By Noel Chiagorom
AHMEDABAD, INDIA— In what is now confirmed as one of the deadliest air disasters in Indian aviation history, the final seconds of Air India Flight 171 were marked by panic, power loss, and a desperate mayday call from the cockpit. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed just moments after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people on board, along with an unconfirmed number of victims on the ground.
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The aircraft lifted off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 6:42 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Less than a minute into the climb, at an altitude of approximately 625 feet, the pilot radioed a chilling distress signal:
“Mayday, mayday, mayday… no thrust, losing power, unable to lift.”
Those would be the final words received from the aircraft.
Moments later, the plane plunged from the sky and crashed into the rear wing of a hostel block within the B. J. Medical College campus. The fiery impact instantly consumed the aircraft and part of the building. Emergency responders arrived within minutes, but little could be done to save those aboard.
The sole survivor was identified as 28-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11A. He miraculously escaped with minor injuries and was treated at a nearby hospital. Authorities say he was seated near the rear exit, which might have contributed to his survival. “It was like the plane just dropped from the sky,” Ramesh told reporters. “Then everything went dark.”
Investigations Underway
Officials from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are working with teams from Boeing, GE Aerospace, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the U.K.’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). Early attention is focused on the aircraft’s twin GE GEnx engines and possible anomalies with power delivery, thrust reversal, and flap or gear configurations.
“This is the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft,” noted aviation analyst Rajeev Malhotra. “The crew reported a complete thrust failure within seconds of departure. That’s virtually unheard of for a Dreamliner, which is among the most advanced and safest planes in the sky.”
Flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been recovered and are currently being analyzed.
Captain and Crew
The pilot in command, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, had logged over 8,200 hours of flight experience, including more than 3,000 hours on the 787. His co-pilot, First Officer Anaya D’Costa, was also well-regarded, with over 5,000 flying hours. Both were praised by colleagues for their professionalism and calm under pressure.
A former Air India captain who requested anonymity said the mayday call indicated “a textbook emergency protocol” under impossible circumstances. “That ‘no thrust’ call tells you they had seconds—no time to even turn around.”
A Nation in Mourning
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a day of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast. “We grieve the loss of so many innocent lives,” he said in a televised statement. “Every effort will be made to uncover the truth behind this tragedy.”
Family members gathered in both Ahmedabad and London, where grief counselors and airline representatives have been dispatched. A memorial is being planned at the crash site, and DNA identification is ongoing for several of the victims.
The Anatomy of a Mayday
“Mayday” is the highest level of distress communication in aviation, derived from the French phrase m’aider (“help me”). It is repeated three times to indicate a life-threatening emergency and trigger immediate assistance from air traffic controllers and nearby aircraft. According to flight logs, Captain Sabharwal’s call was made just seconds before the crash—his voice reportedly calm, but firm.
For now, that is the only direct insight the world has into the cockpit during those fatal moments.
Looking Ahead
As investigators dig deeper into what went wrong aboard Flight 171, the families of the victims are left to cope with an unfathomable loss. For the aviation world, the crash raises renewed concerns about systems once believed fail-safe.
More answers are expected in the coming weeks as data from the black boxes is analyzed and preliminary findings are released. But one thing is already certain: the final moments of Flight 171 will be remembered not just for the horror they brought—but for a pilot’s final cry for help, etched forever in aviation history.