Pilot’s Split-Second Decision May Have Caused Crash That Killed 265 — Expert Explains Why
An aviation expert believes pilot error may have caused the crash of Air India flight AI171, which killed 241 people. According to YouTuber and commercial pilot Captain Steve, the co-pilot may have mistakenly raised the wing flaps instead of retracting the landing gear, causing the aircraft to lose lift shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed into a residential area, killing nearly everyone on board and at least 24 people on the ground. Only one survivor, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was pulled from the wreckage. He described the plane feeling “stuck in the air” before crashing.
Captain Steve’s theory is based on video footage showing the wings failing to flex normally during takeoff, possibly due to premature flap retraction. However, the official cause remains unknown as investigations continue.
Both pilot Sumeet Sabharwal, with 8,200 flying hours, and co-pilot Clive Kunder, with 1,100 hours, were among the dead. Indian authorities, along with the NTSB, FAA, Boeing, and GE, are analyzing the recovered black box to determine whether mechanical failure or human error led to the crash.
