Just hours before crashing, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner showed troubling tech glitches caught on camera by a frustrated passenger. The crash of Air India Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick claimed the lives of 241 people onboard and several more on the ground.
Footage shared on X reveals tech issues
While investigations are ongoing, video and photos surfaced on X. They show apparent system malfunctions aboard the same plane just hours before the disaster.
Akash Vatsa (@akku92) was a passenger on the earlier Delhi-to-Ahmedabad leg of the same Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He captured what he described as a series of failures inside the cabin.
“Nothing is working,” Vatsa said in the video, repeatedly pressing buttons on his handset to no effect. As he panned around, passengers could be seen fanning themselves with magazines. “AC is not working at all. And as usual, the TV screens are not working. Not even the light is working.”
Vatsa posted the clip online after the crash occurred. He said he originally recorded the issues with the plane because he intended to file a complaint with Air India. His footage has since gone viral, with over 18 million views. Many see it as possible early evidence of technical dysfunction.
Experts urge caution linking video to crash
Still, experts urge caution. Some people have labeled Vatsa’s claims as speculative or unrelated to the actual crash. Critics argue that broken seat-back screens and air conditioning issues, while frustrating, aren’t tied to the plane’s fatal plunge. Nevertheless, the video has sparked heated debate online. Some folks pointed out that planes don’t turn on their engines, and therefore their air conditioning, while waiting at the gate for air traffic control to tell them they can join the line to take off. This may be the culprit for the lack of air conditioning, rather than critical technical failures.
Theories behind the Air India Flight 171 plane crash
According to early analysis by aviation experts cited in the BBC, the Dreamliner may have suffered a rare but catastrophic failure. Several pilots suggested that the aircraft struggled to gain altitude almost immediately after takeoff. Its final altitude clocked in at just 625 feet before it descended into a residential area, as shown by footage of the aircraft taking off from the airport, below.
One theory being explored is a double engine failure, potentially caused by fuel contamination or blockage. The aircraft was carrying a full load of fuel, which raises the risk if any part of the system was compromised. Some questioned whether the aircraft’s emergency Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was activated, which could point to a total loss of power.
Another possibility involves a bird strike, which is common around Ahmedabad airport, known for frequent avian activity. Other experts suggested the aircraft’s flaps may not have been deployed properly, a scenario that would reduce lift during takeoff.
Although investigations are ongoing, the coincidence of Vatsa’s video and the crash has left many asking whether small system failures can signal bigger, hidden risks.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
