Air India’s London-bound Boeing 787 barely climbed 600 feet before crashing into a hostel in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24 the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 625 feet and then began to descend with a vertical speed of 475 feet per minute. “The signal from the aircraft was lost at 625 feet, less than a minute after take off,” the website said.

While investigators are gathering evidence to ascertain the causes of the crash, aviation safety experts and pilots said the accident is likely to have occurred due to loss of engine thrust. A video of the aircraft before its crash shows its landing gear extended and this has puzzled pilots as the gear is retracted immediately by pulling a lever after the aircraft gets airborne. Lowered landing gear induces drag.

“In an aircraft, lift is generated by engine thrust. If the engine thrust is low, the aircraft’s climb rate will be shallow. The aircraft will not be able to sustain lift if there is an engine failure, and if the landing gear remains in an extended position,” said aviation safety expert Amit Singh.

An aircraft’s performance is impacted by factors such as temperature, wind conditions and its weight, and accident investigators will check these details too.

Air India’s Boeing 787 aircraft are powered by two General Electric made GenX engines. It is unclear what caused one or both the engines to lose thrust. Pilots are trained to handle single engine failures and undergo simulator sessions to practice flying with one inoperative engine.

While it is being speculated that the two engines lost power because of a bird hit, Singh said there would be tell-tale signs like feathers or carcass inside the airport or visual cues like flames or smoke in the engine due to bird ingestion. However these have not come to light, he said.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Air India flight AI-171. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of those impacted. We have activated our emergency response team and are prepared to support our customer and the investigation,” GE Aerospace said in a statement.

Published on June 12, 2025