“Shocking” Video Of Air India Boeing 787 Cabin Before Crash: Yeah, No…

Yesterday, we saw the tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787, claiming at least 290 lives (between those onboard and those on the ground). This is a huge tragedy, and understandably, people want answers, though an investigation will take time.

There’s one particular thing that some in the media have picked up on, which is baseless sensationalism, and I feel like it needs to be addressed. Several readers have brought this to my attention…

“Nothing is working” on Air India Boeing 787 before crash

A Twitter/X user took to social media yesterday, having flown the exact same Boeing 787-8 with the registration code VT-ANB, on the flight prior to the fatal one. Specifically, he flew the Dreamliner from Delhi (DEL) to Ahmedabad (AMD), just before the plane continued to London (LGW). There’s no denying that this must be an eery feeling, and he’s certainly grateful to be alive.

Following the flight, he posted a few videos of “unusual” things that he noticed on the aircraft, and this has been picked up by international media. For example, the New York Post (I know, sort of a tabloid) posted a story with the following headline:

Shocking video reportedly shows power failures inside Air India plane hours before it crashed: ‘Nothing is working’

In the videos, he claims “nothing” in the cabin was working, including lights, air conditioning, and seat back monitors. He states “the AC is not working at all, and, as usual, your TV screens are also not working, neither is this button for calling the cabin crew,” and he also complains of “sweating like hell” because the air conditioning wasn’t working.

This guy has now been interviewed several times, sharing his insights about the condition of the aircraft, down to him analyzing the way the flaps moved during the flight:

“… I did not witness any issues when the flight took off. I felt something was unusual with the plane’s flaps outside. Experts will be able to decode this better… The ACs were not working properly when the flight was on the ground before taking off… At cruising altitude, I noticed that the rear part of the flaps was moving up and down repeatedly. However, many aviation experts have pointed out that it is normal for the ACs to be off to give the plane a better thrust. I tried to complain about it, but the crew was in a rush because the flight was almost ready for take off… Even after the AC was switched on, its temperature kept fluctuating… Even when we got on the shuttle bus after the flight, many other passengers exclaimed that the bus’s AC was working better than the flight’s.”

There’s absolutely nothing unusual here…

Obviously people desperately want answers about what caused the crash of this Air India Boeing 787. However, an investigation will take some time, and there’s no point in speculating.

Here’s something I can say with certainty, though — what’s being labeled as the “shocking” condition of the aircraft where “nothing is working” is unrelated to what may have caused the crash:

• He complains of the air conditioning not working; it was a hot day in Delhi, and this video was taken after the plane was pushed back, before engines started, so it’s standard for there to not be any air circulation during that time
• He claims that “nothing” was working, including the lights, but you can clearly see that lights at other seats are on
• Clearly there was an issue with this guy’s individual entertainment monitor and controller; yes, the cabins of Air India jets are generally in awful condition, and broken entertainment is nothing new

If non-responsive entertainment systems were an indicator of planes not being safe or airworthy, Air India’s entire fleet would likely be grounded.

The truth is that we have no clue what caused this accident, though I don’t see anything in the above videos that’s even remotely out of the ordinary. That doesn’t make it any less eery to fly on a jet right before it crashes, but…

Bottom line

One passenger took to social media to share his experience flying the exact Air India Boeing 787 that crashed, one flight before the fatal one. As usual, Air India’s cabins don’t look like they’re in great condition, but that’s all there is to see. There’s nothing “shocking” here, and there’s nothing that points to anything out of the ordinary.

Yes, air conditioning doesn’t work while a plane pushes back, and that can make the cabin warm. The only thing I see is a single broken entertainment screen and monitor, which is par for the course at Air India.

What do you make of this “shocking” video?