On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick.
Taking off at 13:38 IST, it ascended around 625 feet, where it lost touch, and crashed into a medical college dorm about 32 seconds later.
Only one person, British-Indian Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was seated in seat 11A, survived the crash; 241 people on board and at least 33 on the ground perished.
Captain Sabharwal reported a loss of thrust and sent out a "Mayday" communication.
RAT deployment is a serious warning sign that indicates the quick and complete failure of core systems.
Fuel contamination, engine software, control systems, or checking procedures during maintenance could be potential causes contributing to the crash.
The fact that Vishwash survived in seat 11A, alone out of 242 passengers, serves as a sobering reminder of life's unpredictable nature and possibly a deeper form of fate or karma.
His prompt evacuation and instincts demonstrate how timing and little margins may make all the difference in life or death.
The suspected electrical or twin engine failure suggests possible flaws in the aircraft's maintenance schedule, redundancy, or supplier supervision.
Public and regulatory monitoring of Air India's training programs and maintenance procedures will increase.
However, amidst the large-scale destruction caused by the crash, a book of Bhagavad Gita has been found in near-mint condition from the crash debris.
For many, the intact Gita represented resiliency in the face of sorrow, hope, or spiritual protection.
However, using this discovery to promote a religious or nationalist agenda during mourning shifts focus from honoring all victims to rallying divisive ideological narratives.
In the wake of such a tragedy, we should put compassion, factual knowledge, better policies, and unity and not division first.