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"No Thrust": Over 260 Dead And One Survivor After Air India Crash

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by Tyler Durden
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  • 242 passengers are dead with one survivor after an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed moments after takeoff Thursday in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. The plane was headed for London Gatwick Airport.
  • In total, 269 bodies have been taken to the main hospital so far, after the plane crashed into a medical college about a mile southwest of the city's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. 
  • It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.
  • According to unconfirmed reports, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced that a MAYDAY call was issued to Air Traffic Control.
  • The London Evening Standard reports that the pilot, Sumeet Sabharwal, reported having "no thrust" and was "unable to lift" less than 650 ft. in the air before the plane plunged into the ground. 

The lone survivor, Ramesh Vishwaskumar, was sitting in the first row of economy class. 

"Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise," Vishwaskumar told reporters, according to the Hindustan Times. "There were dead bodies around me. I got scared. I got up and ran. There were pieces of the plane everywhere."

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Watch Live On-The-Ground via CNBC India  

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Update (1107ET):

New footage:

 

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Update (0647ET):

Boeing shares are down 7.5% in premarket trading in New York after an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff — marking what appears to be the first fatal accident and hull loss involving any Boeing 787 variant since the aircraft's debut in 2009.

"With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event," Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran wrote on X.

"At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted," Chandrasekaran added.

London's Gatwick Airport wrote on X, "We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25.

Notice the pilot only used half of the runway for takeoff?

There are questions. 

The flight was carrying 232 passengers and 12 crew members when it went down over a densely populated area in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. Initial reports from the ground suggest a mass casualty incident, though details remain limited.

 

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An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad moments ago, according to the Times of India. 

"We are following reports of a crash of Air India flight #AI171 from Ahmedabad to London. We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after takeoff," flight tracking website Flightradar 24 wrote on X. 

Dramatic footage of the aftermath has been posted on X. 

Boeing shares in premarket trading tumbled 8% following the 787-8 Dreamliner crash. 

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