CCTV captures chilling final moments of Air India flight from takeoff to fireball

In a haunting CCTV footage that has now surfaced, the final moments of Air India flight AI-171’s doomed journey have been captured — from its smooth takeoff to a sudden stall, and finally, a devastating explosion just seconds later.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at around 1:47 pm on June 12, slightly later than its scheduled departure. Onboard were 242 people — 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, along with two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.

The CCTV footage, likely recorded from a nearby building in the Meghani Nagar area, opens with the aircraft taxiing off the runway.

At the 17-second mark, the Dreamliner lifts off and disappears briefly behind a small structure. When it reemerges seconds later, it seems stable in its ascent — but barely eight seconds pass before the aircraft stalls mid-air.

Then comes the horror. Just beyond the airport’s boundary, the plane plummets and erupts into a massive fireball, its tail end seen disappearing behind faint silhouettes of residential buildings. The fiery impact lit up the skyline in what would be the final frame of the ill-fated flight.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the flight crashed just nine minutes after receiving clearance for takeoff. Officials confirmed that the pilot had issued a Mayday call to Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control moments after takeoff, but the aircraft went silent before any further communication could be established.

The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain (LTC) with over 8,200 hours of flying experience. His co-pilot, First Officer Clive Kundar, had logged 1,100 hours. DGCA confirmed both were on board.

In a statement, the DGCA said: “On June 12, 2025, Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, crashed immediately after takeoff. There were 242 persons on board including 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew.”

The tragic incident has sent shockwaves across India and abroad. The DGCA, Air India, and international aviation authorities have launched a joint investigation into what led to the catastrophic failure.

As families mourn and questions mount, the chilling CCTV footage stands as a grim record of a flight that never made it past its first minute in the sky.