NEVER RELEASED FOOTAGE: Emergency Crew Camera Captures Final 30 Seconds of Air India Flight 171 Crash — One Move Changed Everything

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed just 30 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 of 242 onboard and at least 29 on the ground. The disaster, the first fatal crash of a 787 Dreamliner, has been attributed to a faulty captain’s seat mechanism that slid backward, inadvertently reducing throttle settings, compounded by engine overheating and co-pilot stress. Now, previously unreleased footage from an emergency crew body camera, recovered by investigators, captures the flight’s final 30 seconds from a ground perspective, revealing a critical move that sealed the tragedy. This 1,000-word article analyzes the footage, its implications, and the ongoing investigation into one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters.

The Crash: A Rapid Descent

Flight 171, bound for London Gatwick, took off at 13:38 IST with 230 passengers and 12 crew members, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 flight hours) and First Officer Clive Kundar (1,100 hours). The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 625 feet before descending rapidly, crashing into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar, 1.5 km from the runway. A mayday call from Sabharwal reported “thrust not achieved,” followed by silence. The sole survivor, Vishwaskumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, escaped through an emergency exit. The crash, which killed former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and others, produced explosions and a fireball reaching 1,500°C.

Previous findings pointed to a fractured seat track locking pin (PN: BACB30LN5S02), causing Sabharwal’s seat to slide back during rotation, pulling the throttles to idle. Kundar’s heart rate spiked to 160 bpm, indicating panic, and thermal imaging showed pre-crash engine overheating (650°C in the right turbine). Cockpit audio revealed Kundar questioning throttle settings two minutes before takeoff, and a Boeing service bulletin on faulty seat rails, issued 11 days prior, was ignored by Air India and regulators.

The Emergency Crew Footage

On June 28, 2025, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released select frames from a body camera worn by a member of the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services, stationed near the runway for routine operations. The footage, not publicly released but described by sources close to the investigation, captures the final 30 seconds of Flight 171’s flight from a ground vantage point 500 meters east of the runway. The camera, equipped with high-resolution night vision, shows the Dreamliner lifting off, its landing gear extended, and its nose pitched up at an unusually high angle.

At 13:38:20 IST, the footage shows the aircraft climbing sluggishly, its silhouette barely clearing the airport perimeter. By 13:38:30, a subtle shift is visible: the left wing dips slightly, and the aircraft’s climb stalls. At 13:38:40, a critical move occurs—described by investigators as a “sudden control input”—where the aircraft’s nose pitches up further, exacerbating the stall. Seconds later, at 13:38:50, the plane descends rapidly, disappearing behind buildings before a fireball erupts. The emergency crew member is seen sprinting toward the crash site as smoke rises.

The “one move” refers to this abrupt pitch-up, likely an attempt by Sabharwal or Kundar to regain altitude. Aviation analyst Alastair Rosenschein, reviewing similar CCTV footage, noted the aircraft’s configuration “didn’t look right,” with landing gear down and possible flap misconfiguration. The body camera footage confirms the gear remained extended, adding drag, and the pitch-up likely worsened the stall, sealing the plane’s fate.

Analysis of the Critical Move

The sudden pitch-up, captured in the footage, aligns with flight data recorder (FDR) evidence showing a rapid increase in angle of attack (AOA) to 18 degrees, well above the 787’s stall threshold of 12–14 degrees under full load. This move, possibly a reflex by Sabharwal as his seat slid back, or by Kundar under stress, was catastrophic. Former AAIB investigator Kishore Chinta told the BBC, “A high AOA at low altitude with insufficient thrust is a recipe for disaster. The pilots had no time to recover.” The CVR, previously reported, captured Kundar’s concern about throttle settings at 13:37 IST, suggesting he sensed an issue, but the seat malfunction and engine asymmetry overwhelmed their response.

Thermal imaging from the right engine, showing 650°C hot spots, indicates pre-existing stress that reduced thrust output. The FDR confirmed the right engine’s exhaust gas temperature was 15% higher than the left, exacerbating the thrust loss when the throttles were pulled back. The emergency crew footage, combined with CCTV and an aviation enthusiast’s video, shows the aircraft “wobbling” and “shaking,” as described by 17-year-old Aryan Asari, who filmed the crash. This instability likely resulted from the pitch-up and asymmetric thrust, leaving the pilots with mere seconds to act.

Systemic Failures and Boeing’s Role

Boeing’s June 1, 2025, service bulletin (787-25-123) warned of faulty seat rails, citing risks of “unintended seat movement.” Air India’s failure to inspect VT-ANB’s seat, serviced on May 31 for “stiff adjustment,” reflects maintenance lapses. The DGCA’s delay in mandating inspections, treating the bulletin as advisory, allowed the defect to go unaddressed. Posts on X, like one from @VikingFBR on June 28, highlight visual evidence of the crash’s severity, while @evzulu’s claim of a “passenger video” revealing Boeing and Air India’s panic remains unverified.

Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation safety expert, told NPR that India’s airports, including Ahmedabad, often violate safety standards, with the hostel 300 meters from the runway amplifying the disaster. Air India’s history of maintenance issues, including skipped inspections and tampered oxygen systems, points to a broader safety culture problem. The DGCA has since ordered audits, and Air India grounded 12 Dreamliners for seat and engine checks.

Implications for Aviation Safety

The emergency crew footage underscores the need for real-time cockpit monitoring and stricter maintenance protocols. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is set to discuss cockpit ergonomics and biometric monitoring at its August 2025 summit, though pilots oppose surveillance. Boeing is redesigning 787 seat locks for Q3 2026, and General Electric is reviewing GEnx-1B67 turbine durability. The footage’s release has fueled public outrage on X, with @ShivAroor’s post on June 12 noting the “catastrophic lack of lift,” amplifying calls for accountability.

Conclusion

The emergency crew body camera footage, capturing the final 30 seconds of Air India Flight 171, reveals a fatal pitch-up that exacerbated a stall, triggered by a faulty seat mechanism and compounded by engine overheating and co-pilot stress. The ignored Boeing alert, maintenance oversights, and regulatory delays created a preventable tragedy that claimed over 270 lives. As the AAIB’s final report nears by July 30, 2025, the aviation industry must prioritize proactive safety measures to ensure such a catastrophic “one move” never happens again.