What makes this incident even more concerning is the combination of abnormal indicators. First, the aircraft reportedly failed to retract its landing gear, which is usually one of the first automated steps after liftoff. That suggests an early systems malfunction. Secondly, the plane did not appear to gain enough thrust or lift, indicating either an engine failure or flight control issue—yet no clear distress call was received until a last-minute Mayday. If the aircraft was fully fuelled for a long-haul flight, it would have been at maximum takeoff weight, making any engine performance issue even more dangerous. Moreover, the fact that this is the first fatal crash involving a 787 in commercial service underscores how exceptional—and alarming—this event is.
The early video and flight data suggest that the pilots, including Captain Sabherwal, did everything possible to recover the situation. Eyewitness visuals seem to show that the aircraft never truly achieved stable flight—it lifted off the ground but failed to build altitude, then abruptly nose-dived, suggesting a complete loss of lift or propulsion authority. This could point to a flight control computer malfunction, uncommanded engine rollback, or even something more insidious like a software or sensor error that bypassed pre-flight diagnostics. Ultimately, both mechanical failure and possible lapses in pre-departure checks are under scrutiny. The aviation authorities must approach this investigation with full transparency. For the families of those lost—and for the flying public around the world—answers are needed, and trust must be rebuilt through clarity, not concealment.
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