Air India Crash: Tales of Survival, Sacrifice, and Lingering Questions in Ahmedabad Tragedy

AHMEDABAD, India – A devastating Air India flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad has claimed the lives of at least 275 people, leaving a community in profound grief. Amidst the tragedy, stories of miraculous survival and heroic sacrifice have emerged. Vishwash Ramesh, a passenger on the ill-fated flight bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, recounted his harrowing experience. Despite the catastrophic impact, Ramesh was found still buckled into seat 11A, remarkably suffering no major injuries. "Emergency door is broken, my seat is broken, then I see a space a little bit and then I try to come out," Ramesh stated from his hospital bed, adding, "I'm not jumping, I just walk out, and then ambulance coming in." The crash also brought immense sorrow to families like the Patanis. Urmila Patani shared the heartbreaking loss of her 15-year-old brother, Akash, who was sleeping at his mother's tea stall when the plane crashed. His body was found burning in the street. Their mother, Sita, suffered severe burns after bravely running back into the fire in an attempt to save her son. "I used to love my brother a lot, I haven't heard my brother's voice for the last four days and my mind has stopped working," Urmila lamented. Local resident Krish Patani, who was playing cricket nearby, described the scene as "mind-blowing." He believes the pilot intentionally aimed for a small patch of grass to avoid hitting densely populated buildings, potentially saving thousands of lives. Indian aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan noted that CCTV footage suggests an engine failure on the right side shortly after takeoff. He also raised concerns about the possibility of loose soil or birds being sucked into the engines during takeoff from the unpaved areas around the runway. Investigators are now using DNA testing to identify remains and return them to grieving families, including those of British couple Fingle and Jamie Greenlaw Meek, who had shared a video just before boarding. The incident has also led Air India to reduce international services on wide-body aircraft by 15% due to extra safety checks. While theories circulate, the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, with officials yet to release definitive conclusions.