All mandatory checks must be completed to prepare an aircraft for take-off. The pressing question now is whether such checks were duly carried out on the Air India flight that met with tragedy in Ahmedabad. The aircraft did take off, but it lacked the thrust required to gain altitude. The final communication from the pilot to air traffic control clearly indicated this:
“No thrust… plane not taking lift…”
This was the pilot’s chilling message, an admission that the aircraft lacked the power to climb.
Moments later, the aircraft lost contact with Air Traffic Services (ATS). Soon after, it crashed into the doctors’ hostel mess of the BJ Medical College, located near the airport. The critical question remains: did Air India officials conduct all the necessary safety checks on the aircraft before take-off? Was every required inspection performed thoroughly?
Footage circulating on social media captures the tragic sequence. It shows the Air India plane lifting off from Ahmedabad airport, only to quickly transform into a fireball. In the first clip, the aircraft is seen flying alarmingly close to residential buildings near the airport. Seconds later, the plane descends rapidly and erupts into flames.
The video evidence suggests the aircraft was unable to achieve proper lift-off. The pilot had already communicated this life-threatening issue in the distress call.
The ill-fated Air India flight, en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar, close to the airport, just after take-off. The incident occurred around 1:30 PM on Thursday.
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
These are words no airline pilot or ship captain ever wants to utter. It signals that a grave emergency is unfolding. Aviation protocol dictates that a Mayday call be repeated three times, followed by all pertinent details: the aircraft’s identity, nature of the emergency, last known location, weather conditions, fuel remaining, assistance required, and the number of people on board.
In this case, the pilot’s Mayday message“No thrust… plane not taking lift…”, made it evident that he had recognized a critical failure. He saw the disaster ahead.
