An expert weighs in on ‘something untoward’ about Air India plane before its fatal crash

An expert has weighed in on what may have happened to cause the Air India flight crash earlier today. Flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident not long after take-off. It was carrying 242 passengers in total, 53 of which are British nationals. Initially it had been reported there are believed to be no survivors, but since reports have emerged saying there may be one single survivor.

The plane came down in a residential area, and crashed into a hostel building used by doctors. The cause of the crash remains unclear, but because the pilot made a mayday call ahead of impact, it suggests they did know something was wrong.

Alastair Rosenschen, a former British Airways pilot and aviation analyst, has spoken to Sky News and shared his expertise. He noted that images of the plane as it crashed appear to show landing gear still lowered, with some suggesting the flaps on the wings were also in the wrong position.

via EyePress News/Shutterstock

Rosenschen said the wheels of the plane should not have been down at that point. “The gear should not be down and effective as soon as you have got a positive rate of climb, after take-off,” he said. “If the gear was still down, then that would suggest that something is untoward.”

As for the wing flaps, the publication stated they are important during take-off, to give the plane as much lift as possible whilst still speeding up. “That’s what you need for take-off,” Rosenschen said. “As the aircraft accelerates, you can then start to retract the flaps.”

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He added that if the aircraft is not travelling quickly enough, the wrong flap setting would bring the jet down.

In a previous statement, Air India said: “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details.” The flight company later added: “Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.”

This story is evolving and will be updated. For more, like The Tab on Facebook. Featured image via EyePress News/Shutterstock and SIDDHARAJ SOLANKI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock.