Air India Crash May Have Occurred While Aircraft Was on Emergency Power, Investigators Say

Air India Flight 171 crashed in Ahmedabad, India last week, killing at least 270 people

Investigators probing the deadly Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, now suspect the aircraft was operating on emergency power at the time of the accident, raising questions about a possible dual engine failure just after takeoff. The disaster claimed 270 lives, including all but one of the 242 passengers on board, after the Boeing Dreamliner plunged to the ground only 40 seconds into its flight last Thursday.

Authorities believe that a ram air turbine—an emergency generator typically activated when engines fail—may have been supplying the aircraft’s primary power at the moment of the crash. This development suggests that engine failure may have occurred just as the aircraft departed from the runway, though the cause of such a failure remains undetermined.

Investigators are now examining the wreckage to determine the cause of the crash

The crash has devastated families around the world, particularly in the UK, where many of the victims were residents. The delay in identifying and repatriating the bodies has added to the grief of bereaved families, with relatives voicing anger and frustration over what they describe as inadequate support from the British government.

Among the British victims were Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee, and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa, all of whom lived in Gloucester. Their family released a statement saying they felt "utterly abandoned" and criticized the lack of on-site UK government support. They reported having to make scheduled appointments to meet consular staff at a hotel located 20 minutes away from the overwhelmed hospital where the deceased remain unidentified.

Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer defended the decision to set up a reception centre at a hotel near Ahmedabad Airport, citing logistical reasons. "We thought that would be the best place to receive British nationals rather than the hospital where, tragically, there are no living British nationals," he told the Commons. Falconer acknowledged the challenges and promised that the situation would be continually reviewed to improve the response for affected families.

Arjun Patoliya's relatives have called on the UK government to provide more support on the ground in India

Victims of the crash included Arjun Patoliya, who had traveled from London to Gujarat to scatter his late wife Bharti’s ashes, radiologist Dr. Prateek Joshi from Derby, sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi, couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, and Wellingborough residents Raxa Modha, Rudra Modha, and K. Mistri.

The sole survivor of the catastrophe was Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin. UK air accident investigators have joined Indian authorities on the ground to determine the cause of the crash.

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed that British officials are “working around the clock” in both India and the UK to provide support. “We have set up a reception centre at the Ummed Hotel, near the Ahmedabad airport, and have a dedicated helpline for families and friends of British nationals,” the statement said.

“For in-person support, consular staff are available to accompany families to hospitals and provide assistance. In addition, UK forensic experts have been deployed to assist in the identification process and support the Indian-led investigation.”