THOUSANDS OF DREAMS :::
SCORCHED ABOARD THE DREAMLINER
“MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY” perhaps the first and final distress call by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal seconds after take-off from Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, before the flight plunged again and crash landed from a height of mere 625 feet approximately, on the doctor’s hostel of the state run B.J. Medical college and hospital has shocked not only our country but the entire world.
On the morning of 12/06/2025, a flight took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi to Gatwick, London, carrying not only humans, but families, bonds, tales of friendships, dreams and wishes, headed further on its 10 hour long journey after refueling at Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad but ended in just a matter of a few seconds, exploding with it all those emotions and leaving behind a trail of burnt wreckage, ashes, smoke and scorched bodies scattered everywhere.
The Air India Flight AI 171 heading to London’s Gatwick from Ahmedabad, a Boeing 787-8 -Dreamliner aircraft, considered to one of the most technically advanced, robust and best selling widebody aircraft of all times crashed seconds after its take-off killing 241 people on board and many innocent civilians and doctors residing in the hostel and nearby areas. Most of the bodies have been charred beyond recognition. Only one passenger who was thrown out of the aircraft survived the crash miraculously.
The flight that departed at 1:39 p.m. was flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kunder both of whom were highly experienced pilots, is reported to be the worst aviation disaster in India in the past three decades and the first fatal crash of Boeing 787-8, Dreamliner.
With 53 British nationals, 169 Indians, 7 Portuguese citizens and 1 Canadian on board, the plane gave a MAYDAY call, seconds after it took off but did not respond after that so it’s unclear as to what happened but the lone survivor’s first-hand account tells us that he heard a loud bang as the plane struggled to gain altitude and it crashed within moments over the residential buildings after turning into a huge ball of fire.
Some sources also reveal that the pilot informed that he was not able to attain the required thrust and unable to lift the plane during the MAYDAY call afterwhich all calls by the ATC went unanswered.
“MAYDAY, no thrust losing power, unable to lift”, read the last message just a few seconds before the crash after the plane started abruptly descending at a speed of -475 feet/second. Shortly after reaching an altitude of 625 feet.
Let’s first understand what’s this MAYDAY call that everyone is talking about
“MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY”, it’s a call that no pilot would ever want to make in his career.
WHY??
Because it means big trouble, is used under extreme crises and is an internationally recognized distress signal used in Radio communications systems by pilots and maritime vessels and signifies the most urgent distress signal. This word originates from the French word M’aider meaning thereby Help me and is used to indicate imminent life-threatening emergency situation.
It is repeated three times so that it is not mistaken for some other word and is clearly understood followed by the reason. It is usually used in case of engine failure, on board fire, severe weather encounters, structural malfunctions, loss of control or any other reason endangering lives of people on board necessitating immediate action to prevent further loss of life and is given the highest priority response.
In the case Flight AI 787, the pilot informed ‘no thrust losing power, unable to lift’ which means the engines of the plane malfunctioned seconds after take off and failed to create the thrust required to lift and maintain the plane in air.
Let’s understand this concept of the dare devil thrust that is assumed to be behind the fall of this so called impregnable flying machine first ::
Thrust is a mechanical force generated by the engines of an aircraft which pushes air and other gases is a specific direction in this case towards the tail end of the air craft in turn creating a reaction force that propels the aircraft in the forward direction. It is generated through the accelerating mass of the engine. In simple words the engines accelerate the gases and air to a certain speed required to produce a reaction force to propel the aircraft.
Thrust can be adjusted by the pilot while taking off, descending, increasing or decreasing speed during flying and other maneuvering actions.
It is one of the forces along with Lift, Drag and Weight that helps aircraft achieve its balance. And all these forces need to balance each other to keep the aircraft in stable condition.
So now in this case the pilot was not able to generate thrust pointing towards engine failures due to which power could not be generated leading to the crash.
Let’s now dive a bit deeper into why this crash is so shocking.
It’s primarily because the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is supposed to be a revolutionary innovation in aircraft systems and designs. It’s cutting-edge technology, passenger friendly features, fuel efficient design sets it apart from other air crafts. The advanced aerodynamics used reduces drag considerably and improves efficiency to achieve longer range. The wings are more flexible which help in reducing turbulence thus providing smooth flight experience.
It is powered by two high -bypass turbofan engines designed to reduce emissions and maintain fuel efficiency. The flight deck of Boeing 787 is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics which includes advanced displays and enhanced safety features. The systems used are much more reliable than the ordinary air crafts enhancing pilot performance and safety.
The aircraft is equipped with redundant systems that ensure that critical functions remain operational even if one system fails. The advanced fly by wire system provides precise control, and overall enhanced stability and safety.
It also has in built multiple safety features like advanced fire detection and suppression systems, etc. to handle emergencies.
Hence combining all these with other features not listed here Boeing 787 Dreamliner is not just another plane. It’s a technological masterpiece that enhances passenger experience, boosts fuel efficiency and makes global travel more accessible and sustainable.
And this super marvelous craft crashed and burnt with it all those who had just settled to enjoy the comfortable 10-hour long journey and also all those who came in contact with the burning plane leaving a huge ball of fire, smoke, a strong smell of leftover fuel after the fire was extinguished and loud cries and screams behind.
According to sources around 300 lives have been lost, but is it just 300 lives?
No, in fact it has claimed the dreams, the smiles, the rays of hopes of 300 families. Thousands are left bereaved not knowing what to do. Those who are gone are gone. Those who are left behind will always live with the trauma of the worst aviation disaster that took away their loved ones.
There were common people as well as VIPs on board this flight.
There were students, newlywed couples, doctors, engineers, tourists who had dreams in their eyes.
Sisters leaving India after celebrating their granny’s birthday, couple going to London to celebrate her wife’s birthday, a wife wishing to meet her husband as soon as she landed, a family who thought of resettlement on the foreign land. And many more …………..
Never would they have thought that the seat belts they had just tied would never let them free again.
Never would they have imagined that they would close their eyes not while looking at the beautiful silvery clouds but at the huge ball of fire engulfing them and their dreams like a wide mouthed demon.
For them they had booked themselves on one of the safest flights without realizing that within a span of less than a few seconds this ill-fated flight would turn into their graveyard.
Whether these were common people sitting in the economy class or the VIP, Hindus or Muslims, Christians or Sikhs, all are lying charred, waiting to be distinguished just by their DNA matches.
The worst part being those innocent people who were living in that hostel and those medical students and doctors who had just come for lunch after their tiring duties. They never knew that the lunch thalis of 12/06/2025 had served death warrants for them stealthily hidden beneath their chapatis.
The plane carried approximately 1 lakh liters of fuel, which spilled as it crashed, first producing that huge ball of fire with temperatures soaring to about 1100 degrees which burnt and melted everything it came in contact with. It has charred those buildings nearby surroundings, trees and vehicles beyond recognition.
There are many theories circulating on the social media, some empathetic, some sarcastic, some questioning aviation safety, some guessing some kind of sabotage but largely distressing.
The people have gone, the injured are getting treated, the teams are rushing to find the reasons, the disaster management is doing its best to settle the physical as well as mental chaos but the pain will remain.
Some say the pilot has done a heroic job in his final moments of life by saving many more lives for had the plane crashed 10 secs later or 400 meters north the tragedy would have been much bigger because that is the area where the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital is, where thousands come daily to get treated, that is the area with a much higher density of population, so if that is the truth then salute to him for doing his best in his final moments of life.
Several videos have surfaced where the final moments of passengers are being shown, some were live of FB, some on Instagram reels, some on WhatsApp, I wonder how? Because as far as my wisdom tells me there are strict instructions either to switch off phones or put them in flight mode during take-off and landing for safety reasons as it interferes with aircraft’s communication system. If so, then how are these videos emerging?
Some passengers who had boarded the flight from Delhi and Deboarded at Ahmedabad have their own versions and videos complaining about the malfunctions during the flight. If this is supposed to be true then why was the flight allowed to take off before a thorough examination.
Any way whatever has happened, what were the reasons, what were the thoughts of all those gone in their final moments, what they were feeling, all those emotions, those concerns have vanished with that smoke into thin air. What remains are speculations.
Teams from U.S., London are arriving to assist in finding out the reasons behind the crash. The rescue teams are looking for the black box which will open doors to understanding what went wrong.
Experts are questioning the standards of Boeing as various Boeing planes have been involved in accidents major or minor in the past also. Insiders on conditions of anonymity are disclosing many facts and figures.
The medical fraternity is busy taking take care of the injured and conducting DNA assessments of the dead to be able to hand over the mortal remains of those gone to their loved ones.
Was it human error, technical failure or sabotage, the damage has been done. The only thing left behind is finding the reasons and trying to sort them out so that such accidents do not repeat.
Everything is important, travel, tourism, dreams, career but life is more important than anything else and that has to be kept in mind while framing rules, setting safety standards and planning innovations.
RIP to all those who are not between us today and condolences to their bereaved families.
May Almighty give them the power to accept the situation and resilience to bear the loss.
The Momma Clan 
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