Air India Crash Kills Over 260, Cause Still Unknown
A tragic Air India crash on Thursday killed over 260 people after Flight A171 crashed into a residential area shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, en route to Gatwick. Of the 242 passengers, 241 died, along with several on the ground. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday at just 190 meters altitude.
One of the black boxes has been recovered, but its contents are yet to be analyzed. Investigators and experts from Boeing and GE Aerospace are assisting. Witnesses described the plane in flames and people jumping from buildings to escape.
Experts urge patience as the investigation unfolds. Dr. Sonya Brown suggested the plane may have stalled due to a loss of thrust, based on early footage. Other aviation experts, including Prof. John McDermid and Prof. Paul Williams, noted takeoff is one of the riskiest flight phases but ruled out weather and overloading as causes. Prof. Graham Braithwaite emphasized that quick response is critical during takeoff, while others said it’s too early to draw conclusions.
The world remains shocked as investigators continue working to determine what caused the disaster.