A devastating air disaster unfolded shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport when a passenger jet bound for London Gatwick crashed less than a minute into its flight, killing all on board.
The final words of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal have now been revealed.
“Mayday […] no thrust, losing power, unable to lift.”
These chilling words were transmitted just 11 seconds after lift-off.
Power loss
Reports indicate that Captain Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kunder struggled with the aircraft’s controls for a further 17 seconds in a desperate attempt to recover from the power loss.
Despite their efforts, the jet failed to gain altitude and plummeted into the top of a medical college hostel approximately 1.5km from the runway.
The aircraft’s last communication was logged less than a minute after departure, and early reports suggest the plane lost engine power after reaching only a few hundred feet.
Authorities have not yet released an official cause of the crash, but preliminary findings point to a catastrophic power failure.
Aviation experts stress that the coming days will be critical as investigators examine the black box flight recorders and mechanical systems.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a full investigation, and further updates are expected as forensic teams analyse wreckage and data from the flight’s short but catastrophic journey.
Lone survivor
Miraculously, there was one survivor of 242 passengers aboard the plane.
“Everything happened in front of me, and even I couldn’t believe how I managed to come out alive from that,” British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh said from his hospital bed on Friday, speaking in Hindi to national broadcaster DD News.
Ramesh was seated in 11A – an emergency seat.
At what point in a flight do you feel all will be fine?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
