“Thrust not achieved… falling… communication line during this transmission very weak… Mayday!” were the last words spoken by the pilot of Air India flight AI171 before it crashed outside the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, minutes after takeoff on June 12. The pilot’s last words indicate a mechanical failure which could have led to the tragic incident.The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London Gatwick, was operated by Capt Sumit Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot with more than 8,000 hours of flying experience. Sabharwal was accompanied by co-pilot Clive Kunder, who had over 1,000 hours of flying experience. All but one out of the 242 people onboard, including crew and passengers were killed in addition to at least 29 people on ground as the aircraft nosedived minutes after take off, crashing into the students hostel of the B. J. Medical College in the Meghaninagar neighbourhood. Addressing a press briefing on Saturday, the Aviation Ministry said that the last message from the pilot of the plane was a “Mayday” call, after which the Air Traffic Control (ATC) lost contact with the aircraft.According to the ministry, the plane took off at 1:39 pm and within a few seconds, after reaching a height of about 650 feet, it started sinking, i.e., it started losing height. The ATC received the Mayday call at 1:39 pm, a minute after which the plane crashed.
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