Under a heavy monsoon sky in the coastal town of Diu, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of Air India Flight 171, carried his elder brother’s flower-draped coffin on his shoulder— a grief-stricken figure caught in a national tragedy that is now under intense international scrutiny.

Just recently, Ramesh and his brother, Ajay, had boarded the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad after a family holiday in India. Within moments of takeoff, the aircraft plummeted into a medical college hostel, killing all 241 onboard and at least 30 people on the ground, including five medical students.

Discharged from hospital on Tuesday, Ramesh, his face and arms still bandaged, sobbed as he stood beside his brother’s pyre. “It’s a miracle I survived,” he told The Sun. “I am OK physically, but I feel terrible that I could not save Ajay.”

The brothers had been seated a few rows apart. Ramesh says he escaped through a gap in the fuselage, staggering into the arms of first responders through smoke and flames.

CRASH PROBE ZEROES IN ON EMERGENCY POWER SYSTEM

As India mourns, global aviation regulators are turning their attention to a possible critical systems failure. Investigators cited by The Wall Street Journal believe that the aircraft’s ram air turbine (RAT)— an emergency device that provides power during engine loss, may have deployed just moments after takeoff.

Ordinarily a measure of last resort, the RAT’s activation during ascent is deeply alarming and may indicate both engines failed or underperformed. “This is not typical,” said an aviation official familiar with the investigation. “We’re looking at a possible loss of thrust during climbout.”

“THRUST NOT ACHIEVED”: FINAL TRANSMISSION REVEALED

According to leaked air traffic control logs, the pilot issued a chilling Mayday call seconds after takeoff:

“Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”

Flight data confirms that the plane climbed to only 625 feet before it began its fatal descent. A CCTV camera captured the aircraft pitching downward just 17 seconds after liftoff.

SYSTEMIC FAILURES OR ISOLATED CATASTROPHE?

While a full investigation by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) could take months, aviation experts warn that early signs point to a potential mechanical or procedural failure, raising questions about maintenance protocols, pilot response, and Air India’s safety compliance under the Tata Group’s new ownership.

DIU’S GRIEF, INDIA’S RECKONING

The small beachside town of Diu, once a Portuguese colony, lost over a dozen of its residents in the crash. Streets were lined with mourners; bells tolled as processions wound through rain-slicked alleys.

At the cremation, Ramesh’s mother, dressed in a drenched blue sari, walked silently beside the hearse. Locals stood shoulder-to-shoulder, clutching umbrellas and garlands. “Our hearts are broken,” said a neighbor. “Ajay was everyone’s son.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

India’s aviation regulator is expected to release a preliminary report within 30 days. Meanwhile, Boeing and Rolls-Royce, the aircraft and engine manufacturers, are also reportedly assisting in the investigation.

As the black boxes are analyzed, and grieving families demand answers, the world watches closely— not only for what caused this catastrophe but to ensure it never happens again.