Latest news with #AirIndiaPlaneCrash
News18
12 hours ago
- General
- News18
What Could Have Brought Down AI-171? Aviation Expert Captain Steve's Theory Goes Viral
Last Updated: In a detailed video on the Air India AI-171 crash, the aviation expert analysed flight footage and suggested a possible cockpit error, but stressed it was just one theory Days after the plane crash in Ahmedabad, one of India's deadliest aviation disasters, a new theory about what could've brought down Air India Flight AI-171 is gaining traction online. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which crashed into a residential hostel shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport for London Gatwick, killed at least 274 people, including passengers, crew, and residents on the ground. Now, international aviation expert Captain Steve's video is going viral on X (formerly Twitter), in which he suggests the crash may have been caused by accidental flap retraction instead of landing gear—a cockpit error he calls 'a tragic mistake". Speaking earlier to CNN-News18, Steve had discussed other possible scenarios, including flap mismanagement and a bird strike, though he noted that it would likely require 'a large number of birds" to cripple an aircraft like the 787. #Exclusive | Don't think the gear was ever raised. The handle never got touched. We will know for sure once the #blackbox is recovered. Don't think the plane lost power: Captain Steve, Aviation Expert #AhemdabadPlaneCrash #AirIndiaPlaneCrash #BrassTacks | @Zakka_Jacob — News18 (@CNNnews18) June 13, 2025 Lift Wasn't Building, But Engines Seemed Fine He argued that the absence of this wing flex suggested the aircraft was struggling to generate the lift needed for a steady climb, an early warning sign that something was aerodynamically off. Importantly, Steve also ruled out engine failure based on what was visible in the footage. According to him, there were no external signs of either engine losing power. 'This airplane can fly just fine on one engine at any gross weight… The idea that both engines failed at the same time… is like a billion, a trillion to one shot," he said. Wrong Lever? The Flap-Gear Mix-Up Theory He then laid out a scenario in which the pilot may have called for the gear to be raised, but the co-pilot could have mistakenly pulled the flap lever instead. 'If that happened, and this is a big if, this explains a lot by why this airplane stopped flying, why the lift over the wings died," he said. At takeoff speed and weight, losing that additional lift—while the landing gear remains extended—could, he argued, trigger a power-on stall. 'Now the flaps are retracting, all that extra lift you're producing in the wings goes away. You're already slow… you've still got those great big landing gear out there producing all sorts of drag. This is a bad combination." As the aircraft struggled, Steve said the pilot likely pulled back on the nose in a last-ditch effort to stay airborne. 'The airplane begins to kind of wallow… the pilot pulls back even more on the nose. That aggravates the whole thing." Low Altitude, No Room For Recovery He believes the aircraft likely never climbed higher than 500 to 600 feet before it began descending fatally. With little altitude to recover, the pilots couldn't lower the nose to regain airspeed, something Steve described as a 'controlled power-on stall" that ultimately ended in impact with the ground. While he acknowledged other possible scenarios, such as a bird strike or fuel contamination, he argued that those are less convincing. In his assessment, the flight's behaviour points more towards an aerodynamic failure than a mechanical one. He noted that a power loss and a lift loss are not the same, and that a plane can still lose lift even if the engines are functioning properly, especially if the wing configuration is incorrect for that phase of flight. 'I Feel So Sorry For These Pilots' He ended on a sombre note: 'It's very sad. I feel so sorry for these pilots. I think they tried valiantly to save this airplane, but this may have been simply a tragic mistake." Steve acknowledged that his theory is based on preliminary observations and may be disproven once black box data is analysed. He said he would not hesitate to revise his assessment if new information emerges. 'And if I need to make a correction, I'll be the first guy to make a correction." So, What Does This All Mean? top videos View all In simple terms, Captain Steve said that the crash might have happened because someone in the cockpit accidentally pressed the wrong control, pulling back the wing flaps instead of raising the wheels. That would've made it harder for the plane to stay in the air, especially just after takeoff when it's heavy and slow. But this is just one person's theory, based on video and experience. The actual cause is still unknown. Investigators are going through the black box data, and until they finish, no explanation can be treated as fact. tags : Ahmedabad Plane Crash Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 14, 2025, 13:31 IST News india What Could Have Brought Down AI-171? Aviation Expert Captain Steve's Theory Goes Viral
NDTV
a day ago
- Health
- NDTV
"Surrounded By Smoke, Jumped From Window": Hostel Survivors On Ahmedabad Crash
Arun Prashant, a student at the BJ Medical College, was inside the hostel mess when the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into the building in Ahmedabad on Thursday. There was an explosion, and all they saw next was smoke engulfing the building, he told ANI. Mr Prashant said he had no option but to "jump" out of the first floor. "Around 1.30 pm, we were having lunch on the fifth floor, and we heard a loud noise and explosion," he recalled. "Suddenly, smoke spread everywhere. We didn't know what to do. We were surrounded by smoke. I ran to the first floor and then jumped out of the building from there. Some families were inside the building around the crash. Only after we came out of the building did we come to know that it was a plane crash. Rescue came after 15-20 minutes of us standing outside. We were around 20-30 people," he said. #WATCH | Ahmedabad | A student of BJ Medical College, Dr Arun Prashant, who was in the hostel's mess at the time of the #AirIndiaPlaneCrash, says, "Yesterday, around 1:30 PM, we were having lunch on the fifth floor, and we heard a loud noise and explosion. Suddenly, smoke spread… — ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025 Second-year resident Dr Tarun, another survivor, also escaped by jumping from the building. "The fire was very intense. It was not possible to get out of my flat, so I jumped from the balcony," he told ANI. "That's how I survived." He was seen with a bandage wrapped around his arm. #WATCH | #AirIndiaPlaneCrash | Ahmedabad | Second-year resident doctor, Dr Tarun, says, "The fire was very intense. It was not possible to get out of my flat, so I jumped from the balcony. That's how I survived. We are not going home right now. We will go wherever we get an… — ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025 Photos from the scene show uneaten plates of food and shattered furniture in the hostel mess. A section of the aircraft remains lodged inside the building, with visuals capturing broken walls, debris, and scorched interiors. Students, professors, and staff members were seen leaving the campus with luggage and damaged belongings. Many were visibly injured, and others appeared in shock. A person was seen with a fractured foot. #WATCH | #AirIndiaPlaneCrash | Students, professors, family members, and staff exit with their luggage from BJ Medical College's doctors' hostel amid high security, where the London-bound Air India flight crashed yesterday. Many people can be seen with injuries and damaged… — ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025 Dr Shyam Govind, an eyewitness, told NDTV, "I and my junior doctor have been injured." The mother of a student who survived the crash recounted her son's narrow escape. "My son had gone to the hostel during lunch break, and the plane crashed there. My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries," she said. The Air India Dreamliner 787-8 crashed into the doctors' hostel minutes after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Of the 242 people on board, 241 were killed. Ten hostel residents, including four medical students, also died inside the building.
News18
a day ago
- General
- News18
'Had Dreams Of Living Abroad': Relatives Of Air India Crash Victims Break Down On Camera
Last Updated: The London-bound AI 171 flight departed from Ahmedabad at 1:38 pm on June 12, but within minutes, it crashed into a medical hostel near the Meghani Nagar area. Anguish and heartbreak gripped families across India as they received information of loved ones lost in the Air India Boeing 787-8 crash that claimed 241 lives on Thursday. The London-bound AI 171 flight departed from Ahmedabad at 1:38 pm on June 12, but within minutes, it crashed into a medical hostel near the Meghani Nagar area. 'She (the deceased Jaishreeben Patel) was my relative. She was going to London after her marriage. Her husband was staying in London. She was shifting there…She had dreams of living abroad, that's why she was going to London," said a relative of a deceased passenger of the AI-171 plane crash. #WATCH | #AirIndiaPlaneCrash | Aravalli, Gujarat | Relative of a deceased passenger of AI-171 plane crash, says, 'She (the deceased Jaishreeben Patel) was my relative. She was going to London after her marriage. Her husband was staying in London. She was shifting there…She had… — ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025 Eyewitnesses described hearing a deafening explosion and seeing a fireball shoot into the sky as the aircraft, which was reportedly flying at an altitude of 825 feet, lost lift and plummeted into the residential zone. Indore Family Mourns Loss Harpreet Kaur Hora was among the 241 passengers who perished in the tragic Air India plane crash. A resident of Indore, Harpreet had been en route to London to meet her husband ahead of his birthday. A staff member at BJ Medical College described the terrifying moment when the Air India flight crashed into the college's hostel in Ahmedabad. 'We rushed downstairs to save our lives. We didn't get to know anything. At that time, we were making rotis… 3 to 4 children died, and 3 to 4 were admitted to the ICU. One woman and a 2-year-old have been missing since yesterday," she said. The Dreamliner was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese citizens, and 1 Canadian passenger. Air India confirmed the crash on X, stating that further updates would be provided as information becomes available. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the tragedy as 'heartbreaking beyond words" and said he is in constant contact with officials managing the relief and rescue efforts. Another grieving family confirmed the death of their son in the AI-171 plane crash after recognising the flight details on news broadcasts. The young man's parents and elder brother have since travelled to Ahmedabad to assist in the identification process, where authorities have collected a DNA sample from the brother. 'As soon as we watched the news, his (deceased's) mother figured out that her child was on the same flight. We got the confirmed news yesterday afternoon… His father, mother and elder brother have gone to Ahmedabad. The DNA sample of his elder brother has been taken," the relative of the deceased said. Authorities have recovered the aircraft's black box, a critical component in determining the cause behind the crash of one of Boeing's most advanced jets. In response to the tragedy, the Gujarat government and Ahmedabad Civil Hospital have established emergency helplines to assist those seeking information about the victims. First Published: June 13, 2025, 17:00 IST News india 'Had Dreams Of Living Abroad': Relatives Of Air India Crash Victims Break Down On Camera
India Today
2 days ago
- General
- India Today
265 dead in Air India crash, 1 survivor; PM to visit accident site today
In one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent history, at least 265 people were killed when an Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plummeted right into a medical college hostel, sparking a massive blaze and leaving only one survivor among the 242 on board. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in Ahmedabad today to inspect the crash site and visit the Civil Hospital, where the injured are receiving INDIA PLANE CRASH: 10 POINTS advertisementThe ill-fated Flight AI171 was headed for London's Gatwick Airport when it went down in the densely populated Meghaninagar residential area, just minutes after lifting off. Footage captured by a bystander showed the aircraft losing altitude as it struggled to gain lift before erupting into a fireball upon impact. "This looks like a complete failure of both the engines from providing enough thrust for the aircraft to take off," said @AeroFaizan#planecrash #AirIndia #AirIndiaPlaneCrash #NewsToday | @sardesairajdeep — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) June 12, 2025 There were 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese and a Canadian among the 230 passengers on board, along with 12 crew members. Among those killed was former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. Only one man made it out alive -- Vishwaskumar Ramesh, a passenger seated in 11A. He is receiving treatment at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. advertisement The plane crashed into the hostel block of a medical college during lunchtime, increasing casualties on the ground. A massive multi-agency rescue operation involving the Army, NDRF, CISF, and local fire services was launched. Rescue workers said temperatures at the crash site reached 1,000 degrees Celsius due to the explosion of over 1.25 lakh litres of jet fuel. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was "impossible to save anyone" due to the intensity of the blaze. Biggest Aviation Tragedy | Key takeaways from HM Amit Shah's statement: ðFinal toll after DNA test determination ðPM immediately called me and took stock. ðI have met the crash survivor. #planecrash #AirIndia #AirIndiaPlaneCrash #NewsToday | @sardesairajdeep — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) June 12, 2025 Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident "stunning and saddening" and directed Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu to oversee support operations. PM Modi is expected to travel to Ahmedabad today and review the on-ground situation. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the aircraft sent a Mayday call moments before losing contact. A formal probe has been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau under ICAO protocols. The tragedy marks the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model introduced into commercial service in 2011. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg expressed condolences and said a team of technical experts would be sent to assist with the investigation. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Foreign Secretary is coordinating with Indian authorities in the probe. US President Donald Trump also offered to help India following the "horrific" plane crash, saying, "Anything we can do, we will do." Air India's Parent company Tata Group announced Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of those killed, full medical expense coverage for the injured, and assistance to rebuild the impacted medical college infrastructure. Must Watch
