Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Flap settings, power loss, or gear issues—What went wrong with Air India flight AI 171?

Ahmedabad Plane Crash: The Air India plane crash that took place on Thursday has been marked as one of the deadliest aviation disasters, not just for India but globally.

The crash took place around 1:38 pm, just minutes after takeoff, when Air India’s Dreamliner Flight AI171, en route to London Gatwick, crashed into the residential quarters and mess hall of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad. The aircraft was carrying 241 people onboard.

Videos that surfaced shortly after the incident showed the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner losing control soon after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft reportedly disintegrated mid-air, breaking into three parts before crashing and triggering a massive explosion.

Later that evening, Air India confirmed that 241 people had died in the crash. Of the 242 people onboard, 230 were passengers and 12 were crew members. The victims included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.

The impact of the crash was so severe that it not only killed all but one onboard but also caused casualties on the ground, including doctors and interns inside the college building it hit. However, the exact number of ground fatalities is yet to be confirmed.

Only one person from the flight survived, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin. He reportedly saved himself by jumping out from an emergency exit next to his seat. He is currently receiving treatment at a civil hospital in Ahmedabad.

Indian authorities said on Friday that an investigation into the crash is underway. The probe will include experts from aircraft manufacturer Boeing and US aviation regulators. However, several questions remain, especially how such a catastrophic crash could occur just moments after takeoff.

What could cause a plane to crash right after takeoff?

While the official cause of the crash is still under investigation, aviation experts have suggested several possible scenarios based on available crash videos, flight data, and the aircraft’s known behaviour:

Engine failure shortly after takeoff?

Takeoff is one of the most sensitive phases of a flight, with any malfunction posing serious risks. In this case, experts say that pilot Sumit Subbarwal managed to make an emergency ‘Mayday’ call, indicating there was time to declare distress but not enough altitude or control to stabilise the aircraft.

Runway length unlikely to be an issue?

Some aviation professionals initially raised concerns over whether the aircraft had used the full runway length, which is crucial for a heavy jet like the Dreamliner to achieve safe takeoff speed. However, flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 confirmed that the aircraft used Runway 23 (11,499 feet long) in its entirety. The data also shows the plane climbed to 625 feet before descending, which is generally sufficient altitude post-takeoff making a runway-related issue less probable.

Unlikely for both engines to lose power? 

Former pilot Ehsan Khalid pointed out several unresolved aspects. “The visuals show that the aircraft went down while flying, which means there was no mid-air explosion. The visuals show that the aircraft faced a loss of power. The loss of power can be due to engine malfunction, but it is very unlikely that both engines would lose power simultaneously. It is a very big engine, and it is rare that both engines lose power due to a bird hit in a one-minute duration,”  ANI quoted him as saying.

He added, “The pilot gave a Mayday call. This means that the failure was seen in the cockpit. They went airborne while combating that failure. I don’t understand why the landing gear was still down. The landing gear is raised as soon as the flight takes off. Since the landing gear was down, it is possible that a loss of engine was detected beforehand.”

“There are many variables, and any speculation would be unjust. The biggest question is why the landing gear was not up. The flight was at a height of 600 feet. Whether it was one problem or multiple problems, no one can say anything yet,” he concluded.

A user on X , speculated that the pilots may have set the wing flaps at 0 degrees, when they should have been set at 5 or 15 degrees for takeoff in such conditions.