The pilot in the London-bound Air India flight that crashed issued a desperate Mayday call reporting loss of thrust seconds before the Dreamliner crashed into a medical hostel in Ahmedabad, k:illing 241 people.
The final transmission from the cockpit of Air India Flight AI171 was short but harrowing:
“Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”
These words, spoken by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, were the last contact received by Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control (ATC) on June 12, 2025, just moments before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner disappeared from radar and crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel. The tragedy claimed the lives of 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground, according to The Times of India.
At the time of the mayday call, the aircraft was at a dangerously low altitude of just 625 feet, descending at a rate of -475 feet per minute — strong indicators of catastrophic thrust failure in the most critical phase of flight: takeoff.
How Did the Pilot Attempt to Save the Aircraft from Crashing?
Commanding the aircraft was Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who issued an urgent Mayday call — the most severe emergency signal in aviation — moments before all contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) was lost.
The distress call, which is internationally recognized and must be repeated three times for clarity and priority handling — “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” — marked the pilot’s final communication before the plane vanished from radar.
Despite repeated efforts from ATC to reconnect, there was no further response from the cockpit, as confirmed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The term “Mayday” itself has a poignant origin. Coined in the early 1920s by Frederick Stanley Mockford, a radio officer at London’s Croydon Airport, it is derived from the French phrase “m’aider,” which means “help me.”
Alongside the Morse code “SOS” signal, the International Radiotelegraph Convention adopted the term as the standard voice distress call for both aircraft and vessels around the world by 1927.
Aviation professionals rely on Mayday calls to signal the most critical emergencies in flight, including engine failures, structural malfunctions, fires, severe weather conditions, or serious medical incidents onboard. Mayday is different from less severe distress calls like “Pan-pan,” which address technical problems that don’t immediately endanger lives.
When a pilot issues a Mayday call, they typically provide key details, including the aircraft’s identification, location, nature of the emergency, number of people on board, remaining fuel, and the type of assistance required.
This structured format enables air traffic controllers and emergency responders to act swiftly and effectively. Once a Mayday call is received, all non-urgent radio communications are halted, giving the distressed aircraft absolute priority.
ATC then coordinates with emergency services, other aircraft, and nearby airports to provide full support. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also advises pilots to provide specific details such as weather conditions, altitude, and flight intentions to enhance the effectiveness of rescue efforts.
Importantly, making a false Mayday declaration is a criminal offense in many countries, punishable by fines and imprisonment. In the case of the recent Ahmedabad crash, the crew’s swift and accurate Mayday call was a vital step in following emergency protocols.
Though the outcome was tragic, with no known survivors, the transmission offered valuable information for investigators and emergency services, highlighting the professionalism of the flight crew even in the most perilous moments.
Pilot’s Final Words Seconds before the Tragedy
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 54, had logged over 8,200 hours of flight time, with extensive experience flying the Airbus A310, Boeing 777, and the 787 Dreamliner. He was known among colleagues as “disciplined, soft-spoken, and meticulous.”
Flying alongside him was First Officer Clive Kunder, a relatively new pilot with 1,100 hours of experience. He had completed 787 simulator training earlier this year.
As the airline community, families, and the broader public mourn the tragic loss of life and await the outcome of an extensive investigation into what led to the aircraft’s abrupt descent so soon after takeoff, a heartbreaking revelation has emerged about Captain Sabharwal.
Just days before the crash, the late pilot had made a tender promise to his 82-year-old father, a former Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official who lives in Powai, Mumbai.
According to local MLA Dilip Mama Lande, “A few days ago, he promised to take a break to spend time with his father.” Lande shared this after meeting with grieving family members.
Sadly, that heartfelt commitment was never fulfilled. Sabharwal perished in the crash minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport. The tragedy has hit Mumbai especially hard. Nine of the crew members on board the flight were also based out of the city.
Pilot of Air India flight may have saved thousands of lives with final heroic act moments before crash
While the death toll is devastating, people have speculated that it could have been much worse had the pilot of the plane not crashed the aircraft where he did.
Just over 5km away from Ahmedabad airport is Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, a huge hospital that reportedly has over 3,000 beds in it. But the pilot managed to avoid the hospital when it crashed, and some have suggested that he did this purposely to avoid additional casualties.
Discussing the matter on Reddit, one person penned: “Air India AI-171 crashed just 1.7 km from the Ahmedabad airport. It crashed in a somewhat loosely populated area which has doctor’s hostels and mess for medical students of BJMC and Civil Hospital Ahmedabad.”
“Just 400 metres north of the crash site is a civil hospital and south just adjacent to the airport wall is a high-density residential area,” they went on, as per Daily Star.
Nearby is also the neighborhood of Asarva which, as of 2020, was home to 5,100 people. Had the plane crashed there, many more lives would have been lost.
There has been a lot of theories about what happened to the Air India flight that caused it to crash, but we won’t know any real answers until the aircraft’s black box is analyzed.
According to the BBC, the device was found on Friday (June 13). Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Minister of Civil Aviation of India, said finding the box marked ‘an important step forward in the investigation’ and that it would ‘significantly aid the inquiry’.
A Catastrophic Takeoff
Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, departed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM IST, bound for London Gatwick. On board were 242 individuals — 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew, and 2 pilots.
Less than 40 seconds into the flight, the aircraft lost altitude and impacted a densely populated residential zone, igniting a massive fire. As of the evening of June 14, the confirmed death toll stood at 270, including victims on the ground, according to India Times.
Tragically, only one passenger, a British citizen of Indian descent, survived the crash and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Ahmedabad.
Source: news.amomama.com; unilad.com; timesofindia.com;…