Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, strained to climb before crashing into neighborhood; one person survived

Air India flight 171 from Ahmedabad to the Gatwick airport in London crashed around 1.30 pm on Thursday, shortly after taking off.

New Delhi:

Air India flight AI-171, from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after take-off, having achieved a height of just 672 feet, and NDTV has – based on expert testimony – pieced together what may have happened in the last few seconds in the cockpit.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had 242 people on board – 230 passengers, 10 crew members and two pilots – and crashed at 1.38 pm, shortly after take-off from the Ahmedabad airport. Videos show the plane struggling to gain altitude before it begins losing lift (upward force that allows an aircraft to stay airborne) and crashes, exploding in a ball of fire.

Based on an analysis of the video, experts said the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a model that had an immaculate safety record, took off from the runway at Ahmedabad and experienced meagre thrust soon after.

The pilots, experts said, would have been yanking the yoke at this time in an attempt to gain lift and altitude, and the video shows that the plane’s landing gear was also down.

A Mayday call was issued after take-off, indicating the aircraft was in distress. Experts said that as the lift decayed, the pilots must have attempted to pull the nose of the plane up, but it kept descending.

174 knots, they added, was the maximum speed the aircraft could achieve, which should have been much higher, indicating that the engines were not generating enough power.

“The take-off was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift. Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason.” Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, told NDTV.

The plane had 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, a Canadian and 7 Portuguese on board. Air India has also set up a dedicated hotline number: 1800 5691 444.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is “stunned” by the tragedy and he is in touch with ministers and authorities.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected,” PM Modi posted on X.