Within days of news of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad making headlines nationwide, a passenger emerged with an astonishing revelation. Based on his viral social media update, he had boarded the same plane ‘Air India Flight AI171’ two hours before the fatal crash on June 12. The passenger said he took off from Delhi and arrived in Ahmedabad on the ill-fated flight earlier that day and observed some “abnormal things” throughout his trip.
Posting a video on his social media account, the user posting by the username ‘akku92’ stated, “Was in the same dmn flight 2 hours ago before it departed from AMD. Came in this from DEL-AMD. Experienced strange things in the plane. Recorded a video to tweet to @airindia. I would like to provide more information. Please reach out to me.”
In the video, he filmed different problems on the plane, such as damaged entertainment screens and a malfunctioning air conditioning system. In the clip, he can be heard complaining, “Nothing is working, I don’t know why I booked this flight.” The post quickly became popular on X (formerly Twitter) with over 5,000 views.
Details of Crash and Emergency Response
Air India Flight AI171 crashed shortly after it departed from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was carrying 242 individuals, including passengers and crew members; among whom, allegedly, was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
The aircraft departed at 1:39 PM from Runway 23 and crashed in the hostel mess compound of BJ Medical College in Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad. A distress ‘May Day’ call to Ahmedabad air traffic control was made shortly after takeoff, as per aviation regulator DGCA, but no reply was heard. Rescue and fire operations were initiated immediately, but the number of fatalities is yet to be officially declared.
Social Media Reactions
The flyer’s post drew mixed reactions online. Some users expressed gratitude that he brought attention to potential maintenance issues, while others urged caution.
One of them said, “I won’t purchase the explanation provided by Akash. Entertainment screens not working or seats/upholstery not in optimum condition has nothing to do with the safety of the plane. I’m not an expert but this may be a matter of engine failure, over-fuelling, or misses related to maintenance.”
Another commenter typed, “Thank you for posting to make people aware and I’m relieved that you’re okay. This is so tragic. My thoughts are with all and families of this Air India flight.”