Captain’s Final Call: “We’ve Lost Power” — Seconds Before Air India Dreamliner Plunged

Có thể là hình ảnh về 2 người, râu và máy bay

Just ten seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, tragedy struck Air India Flight AI 171. What followed was a desperate fight for control, entered into the record as the captain’s final anguished plea:

“We’ve lost thrust—no power, we can’t climb.”

Piloted by veteran Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 flight hours) and First Officer Clive Kundar (1,100 hours), the Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner faltered almost immediately into its climb. Sabharwal’s crew wrestled with controls for 17 agonizing seconds. But gravity and fate prevailed—the aircraft nosedived into a hostel building at B.J. Medical College, igniting a catastrophic fire upon impact.

Casualty Toll and Survivor Miracle

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Onboard: 242 lives (230 passengers, 12 crew); nationalities included Indians (169), Brits (53), Portuguese (7), and a Canadian

Ground impact: At least 40 fatalities in the hostel block, with dozens more injured

Lone survivor: British-Indian passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in Row 11A, escaped with minor injuries and is undergoing recovery

Harrowing Eyewitness Accounts

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Residents nearby described the crash as an “earthquake” accompanied by a deafening blast. Flames consumed the aircraft and building, hurling debris and shocks through the neighborhood.

A 17-year-old bystander captured the horrifying moment on his mobile—initially believing it was a low-altitude landing, only to watch the airplane explode seconds later, a clip that has since gone viral nationwide.

Rescue & Investigation Ongoing

Crash site secured by local and national authorities; forensic teams are DNA-matching remains—80 victims identified so far, 33 bodies released to families.

Recovery of two flight recorders (black boxes) underway; lead investigator indicates focus on engine thrust, wing flaps, landing gear, and maintenance records .

Air India grounded and inspecting its Boeing 787 fleet fitted with GE GEnx engines following regulatory order.

Global Response & Compensation

Victims included high-profile individuals, including UK citizens and possibly former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, though his presence is unverified .

Air India parent Tata Group committed to ₹1 crore (~$116,000) compensation per victim and medical coverage for injured passengers and affected students .

International cooperation is underway, with U.S. FAA, NTSB, UK investigators, and Boeing assisting in the probe .

Unanswered Questions

Sabharwal’s voice broke the silence with a chilling “mayday” before communications abruptly ended. With just seconds from takeoff to disaster, unanswered questions linger: Was a technical failure sudden or cascading? Did bird strike or mechanical fault trigger power loss? And how did flap and gear systems respond?

What Comes Next

The government ordered urgent inspections of Boeing 787 aircraft nationwide. As investigators await detailed black box analysis, families join forces to demand transparent findings and timely reparations. The world watches—hoping lessons are extracted to prevent the next catastrophe.