The Dreamliner Nightmare, Flight AI‑171 Never Made It Home

 Flames burst through the sky over Ahmedabad. Families waited at the airport, unaware their loved ones would never return. Many lives were lost in India’s deadliest aviation tragedy in decades — but was it preventable?

This wasn’t the first time this particular aircraft had raised alarms. In November 2021, the same Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating a flight from London to Hyderabad, was forced to make an emergency landing in Turkey due to a fuel leak. Disturbingly, whistleblowers from the Boeing factory where these Dreamliners were manufactured had long raised concerns. In undercover investigations, workers were asked if they would personally fly on the aircraft they built — and they categorically refused. Many alleged that the planes were assembled with faulty parts, and that metal shavings and other foreign objects were often left inside the fuselage. Quality control violations were ignored, and employees claimed they were pressured not to report safety lapses. One Boeing quality manager even told his wife he would never board a Dreamliner.

On June 12th, 2025, at exactly 1:30 PM, Air India Flight AI‑171 departed from the loading base of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad. The flight was scheduled to take off for London at 1:10 PM, but it was delayed by 20 minutes. This aircraft was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and it wasn’t its first journey that day. Roughly 12 hours earlier, the same plane had flown from Paris to Delhi, and that very morning, it operated a Delhi to Ahmedabad flight. On board was a passenger named Akash Vatsa, who noticed something unusual: the wing flaps were constantly moving up and down, even when the aircraft was stationary. Later, he shared a video of this incident on social media, claiming that nothing seemed to be working inside the aircraft  not the air conditioning, nor the entertainment system. Fortunately, that flight landed safely in Ahmedabad. The aircraft was then refueled at around 12:20 PM, taking exactly 42 minutes to complete the process before preparing for its final flight  the ill-fated journey to London.

Exactly 242 people boarded the aircraft — including 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew members, and 2 pilots. The flight was commanded by Captain Sumit Sabharwal, who had over 8,200 hours of flying experience. He was accompanied by Co-pilot Clive Kunder, with a total of 1,100 flying hours. At 1:31 PM, the plane began taxiing toward the active runway. By 1:34 PM, it had received clearance for takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Air Traffic Control. At 1:38:24 PM, all pre-flight checks were completed, and there were no visible warning signs before takeoff. Although the temperature that afternoon was slightly high, it remained within operational limits. The aircraft taxied to Runway 23 and took its position at 1:38:50 PM. Seconds later, it took off from Runway 23. If one observes satellite imagery of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, it becomes evident that the airport has only one operational runway and is surrounded by densely populated residential areas.

17-year-old boy named Aryan was staying in one of the houses near the airport. He had his phone in hand and was filming a video of the plane. In the footage, it is clearly visible that the aircraft’s landing gear had not retracted after takeoff. Just seconds after takeoff, the pilots urgently contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and relayed a chilling message: 

“No thrust achieved… falling, falling!” 

At 1:39:13 PM, the aircraft began to lose altitude. Within just 34 seconds, approximately 1.5 kilometers from the airport, it crashed into a hostel building of BJ Medical College located in the Meghani Nagar residential area. A massive fire broke out immediately upon impact. Residents living nearby reported hearing an extremely loud explosion. The ground shook as if struck by an earthquake. Out of the 242 people on board, only one survived — a British citizen seated in seat 11A, near the emergency exit. This tragic incident has now gone down as one of the most terrifying and historic aviation disasters in the world. And today, everyone is asking the same haunting question: Why did this crash happen?

Since the crash, investigators have recovered the aircraft’s Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), which captures conversations and sounds inside the cockpit. Along with this, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) has also been retrieved. It stores critical information such as the aircraft’s altitude, speed, and engine performance. Together, these two devices form what is commonly known as the “Black Box” of the aircraft.

 The investigation is being led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with assistance from teams in the United Kingdom and the United States. Since the crashed aircraft was a U.S.-manufactured Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States is also conducting a parallel investigation. Recently, reports emerged claiming that the black box had been sent to the U.S. for further analysis. However, the Indian government has officially denied these claims. Some key pieces of evidence have already surfaced publicly. Notably, two videos are available: one was filmed by Aryan, the 17-year-old eyewitness near the crash site, and the other was captured by CCTV cameras installed at the airport.

Apart from all this, it was observed that the wing flaps of the aircraft were retracted, rather than in their normal deployed position during takeoff. These flaps are crucial control surfaces that help regulate the vertical direction of the aircraft — allowing it to ascend or descend. When deployed, flaps increase the surface area of the wing, generating additional lift while also creating drag. They are typically deployed during both takeoff and landing, although the angle of deployment differs in each case. Once the aircraft reaches the desired cruising altitude, the flaps are normally retracted.

In the case of Air India Flight AI‑171, the flaps were found to be retracted during takeoff, and the landing gear was still extended — which is highly unusual and abnormal. This raises the critical question: Why did this happen? Several theories have emerged. One, published by The Economic Times, suggests that a loud noise from an engine failure shortly after takeoff may have startled the pilots, causing them to forget to retract the landing gear. A similar theory speculates that the co-pilot may have mistakenly retracted the flaps instead of the landing gear. Both of these explanations fall under the category of pilot error. However, this theory is not without flaws. A Boeing 787 pilot from Air India told NewsLaundry that such errors are unlikely due to the advanced warning systems in the Dreamliner. If the flaps are not correctly set during critical phases of flight, the cockpit systems immediately alert the pilots. Moreover, Captain Sumit Sabharwal had over 8,000 hours of flying experience, making such a basic oversight highly improbable. According to aviation experts, if a Dreamliner reaches even 600 feet without flaps, the aircraft should still be able to climb. The Boeing 787 is capable of flying on a single engine, so a partial engine failure should not lead to a catastrophic loss of control. If the pilot-error theory doesn't hold, we are left with one serious possibility: a sudden and total loss of power onboard the aircraft. Experts analyzing video footage noted the appearance of an object beneath the plane identified by many experienced pilots as the RAT (Ram Air Turbine). The RAT is a small, emergency-use turbine installed on modern aircraft. In the event of complete electrical or hydraulic failure, it automatically deploys and generates limited power using the aircraft’s airspeed. While it doesn’t produce much electricity, it provides enough to keep critical systems operational in emergencies. Unfortunately, in the case of Flight AI‑171, the aircraft was neither high enough nor moving fast enough for the RAT to be effective. Vishwas, the sole survivor, stated that moments before the crash, he heard a loud noise, followed by flickering lights inside the cabin. Aviation expert and YouTuber Captain Steve suggested that this loud noise could have been the hatch opening to release the RAT. Additional evidence of the RAT’s deployment can be found in the video footage   if listened to carefully, a propeller-like sound can be heard. This sound is noticeably different from the usual noise produced by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner passing overhead.

So again, the next question arises: why was the RAT (Ram Air Turbine) deployed? Broadly speaking, there are three major emergency situations in which the RAT is deployed:

1. A total electrical failure in the aircraft.

2. A hydraulic system failure.

3. A complete loss of power due to both engines failing (known as a dual engine failure).

Although a dual engine failure is extremely rare, in the case of this Air India flight, certain signs suggest that it might have occurred. Before the crash, in the mayday call made by the pilot to Air Traffic Control, he reported a loss of thrust. Typically, when an aircraft takes off, the engines produce a powerful stream of air that propels it forward—this forward motion is known as thrust. The absence of thrust indicates a serious issue with the engines. Additionally, the landing gear not being retracted could also point to a dual engine failure. This is because there may not have been sufficient power available to retract the landing gear. Now the next question is: if there was a dual engine failure in this aircraft, what caused it? There are two main theories:

Fuel Contamination: Former Deputy Director of the National Aerospace Laboratories, S. J. Murlidhar, believes that fuel contamination might have been the cause. According to him, if the fuel is contaminated, it can result in insufficient thrust, preventing the aircraft from gaining altitude or potentially causing a dual engine failure. If this was indeed the cause of the Air India crash, responsibility could also lie with the fuel suppliers. Ahmedabad airport has three fuel suppliers: Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Reliance. Fuel contamination would imply that the fuel was not properly tested before being supplied.

Mechanical or Electrical Defects: If the crash occurred due to an electrical or mechanical failure, it could be the result of either a manufacturing defect or poor maintenance. If a manufacturing defect is found to be the cause, the blame would fall on Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer. However, if the failure was due to poor maintenance, responsibility would lie with Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL). Although Air India is now owned by the Tata Group, AIESL responsible for the maintenance of Air India aircraft ,is still operated under the Government of India.

In 2019, a New York Times investigation revealed serious safety concerns raised by Boeing employees about the Dreamliners manufactured at the company’s Charleston factory. Several employees claimed that the aircraft contained faulty parts and that waste materials, such as metal shavings, were often left inside the planes. They also reported being pressured to remain silent about these violations. A technician working at the Charleston facility, Joseph Clayton, stated that he repeatedly found metal pieces under the cockpit near electrical wiring. As a result, he told his wife that he would never fly in a Dreamliner. John Barnett, a quality manager who had worked at Boeing for over 30 years, said that not a single plane made at the Charleston factory was, in his opinion, safe and airworthy. He, too, said he would never fly in a Dreamliner. In a separate investigation, Al Jazeera equipped a worker with a hidden camera to record footage inside the Boeing factory. This worker interviewed 25 of his colleagues ,10 of them refused to fly in the planes, expressing a lack of trust in their quality. 

From 2009 to 2016, the 787 Dreamliners delivered to Air India raised serious quality concerns, according to Cynthia Kitchens, the Quality Manager at Boeing's Charleston factory. In 2012–2013 alone, 11 Dreamliners were delivered with such poor quality that Cynthia reportedly said she couldn’t sleep at night. Out of these 11 allegedly defective planes, 6 were sold to Air India. Cynthia raised these concerns with her boss and asked a pointed question. "Would you ever travel in these planes with your children?" To which her boss replied, 

"Cynthia, none of these planes are staying in America. They’re all going overseas." 

This response suggested a disturbing mindset that the lives of people in other countries are somehow less valuable. It’s important to remember that Boeing’s safety record had already come under scrutiny after two brand-new Boeing 737 MAX planes crashed in October 2018 and March 2019, killing 346 people. However, Boeing isn't the only one that should be held accountable. Air India must also be questioned. Boeing delivers planes to many airlines around the world, yet not all of them report such issues let alone crashes.

In the end, a plane crash is not just a technical failure it’s a human tragedy. It’s a painful reminder that negligence, compromised ethics, and profit-driven decisions can cost lives. Accountability must go beyond boardrooms and brand names. When aircraft with known quality issues are knowingly handed over to developing nations, it reflects a deeply disturbing double standard. Every life, regardless of nationality or income, holds equal value. Aviation safety should never be a privilege—it is a right. Until we start treating it that way, the skies will never truly be safe.