Air India passenger flagged technical faults hours before fatal Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad

A passenger who flew on the same Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft that later crashed in Ahmedabad claimed the plane had major technical issues. His viral post has sparked concerns amid ongoing investigations into the tragic accident that killed 241.

Hyderabad: A passenger who flew on the same Air India aircraft just hours before it crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday has claimed the plane had visible technical issues during his journey.

Akash Vatsa, an entrepreneur, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had flown from Delhi to Ahmedabad on the same Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that was later involved in the tragic crash of flight AI171 to London. In his viral post, which has garnered over four million views, Vatsa said the air-conditioning, TV screens, cabin crew call buttons, and lights were not functioning during his flight.

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“We are about to taxi, but the AC is not working. People are using magazines to fan themselves. Even the call buttons and reading lights are unresponsive,” he said in a video recorded onboard.

Just two hours after his flight landed, the same aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport around 1:45 p.m., plummeting into a residential neighbourhood in Meghaninagar. Of the 242 people onboard, only one survived.

Air India confirmed the incident and stated it is cooperating with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), DGCA, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. A dedicated helpline (1800 5691 444) has been set up for the affected families.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow, calling the tragedy “heartbreaking beyond words,” and said he is monitoring the situation closely.

I was in the same damn flight 2 hours before it took off from AMD. I came in this from DEL-AMD. Noticed unusual things in the place.Made a video to tweet to @airindia i would want to give more details. Please contact me. @flyingbeast320 @aajtak @ndtv @Boeing_In #planecrash #AI171 pic.twitter.com/TymtFSFqJo

— Akash Vatsa  (@akku92) June 12, 2025