What if plane crashes didn’t have to end in tragedy like this?

Leave a CommentWhat if plane crashes didn’t have to end in tragedy like this?Technology, Transport

Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, en route to London Gatwick. The catastrophic incident, one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in decades, claimed at least 269 lives, including 241 of the 242 passengers and crew on board and at least 28 people on the ground. The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, escaped through an emergency exit near his seat, 11A, and is receiving treatment for non-critical injuries.

The plane, carrying 169 Indian, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian national, crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar, killing several medical students and injuring dozens. The aircraft, piloted by experienced Captain Sumit Sabharwal, issued a Mayday call before plummeting from an altitude of just 625 feet, as per FlightRadar24 data. Video footage showed the jet descending with its nose up and landing gear down, an unusual configuration suggesting possible engine or flap issues.

Indian authorities, led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, have recovered the flight data recorder, a critical step in the ongoing probe. The Civil Aviation Ministry ordered safety inspections of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet with GE Aerospace GEnx engines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Gujarat native, called the tragedy “heartbreaking,” coordinating a robust emergency response. The Tata Group, Air India’s owner, pledged ₹1 crore (approximately $116,000) to victims’ families.

Global leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump, expressed condolences. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing are assisting the investigation. This marks the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner but questions about existing problems are being raised.

New technology

While this probably couldn’t help a plane so soon after take-off, this is certainly an ingenious idea with implications for future air travel. Maybe alternating cargo and passenger pods could become standard?