A Sole Survivor’s Haunting Tale: Unraveling the Mystery of Air India Flight AI171
Was this a tragic accident, or something far more unsettling? As investigators sift through wreckage and cockpit data, the harrowing account of the only survivor from Air India Flight AI171 is casting a shadow over the official narrative—raising chilling questions about what really unfolded in the skies above Ahmedabad.
The lone man who lived through the disaster, 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, now grapples with an unbearable weight: the loss of nearly everyone on board, including his own brother, and memories burned deep into his mind.
The doomed flight departed Ahmedabad Airport on June 12, bound for London Gatwick. But moments after takeoff, calamity struck. The aircraft crashed into a densely populated neighborhood, annihilating all but one passenger.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed, “Only one survivor was found, seated in 11A. He is currently hospitalized. The casualty count is still being finalized due to the crash site’s location.”
Videos quickly surfaced online showing Vishwash staggering from the wreckage, dazed and battered. In a recent interview, he recounted the terrifying seconds after takeoff: “There was a loud roar, and suddenly everything went black. When I regained consciousness, bodies were everywhere. I panicked, scrambled out through a broken fuselage, and ran.”
He described an eerie moment mid-flight: “The plane seemed frozen. The cabin lights flickered green and white. We weren’t climbing. Then we crashed into a building and exploded.”
Vishwash’s anguish deepened when recalling his brother Ajay, seated elsewhere on the plane. “I watched him die. There was nothing I could do,” he said, voice breaking.
Officials noted that Vishwash’s proximity to an emergency exit was likely the only reason he escaped the inferno alive.
Since that day, the survivor has been enveloped in darkness far heavier than physical wounds. His nephew, Krunal Keshave, shared, “He suffers from relentless nightmares and survivor’s guilt. He relives the crash endlessly but rarely speaks of it. His family tries to support him, but he’s withdrawn, barely leaving the house.”
Another family member added, “Surviving when your brother and so many others didn’t—that’s a burden no one should bear.”
The investigation into the crash remains inconclusive. Preliminary cockpit voice recordings reveal an unsettling exchange: one pilot asks, “Why did you cut off?” The other denies it. Moments later, a desperate “MAYDAY” call echoes before silence.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s final words hint at mechanical failure: “No thrust, losing power, can’t lift.”
Conclusion:
What was meant to be a routine journey across continents ended in devastation. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh’s survival is hailed as miraculous, yet the emotional wreckage he carries is profound and ongoing.
As experts pore over flight data and testimonies, the truth behind Air India Flight AI171’s sudden descent remains elusive. For Vishwash—and those who loved the passengers lost—the unanswered questions linger like a shadow, a constant reminder that some scars refuse to heal.