Latest news with #AirIndiaFlight171
ABC News
13 hours ago
- General
- ABC News
Air India plane crash leaves grieving families searching for answers
Inayat Saiyad sent his final message to the family WhatsApp group just after midday on Thursday. "Boarding will start in a little while" he wrote in Hindi. "Thanks to all the family for making this trip enjoyable." The 48-year-old software professional, his wife Nafisa, and their two children — 25-year-old Taskin and 22-year-old Vakee — were about to travel home to the United Kingdom after spending time with relatives in western India. Inayat also sent the group what would his family's final photo together: a selfie of the four of them with a friend, laughing and smiling at the airport. Minutes later, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that the Saiyads were boarding — Air India Flight 171 to London — lifted off from Ahmedabad airport, only to plummet into a residential building seconds later. The explosion that followed was so intense, it killed all but one person on board. The Saiyads' relatives found out about the crash from the news. "I tried calling, but [Inayat's] phone was switched off," Inayat's brother Varis Saiyad told the ABC from his home in Ahmedabad. At least 265 people were killed in the Ahmedabad plane crash, making it India's deadliest aviation disaster in decades. After seeing the news, Varis and his family went to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to try to search for the Saiyads. Their shock quickly turned to frustration and helplessness. "There was no system in place there … no-one there to give information to us," Varis said. "We waited from afternoon to 8pm … even now, we do not have any information about the bodies. Where are they?" The government has set up a special DNA collection unit at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to identify the dead, many of whom were burned beyond recognition or fragmented by the blast. Families have been told it could take up to 72 hours for results. Nitin Sangwan, a senior government officer coordinating the effort, said teams were doing their best under extraordinary pressure. "We are also very distressed," he told the ABC. "The government is making all the efforts: physically, emotionally — everything. "We pray to God that they recover well." Inayat, one of seven siblings, grew up in Ahmedabad and had migrated to the UK with Nafisa more than 20 years ago in search of opportunity. He remained close with his family in India, returning once or twice a year to reconnect with his roots and his loved ones. "My brother was a jolly person. He used to visit India for happy occasions and stay for one to two months," Varis said. That optimism defined the family's final days in India. "They celebrated [Islamic holiday] Bakrid with us, enjoyed time with my kids," said Inayat's sister-in-law, Saiyad Sumia Varis Husain, as she walked the ABC through the quiet, grief-filled family home. "We dropped them at the airport together. My sister-in-law [Nafisa] and my niece [Taskin] hugged me before leaving and asked me to take care of myself and family." Inayat had originally booked the family on a flight from Delhi. But just a day before departure, Air India cancelled it and offered a more convenient direct flight from Ahmedabad instead. "It would be better if they hadn't switched flights," Varis said quietly, wiping away tears. The crash, reportedly caused just moments after take-off, turned the Dreamliner into a fireball. The plane had only climbed to 625 feet when it veered off course and slammed into the hostel of BJ Medical College, where students were sitting down for lunch. The aircraft was carrying 125,000 litres of fuel, Home Minister Amit Shah said. The blast left buildings scorched, limbs unrecognisable and survival nearly impossible. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met with the sole survivor. Air accident investigators from the US and UK have arrived in India to support the probe, which India's civil aviation ministry says will be "fair and thorough". On Friday, investigators recovered key evidence from the site of India's worst plane crash in decades. A black box was found on the rooftop of the hostel the plane crashed into. It's now with forensic teams, who hope the device will help explain why the aircraft fell from the sky moments after take-off. The aviation watchdog has also ordered sweeping safety checks of Air India's Dreamliner fleet, covering everything from fuel systems to engine controls. Officials warned the death toll could rise as emergency teams combed through the wreckage. In addition to the flight passengers and crew, locals also died after the plane crashed into the residential area. In the Saiyad home in Ahmedabad, the grief lingers in every corner — empty rooms, fresh laundry, paintings by Taskin. "Inayat's mother is 85 years old, she is still in shock," Saiyad Sumia Varis Husain said. "She is not able to accept it. Just a day before they happily say goodbye to her, they took a selfie."
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
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 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 '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.
The Guardian
15 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
‘All our community are sad': shock and solace as British Gujaratis come together after Air India crash
'We started in a terrace house back in 1971, when all the Asians were expelled from Uganda – we got bigger and bigger, and now we are many,' Dhiren Kanabar said of the Shree Hindu temple and community centre in Leicester, where he works. The building at St Barnabas Road is testament to the growth and resilience of the city's Gujarati community, who collected money, in their earliest days in the UK, to move from a makeshift place of worship – a family home in Cromford Street – to one of the first purpose-built Hindu temples in the UK. On Friday, the day after the tragedy of Air India flight 171, in which a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, in the Gujarat region of India, killing at least 265 people, sorrow descended on the temple. People came to light candles, find out how they could help, and take comfort in the speaker's message of common universal humanity. In this close-knit, British Gujarati community, everybody knows somebody affected. Relatives of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, the sole survivor, are active members. One of Vishwash's brothers, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, is presumed dead. 'People, whenever they have time, in the evenings, and especially weekends, get together in prayer to the gods and goddesses,' Kanabar said. 'But today, we are in mourning. It's really tragic, really shocking.' All over the UK, meetings of British Indians, Hindus, Gujaratis and their friends and neighbours have become impromptu vigils for the dead. In the North Evington district of Leicester, well-wishers clustered in the doorways of terraces, anxious for news about Vishwash and Ajay. In this vibrant neighbourhood, crying could be heard from one house on Friday. Dozens of people stood quietly outside the property, which belongs to relatives of the brothers. Early in the afternoon, an inconsolable woman emerged, flanked by about a dozen other women, and was helped into a van – thought to be bound for an airport, then on to India. There are about 800,000 British Gujaratis in the UK, many living in London, Lancashire and the East Midlands, including Hindus, Muslims, Jains and Christians. As speculation spread across communities, and news trickled out through news sites, broadcasters and social media, the National Council for Gujarati Organisations UK became a go-between for people who feared their loved ones were on the flight and authorities in Britain and India. The organisation's vice-president, Krishna Pujara, regularly travels on the London Gatwick to Gujarat route, returning home from a visit to the region just last week. When news of the crash broke, she was deluged with calls from people who feared she was on the plane, as well as from those needing support, emergency visas and information. The meeting Pujara holds every Friday in Enfield, north London, with members of the women's charity Enfield Saheli, which she runs, this week became a place for women from the Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi and Muslim communities to come together in solidarity. They meditated before singing in prayer around tables lit with candles. 'It's not only about Gujaratis, we are a community that is united within the wider community,' Pujara said. Onboard the flight was Vijay Rupani, a former chief minister of Gujarat. Pujara said she was due to attend a Father's Day and religious celebration for him on Sunday, which has now been cancelled; his relatives have gone to India after obtaining emergency visas. 'We are a sisterhood here of all different community groups,' Pujara said. 'When tragedy strikes everybody gets together.' One member of the group, Manu Mistry, 78, said: ''We feel very sorry about that plane crash, people who died, those who lost their loved ones. All our community, all our children, all our grandchildren, we are all sad. It's horrible.' Another, Mayadevi Shah, said her husband regularly travelled to his home town of Ahmedabad with Air India. After news of the tragedy, it was decided he no longer would. 'He's not going with this flight any more,' said Shah, adding he had returned as recently as last month. 'Luckily, we don't travel this month.' Shah was among the women chanting in prayer for the victims and their families at the Saheli meeting. The previous day, she had been shocked to learn that a friend had lost her son, who was returning from India after visiting relatives. 'We read the name then we realised,' Shah said. 'The news came and we were shocked. May their souls rest in peace and God give strength to them and their families. Om, Shanti, Shanti.'
News.com.au
21 hours ago
- General
- News.com.au
‘Something horrible': Experts analyse Air India crash
A plane disaster that killed hundreds of people in India has shocked the aviation world as experts try to process how it unfolded. Air India Flight 171 crashed into a residential area within seconds of lift-off at Ahmedabad airport, killing 241 on board and others at the crash site. One passenger miraculously survived after boarding the flight bound for London's Gatwick Airport on Thursday, as speculation mounts over what caused the tragedy. Keith Tonkin, an aviation consultant, told that although the cause was not yet clear, it was obvious that 'something horrible has happened'. 'Whether it's to do with the engines or some other, equipment on the aircraft, it's not really obvious at the moment,' he said. 'The fact that the landing gear was left down tells me that they either did that deliberately or for some reason, didn't have enough time to think of doing that when they probably should have. 'And that could mean that they had other things that they were dealing with at the time. 'So there's a little, little moment in time somewhere between taking off and somewhere in that very short climb out where something horrible is happening that the pilots weren't able to manage.' Mr Tonkin said the short time frame between take off and the crash was 'very unusual' compared to other air disasters. 'Because it's so close to this time start of the flight,' he said. 'Normally, you have an opportunity when you're taking an aircraft off to stop if it's not working properly. 'And so the pilots have got to a point where they just sort of continue that take off. And very shortly after that, the aircraft has stopped operating as you'd expect it to. 'So everything has been compressed into a very short time frame that you would not normally see.' Peter Carter, an aviation lawyer, said it did not appear to be an engine failure but was 'likely a case of aircraft configuration and the physics of airspeed, lift and drag'. 'The first thing that needs to be determined is whether the pilot chose an intersection departure rather than backtracking on the runway to make use of its full length of 3,500m. He said Flight Radar 24 appeared to show the aircraft did not backtrack to use the full length of the runway, which could have meant 'it did not have sufficient speed to safely 'rotate' and lift off by the time it arrived at the runway's end'. But, he added, it was possible this was an error by the flight tracking software. 'It also appears from the video that the landing gear was still in the 'down' position at a height it would normally be retracted so as to reduce drag and assist the aircraft's climb. 'And from the video it's unclear whether the flaps were in the takeoff position as they were required to be, so as to increase the lift on the wings during the initial climb.' Chrystal Zhang, from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, said that based on the footage she did not believe the crash was caused by a bird strike – as has been speculated. 'There are some facts that perhaps we cannot deny,' she said. 'The weather is clear, so it's good for takeoff. There is nothing hindering the aircraft from taking off. 'So weather wise, perhaps, is being ruled out at this stage. 'So in that case, the focus is really to understand how the pilots are operating and whether there are any other issues.' Although global air safety records are improving, Ms Zhang said some countries were still catching up. 'There has been some report saying that the air safety record in India had been experiencing issues and problems,' she said. 'In particular with increasing demand with the increase of the middle class and also the emergence of the low-cost carriers.' Tourism expert David Beirman said it was important to put the incident into context, saying, 'air travel statistically is probably the safest way to travel anywhere in the world'. 'So when you have an air crash off of the scale that that happened last night, it becomes big news because it is very rare that that such a such an incident occurs,' he said. 'From everything that's been said so far, it seems to have been a mechanical problem in the plane, which is very, very rare. 'The pilot was incredibly experienced, so I think it had 8000 hours or something.' Dr Beirman said it was a 'terrible tragedy' but a 'very unusual' incident. 'So I don't think it actually compromises the safety of the air travel as a whole, but it certainly will be a big question for Air India, who I'm sure will be investigating this one very carefully.'
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
India considers grounding Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 fleet following crash tragedy
India is considering ground its entire fleet of Boeing Dreamliner 787-8s, following a deadly plane crash that happened seconds after it took off from Ahmedabad airport that killed all but one of the 242 people onboard. Yesterday the world witnessed one of the worst aviation disasters of the 21st century, after Air India flight AI171, travelling from western India to London Gatwick, crashed into a densely populated part of Ahmedabad just seconds after taking off. At least 290 people were killed in the crash, including 241 people on the flight and around 50 people on the ground. The sole survivor on the plane was revealed to be British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who is miraculously in a 'not very critical' condition as he recovers in hospital, according to Dr. Rajnish Patel, professor and head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Since then, however, sources within India's government have told local media that its entire fleet will likely be grounded for a safety review of the plane. Sources added that talks between India and American agencies are underway to discuss this: 'A call will be taken on the basis of a probe into the crash.' Boeing, the plane's manufacturer, has come under heavy scrutiny over the past year, following a spate of serious accidents involving their planes. it said in a statement: We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.' The sole survivor of yesterday's deadly Air India plane crash has shared his shocking account of the disaster and described how he was 'ejected' from the jet before it hit the ground and exploded into a huge fireball. Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, miraculously survived the plane disaster, which killed all but one of the 242 passengers and crew on-board. Mr Ramesh, who lives in London with his wife and child, 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, ejecting him before there was a loud explosion. Speaking to Indian broadcaster Doordarshan, Mr Ramesh said: 'I don't know how I came out of it alive. '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,' adding how two cabin crew members 'died before my eyes.' His seat was placed right next to the emergency door, which he says came off when the plane hit the ground. Mr 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'. 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 Mr 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 Mr Ramesh with visible injuries hobbling away from the jet before he was rushed to hospital for treatment. Mr 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.'
