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Flying Beast Gaurav Taneja simulates Air India Flight 171 crash, discusses overloading, pilot error, and rules out dual engine failure in new YouTube video.
Air India flight AI 171 crashed shortly after takeoff.
Popular YouTuber and pilot Gaurav Taneja, better known as Flying Beast, has released a detailed video analysing the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad. The incident, which resulted in the death of 270 people, shocked the nation and raised questions about what could have gone wrong. In his latest upload, Taneja attempts to understand the crash by recreating it through flight simulations and exploring various theories.
Initially, Taneja leaned toward a dual-engine failure being the most likely cause. However, after running simulations, he says his opinion has evolved. He even hinted at a combination of factors — including overloading and potential pilot error — being at play.
“I was fixated on this reason until today evening. In the sim, everything was falling into place. After takeoff, we killed both engines at 100 feet,” he said, referring to his simulation scenario. He further explained that he made some adjustments to reflect a more realistic setup for a long-haul international route. “Usually, this aircraft is 62 tonnes, but considering that it was a long flight to London, I’ve made it 70 tonnes.”
The experience during the simulation left a strong impression on him. “It was scary. I froze. There was nothing that you could do. What could you do? All you can do is pray and watch the ground come at you.”
Earlier, Taneja had pointed out that because the plane managed to lift off, the aircraft systems were likely functioning properly in the initial seconds. However, the fact that the landing gear was not retracted could be a major indicator that something went wrong immediately after take-off.
“So, if there was no such warning at take-off, that means there was no major error in the aircraft or its systems. Aircraft usually take off as part of a routine, once you cross 100 or 400 feet, you put the autopilot on. In this case, I don’t know whether the pilots had time to do that. The landing gear was still down. The usual procedure is: you take off, confirm there is a positive rate of climb, and then the pilot flying calls it out, and the gear is taken up. But here, the gears were left down, indicating that right after take-off there was some emergency. The pilots were distracted, they were trying to solve that problem. There was no time or perhaps no confirmation of a positive rate of climb, and the aircraft was sinking, about 400 feet per minute.”
With nearly 10 million subscribers on YouTube, Flying Beast’s video has sparked fresh conversation around aviation safety, aircraft weight regulations, and cockpit decisions under stress. In the past, Taneja has used his platform to simplify aviation concepts for general audiences, and this latest upload continues in that direction — helping viewers understand the real-life challenges pilots face.
Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring…Read More
Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring… Read More
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