Video of plane at take off sparks bombshell theory

Newly surfaced footage of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad has prompted aviation experts to propose two competing theories behind the deadly crash that killed 294 people, including several on the ground. The Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI171 to London Gatwick, plunged into a neighbourhood shortly after takeoff on June 12. The lone survivor, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, was seen limping away from the wreckage and is now being treated in hospital. One of the leading theories centres on the aircraft’s wing flaps—crucial devices that provide extra lift during takeoff. In footage of the doomed jet leaving the runway, experts pointed out an abnormal configuration: landing gear down but flaps seemingly retracted. Former NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt and 737 captain Denys Davydov both highlighted that the lack of extended flaps could have caused an aerodynamic stall, as the jet would have lacked the necessary lift. The footage also raises questions about whether the engines were producing full thrust, as the plane appeared to struggle immediately after liftoff. An alternative theory suggests a flock of birds may have been sucked into the engines, triggering dual engine failure during the critical climb phase. Former senior pilot Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar said the takeoff initially appeared normal before the aircraft rapidly lost altitude—consistent with a sudden loss of thrust. However, aviation analyst Miles O’Brien cast doubt on this explanation, noting that a bird strike typically causes engine fire or visible smoke, neither of which were seen in the crash footage. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the flight’s pilot, issued a mayday call moments before the crash: “No thrust, losing power, unable to lift.” The aircraft then dropped from the sky and crashed into a medical hostel near the airport, killing dozens on the ground. The dead include 169 Indian citizens, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Investigators are now poring over the aircraft’s black boxes in what is now the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.