the 2009 'Miracle on the Hudson' crash, when an Airbus A320 crash landed on the Hudson River fully intact after a bird strike caued engine failure. All 78 aboard survived.
However, the size of the aircraft doesn't matter when it comes to commercial flights, Atkin said, as they 'tend to be extremely safe' and are 'painstakingly designed and tested.'
The chance of survival doesn't necessarily change based on the size for commercial planes. However, single-engine planes, like Cessnas, have a much higher crash rate.
'It's clear in this case that something went wrong,' Atkins said of the Air India flight.
Atkins believes 'both engines failed for this to happen' and said that's an 'extremely rare' occurrence. She reminds nervous flyers to 'keep in mind all those flights' that land each and every day.
University of Greenwich Professor, Ed Galea, agreed that Ramesh's location in the emergency exit more than likely had something to do with his survival.
'He's got the seat as close as you could possibly be to an emergency exit. You can't be any closer,' Galea told The Telegraph.
'It's right on his side and he's actually in the A seat, which is the window seat. You could reach up and touch the door, you're that close to it.'
Ramesh was sitting in a window seat in the emergency exit row. 'He's got the seat as close as you could possibly be to an emergency exit. You can't be any closer,' University of Greenwich Professor, Ed Galea (pictured), said
Another reason that could have factored into Ramesh's survival is the fact that his seat is located near the wing of the plane. The 'wing box' is the most fortified place on the aircraft.
'That's the strongest part of the aircraft because there's the most structure there,' Galea told the outlet. 'And I believe seat 11A is just at the front of that very strong part of the aircraft. That may have been a factor.'
Also, sitting in the emergency exit rows carry the highest chance of survival during an life-threatening situation as passengers have the fastest exit.
'[It] greatly increases the chance of survival when there is a fire,' University of York Professor John McDermid told The Telegraph.
However, both professors also believe the main thing that saved Ramesh was simply luck.
'He also had a lot of good fortune,' Galea said. 'Because why did he survive and 11B sitting right next to him didn't, or 11C or 12A?'
Ironically, an American Airlines employee told The Sun in December that row 11 was the worst to sit in for impatient travelers.
Specifically, seats 11A and 11F were cited as horrible seats as it can make exiting the plane slower.
'If you're looking for a quick exit, avoid row 11 at all costs,' the unidentified flight attendant told the outlet. 'Being in the middle row, especially in a window seat, which tends to be either A or F, almost guarantees you'll be one of the last off the plane.'
The flight attendant did not specify which aircrafts this involved, as seating charts vary by design.
Another reason, seat 11A can be a bad spot to pick is do to some aircrafts, such as a Boeing 737 - which is not the same as the Air India flight - not having a window due to the air conditioning system being there, a Flight Radar expert told Unilad Tech.
Ramesh is being treated at a hospital in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad, where he told doctors that immediately after the plane took off, it began descending and suddenly split in two.
Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who examined Ramesh, told the Associated Press that he was disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body' but that he 'seems to be out of danger.'
Speaking to Indian broadcaster Doordarshan, Ramesh recounted his horrific ordeal, and spoke of how he witnessed two air hostesses die 'in front of my eyes.'
'For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive. And I opened my seatbelt and got out of there,' he said.
His seat was placed right next to the emergency door, which he says came off when the plane hit the ground.
'The side where I was seated fell into the ground floor of the building,' Ramesh recounted.
'There was some space. When the door broke, I saw that space and I just jumped out.'
'The door must've broken on impact,' he said.
'There was a wall on the opposite side, but near me, it was open. I ran. I don't know how.'
When the plane hit the ground yesterday, seat 11A, where Ramesh was sat, collapsed into the ground floor of the building, instead of the upper levels where the jet's main body was badly destroyed.
Ramesh also described how just moments after take-off, it 'felt like the plane had got stuck.'
He recalled how the pilots tried to raise the jet, but it 'went full speed and crashed into the building'.
Ramesh explained how the plane quickly caught fire following the crash, and said he burned his arm.
Astonishing footage taken near the crash site yesterday showed Ramesh with visible injuries hobbling away from the jet before he was rushed to hospital for treatment.
Ramesh, whose brother was also on the flight and is presumed dead, described yesterday how he heard a 'a loud noise' before the plane crashed.
'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran.
'There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.'
The Indian government has launched an investigation into the fatal crash of the London-bound plane that came down in a residential area of Ahmedabad.
Officials said most of the bodies were charred beyond recognition.
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Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British Air India crash survivor reveals how he 'just walked out' out of burning plane moments before it EXPLODED - as he admits it's a 'miracle' he escaped with 'minor injuries'
The sole survivor of the British Air India disaster has revealed how he 'just walked out' of the burning plane as he admitted it is a 'miracle' that he has been left with only minor injuries. British national Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 40, said that he was in India with his brother for the best part of a year and was returning to London, where his family live, on the Gatwick-bound aircraft on Thursday. He was seated in 11A on the doomed flight from Ahmedabad, which is said to be one of the worst in India's aviation history, having claimed the lives of 279 people so far. Among the victims believed to be dead, which includes 53 British nationals, is the 40-year-old's brother Ajay Kumar, 35, who was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J perished in the fireball explosion. Vishwash, who is being treated at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, just a short distance from where the plane crashed into buildings, has spoken of the moment he escaped from the burning plane. While sitting up on a hospital bed, he told DD India that he was 'feeling better than yesterday' and that the 'treatment is going good'. Still in shock, he admitted he 'can't explain' everything that he witnessed as the plane plummeted to the ground. He managed to escape after his side of the plane fell onto the ground of a floor building, forcing his way out of the plane past a broken door, before being assisted by locals and taken to hospital in an ambulance. 'The emergency door was broken, my seat is broken,' he said. Asked if he escaped the plane by jumping to the ground, he replied: 'I am not jumping. I just walked out innit.' 'It's a miracle,' he said when discussing his survival and injuries. His doctor added: 'He is having minor injuries only. He has some abrasions over his left forearm and swelling over left eyelid and over the eyes. 'Chest and abdomen is clear, no lung fractures present. The patient is vitally stable.' 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I don't know where my brother is. 'I don't see any other passengers. I don't know how I'm alive, how I exited the plane'.' Devastatingly, injured Viswash had been begging from his hospital bed: 'Find Ajay, you must find Ajay.' His cousin, Ajay Valgi, told the BBC, how Viswash has a wife and 'little boy' at home: adding: 'He only said that he's fine, nothing else. [We are] happy that he's OK, but we're still upset about the other brother.' Previously said of his younger cousin's, Ajay's death, Mr Valgi: 'I'm feeling absolutely upset. He's not just my cousin, he's also one of my best friends as well. 'They were sitting next to each other, but we don't know what happened to [Ajay Kumar]. We're not doing well. We're all upset.' On Thursday, relatives gathered at the family's terraced home in Leicester to comfort the brothers' mother who is said to be too grief-stricken to speak. 'It's a miracle at least one of them survived,' younger brother Nayan said. 'He said his plane had crashed and he couldn't find anyone, we couldn't believe it. There was blood running down his face. The tragedy's death toll has since increased to 279 dead, according to a senior Indian police source, making it one of the deadliest plane disasters of the 21st century. This is a further increase on an earlier figure of 265 victims, which includes those on the plane and ground. Viswash lying in hospital with a bloodied face and injuries after the tragic crash, which claimed the life of his younger brother The siblings had been a few seats apart onboard the plane, with survivor Viswash sat at 11A and his younger brother positioned at 11J on the other side of the aisle Air India said there were 242 people on board the London-bound flight, with only one survivor, with at least 38 people killed on the ground when the plane smashed into residential buildings. The official casualty number will not be finalised until the slow process of DNA identification is completed. 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'He's the one they wanted to see because he's 96 and it's very hot in India. No one goes to India this time of year but they said 'We don't know how long he's going to be around, let's go and celebrate Eid.' Altaf added: 'I'm the eldest person in the family now. I'm here with my sisters. I'm flying out with my two sisters. The other one can't make it as she's a cancer patient. Adam was a retired machinist who'd worked making leather coats and Hasina had been a housewife. The couple, who had lived in a terraced property in Ilford since the 1970s, had four children, a boy and three girls. One of their daughters who lives has since flown back to Redbridge to be with family. Raxa Modha (left) was on the doomed flight so tragically died in the crash on Thursday Adam's son, Altaf Taju, told the Mail the family hoped to be flying out to India by Sunday, so they could conduct the burials next week. Mr Taju, who is from Blackburn, said he'd travelled down to London to support his sister Shamim who was married to Altafhusen Patel. Mr Taju said: 'I'm okay. I'm the eldest son of the family. My uncle rang me to tell me what had happened. 'We've lost three members of my family and my brother in law who's married to my sister. My sister is alone here.' Explaining how burials of his family members will take place in their respective home villages, his mother and father in Sansrod, Gujarat, and his brother-in-law in Bharuch, Mr Taju called for the release of the bodies. 'We need to get the release of the bodies and bring them home and start mourning in the Islamic way, whatever is left of them,' he said. 'I have told them to wait for us, until we get there, because I want to put them down in the grave.' Friend and neighbour Iqbal Hussain, 44, who has known Adam and Hasina since he was a child, described them as a 'smiling' and 'loving family'. 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 'It's a sad thing. They were happy when they left [to go to India]. They were going on holiday to celebrate Eid,' he said. 'They were part of the Neighbourhood Watch group. We're all devastated. 'Anything they needed we'd help them with. They weren't very IT savvy and I used to help them out,' the IT manager added: 'We grew up with their children. I was friends with Afia, their youngest daughter.' Recalling the moment his local councillor who's from the Gujarat community informed him of the plane crash, as well as Adam and Hasina being on board, Mr Hussain said: ''I thought 'That cannot be true'. 'I called the youngest daughter [Afia]. She was crying. She didn't say much. All she said was 'Say prayers for my parents'. She was hoping they were okay and alive.' 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The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call moments before it crashed around lunchtime on Thursday after lifting barely 100 metres (330 feet) from the ground. Investigators have also since recovered a black box recorder on Friday from the crash site, with forensic teams still looking for the second. US planemaker Boeing said it was in touch with Air India and stood 'ready to support them' over the incident, which a source close to the case said was the first crash for a 787 Dreamliner. It comes as an aviation expert believes the co-pilot on Air India flight AI171 pulled the plane's wing flaps instead of retracting the landing gear, causing the plane to crash. Commercial airline pilot and YouTuber Captain Steve, who analyzes plane crashes and close calls, gave his theory on the incident which killed 241 people on board. The London -bound 787 Dreamliner began losing height moments after take-off and crashed in a fireball over a residential area in the Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Steve said he suspected there had been an exceptionally simple error in the cockpit when the co-pilot was asked to retract the landing gear, with devastating consequences. He said: 'Here's what I think happened, again folks this is just my opinion. I think the pilot flying said to the co-pilot said 'gear up' at the appropriate time. Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner lies at the site where the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025 Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025 The tail of the Dreamliner plane that crashed, hitting buildings in a residential area Remnants of the fuselage and the landing gear were seen dangling through a gaping hole in the side of what appeared to be a canteen, with half-finished plates of food clearly visible on benches inside Parts of the jet appeared to have smashed into the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital Read More Expert's theory on simple mistake he thinks Air India co-pilot made that caused crash and killed 265 'I think the co-pilot grabbed the flap handle and raised the flaps, instead of the gear. If that happened, this explains a lot of why this airplane stopped flying.' 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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Grenfell residents gather for last anniversary before tower is taken down
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
British Air India disaster survivor's first words to his father after he survived the crash are revealed as he is about to leave hospital with only minor injuries
British Air India disaster survivor's first woods to his father after his brother was killed on the Gatwick-bound aircraft have been revealed, as he expected to be discharged from hospital in the next 48 hours. British national, Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 40 was returning after a business trip in India with his brother Ajay Kumar, 35, when they boarded the doomed flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick on Thursday. In what has been described as a miracle, Viswash Kumar, who was seated in 11A survived the disaster, which is said to be one of the worst in India's aviation history, having claimed the lives of 279 people so far. Among the victims believed to be dead, which includes 53 British nationals, is the 40-year-old's brother Ajay Kumar, who was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J perished in the fireball explosion. Vishwash, who is being treated for minor injured at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, just a short distance from where the plane crashed into buildings, is now anticipated to be released, relatives have said. Jigar Chunilal, who has been at his bedside since he was filmed walking away from the crash site dazed and bloodied, said: 'Not only is it a miracle that he survived but it's also a miracle that he had no serious injuries. He's still very shocked that he's still alive and so are we. 'The doctors have told us that he can go home within the next two days and that is incredible, but we are not sure when he will be leaving for the UK. He suffered some minor burns but no fractures, broken bones or any serious internal injuries.' Mr Ramesh's parents, Manibhai and Bava, wife Hiral and two brothers, Sunnykumar and Nayankumar are expected to arrive in Ahmedabad over the weekend to visit him after leaving the UK on Friday night. A video posted to social media appeared to show the plane descending in a controlled manner with a high nose angle and landing gear deployed The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrifying clip Mr Chunilal added: 'We don't want to say too much because this is a very difficult time for us all. On one hand we are very happy that Viswashkumar survived but at the same time we are in mourning for Ajay.' He added that as per Hindu custom, the family are keen to carry out Ajay's funeral as quickly as possible and will not return to the UK until this is done. Earlier today, UK investigators with experience in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data, arrived in the south Asian country in the wake of the tragedy. Terrifying CCTV footage showed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner careen to the ground shortly after take off in the densely populated Meghani area of the city at around 1.40pm local time (8.10am BST). Detailing the moments after the crash, Viswash described seeing several passengers and crew lose their lives as parts of the plane were scattered around the site. He managed to escape after his side of the plane fell onto the ground of a floor building, forcing his way out of the plane past a broken door, before being assisted by locals and taken to hospital in an ambulance. Still clutching his boarding pass at the hospital, he called his father in the aftermath of the tragedy. His brother Nyan told Sky News: 'He video called my dad as he crashed and said, 'Oh the plane's crashed. I don't know where my brother is. 'I don't see any other passengers. I don't know how I'm alive, how I exited the plane'.' Devastatingly, injured Viswash had been begging from his hospital bed: 'Find Ajay, you must find Ajay.' His cousin, Ajay Valgi, told the BBC, how Viswash has a wife and 'little boy' at home: adding: 'He only said that he's fine, nothing else. [We are] happy that he's OK, but we're still upset about the other brother.' Previously said of his younger cousin's, Ajay's death, Mr Valgi: 'I'm feeling absolutely upset. He's not just my cousin, he's also one of my best friends as well. 'They were sitting next to each other, but we don't know what happened to [Ajay Kumar]. We're not doing well. We're all upset.' On Thursday, relatives gathered at the family's terraced home in Leicester to comfort the brothers' mother who is said to be too grief-stricken to speak. 'It's a miracle at least one of them survived,' younger brother Nayan said. 'He said his plane had crashed and he couldn't find anyone, we couldn't believe it. There was blood running down his face. The tragedy's death toll has since increased to 279 dead, according to a senior Indian police source, making it one of the deadliest plane disasters of the 21st century. This is a further increase on an earlier figure of 265 victims, which includes those on the plane and ground. The siblings had been a few seats apart onboard the plane, with survivor Viswash sat at 11A and his younger brother positioned at 11J on the other side of the aisle Air India said there were 242 people on board the London-bound flight, with only one survivor, with at least 38 people killed on the ground when the plane smashed into residential buildings. The official casualty number will not be finalised until the slow process of DNA identification is completed. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) announced on Friday night that four of its investigators had arrived in India and have expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data. The 'release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities', it added. Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members. MailOnline previously revealed the British victims were Akeel Nanawaba, Hannaa Vorajee and their daughter Sarah, 4, Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, Javed Ali Syed, his wife and two children, Raxa Modha, her grandson Rudra and her daughter-in-law Yasha Kamdar, and Ajay Kumar Ramesh, the brother of the tragedy's only survivor. Relatives of Harrods ambassador Mariam Ali Syed, 35, her husband Javed - a manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel - have spoken out since the tragedy. The couple's children Zayn, five, and Amani, four, are believed to be the youngest named victims of the crash so far. Mrs Ali Syed's sister-in-law, Yasmine Hassan, 45, broke down while confirming the children's names, and pleaded with officials to offer more support to the families of the 53 British citizens onboard the flight. 'They are so small, they are five and four. And it's just thinking how scared they must have been,' she told the Telegraph. 'We're not angry about the lack of answers [from UK government officials] – we understand that takes time. 'We're angry because no one has reached out to offer support or even ask if we need anything. These are British citizens.' Adam Taju, 72, and his wife Hasina, 70, were flying back to the UK with their son-in-law Altafhusen Patel, 51, when they lost their lives in the tragedy, The four had been spending time with Mr Taju's 96-year-old father in India to celebrate Eid, their son Altaf Taju told MailOnline. 'He's the one they wanted to see because he's 96 and it's very hot in India. No one goes to India this time of year but they said 'We don't know how long he's going to be around, let's go and celebrate Eid.' Altaf added: 'I'm the eldest person in the family now. I'm here with my sisters. I'm flying out with my two sisters. The other one can't make it as she's a cancer patient. Adam was a retired machinist who'd worked making leather coats and Hasina had been a housewife. The couple, who had lived in a terraced property in Ilford since the 1970s, had four children, a boy and three girls. One of their daughters who lives has since flown back to Redbridge to be with family. Raxa Modha (left) was on the doomed flight so tragically died in the crash on Thursday Adam's son, Altaf Taju, told the Mail the family hoped to be flying out to India by Sunday, so they could conduct the burials next week. Mr Taju, who is from Blackburn, said he'd travelled down to London to support his sister Shamim who was married to Altafhusen Patel. Mr Taju said: 'I'm okay. I'm the eldest son of the family. My uncle rang me to tell me what had happened. 'We've lost three members of my family and my brother in law who's married to my sister. My sister is alone here.' Explaining how burials of his family members will take place in their respective home villages, his mother and father in Sansrod, Gujarat, and his brother-in-law in Bharuch, Mr Taju called for the release of the bodies. 'We need to get the release of the bodies and bring them home and start mourning in the Islamic way, whatever is left of them,' he said. 'I have told them to wait for us, until we get there, because I want to put them down in the grave.' Friend and neighbour Iqbal Hussain, 44, who has known Adam and Hasina since he was a child, described them as a 'smiling' and 'loving family'. 'It's a sad thing. They were happy when they left [to go to India]. They were going on holiday to celebrate Eid,' he said. 'They were part of the Neighbourhood Watch group. We're all devastated. 'Anything they needed we'd help them with. They weren't very IT savvy and I used to help them out,' the IT manager added: 'We grew up with their children. I was friends with Afia, their youngest daughter.' Recalling the moment his local councillor who's from the Gujarat community informed him of the plane crash, as well as Adam and Hasina being on board, Mr Hussain said: ''I thought 'That cannot be true'. 'I called the youngest daughter [Afia]. She was crying. She didn't say much. All she said was 'Say prayers for my parents'. She was hoping they were okay and alive.' Councillor Salim Patel described Adam as 'a wonderful man, a community man', who was 'always out and about supporting communities'. 'He will be very missed,' he said: 'It will take a very long time for this community to accept he's not there. It's a great loss, to lose him as a human being. 'Whatever the community needed he would stand up with the community, whether it was to help campaign against fly-tipping or help people in need during Covid. 'Whenever I needed his support, he would be there. 'He was a kind and humble gentleman. There are no words to describe how we are going to miss him. I've known him for nearly 30 years. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call moments before it crashed around lunchtime on Thursday after lifting barely 100 metres (330 feet) from the ground. Investigators have also since recovered a black box recorder on Friday from the crash site, with forensic teams still looking for the second. US planemaker Boeing said it was in touch with Air India and stood 'ready to support them' over the incident, which a source close to the case said was the first crash for a 787 Dreamliner. It comes as an aviation expert believes the co-pilot on Air India flight AI171 pulled the plane's wing flaps instead of retracting the landing gear, causing the plane to crash. Commercial airline pilot and YouTuber Captain Steve, who analyzes plane crashes and close calls, gave his theory on the incident which killed 241 people on board. The London -bound 787 Dreamliner began losing height moments after take-off and crashed in a fireball over a residential area in the Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Steve said he suspected there had been an exceptionally simple error in the cockpit when the co-pilot was asked to retract the landing gear, with devastating consequences. He said: 'Here's what I think happened, again folks this is just my opinion. I think the pilot flying said to the co-pilot said 'gear up' at the appropriate time. Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner lies at the site where the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025 Rescuers work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June12, 2025 The tail of the Dreamliner plane that crashed, hitting buildings in a residential area Remnants of the fuselage and the landing gear were seen dangling through a gaping hole in the side of what appeared to be a canteen, with half-finished plates of food clearly visible on benches inside Parts of the jet appeared to have smashed into the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital Read More Expert's theory on simple mistake he thinks Air India co-pilot made that caused crash and killed 265 'I think the co-pilot grabbed the flap handle and raised the flaps, instead of the gear. If that happened, this explains a lot of why this airplane stopped flying.' Steve said that the flaps being raised would cause the flight to lose airspeed and altitude quickly, something he thinks the pilot would have struggled to control. He explained his theory by saying the 787's composite wings would normally bend during take off as lift forces take it into the air. But the Air India plane appears to show no such bending, amid widespread speculation the flaps which help lift the plane off had accidentally been retracted. It remains unclear what caused Thursday's tragedy, with mechanical failure or pilot error among the possible causes that investigators will now work to identify. Among those believed to have died is Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot operating the Boeing 787. Mr Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of experience, was named as the pilot of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. First Officer Clive Kunder, from Mumbai and who was co-piloting, had logged 1,100 of flying hours and completed his training at the Florida-based Paris Air Flight School. King Charles III and other members of the royal family will wear black armbands and there will be a moment of silence during his annual birthday parade Saturday as the monarch commemorates those who died in this week's Air India plane crash. Charles requested the symbolic moves 'as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy,' Buckingham Palace said.
