Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 13 : A passenger who claimed to have flown on the same Air India flight just hours before it crashed near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, said he had observed "something unusual" with the aircraft's flaps during the flight.
"It was the same Boeing 787 Dreamliner...I did not witness any major issues when the flight took off, but I personally felt something was unusual with the plane's flaps outside. Experts will be able to comment on this better. Also, the air conditioning system was not working properly while the flight was on the ground," the passenger, Akash Vatsa, told ANI on Friday.
"At cruising altitude, I noticed the rear part of the flaps was moving up and down repeatedly. However, many aviation experts have pointed out that it's normal for ACs to be turned off during take-off to give the plane a better thrust," he added.
Vatsa claims to have flown on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Delhi to Ahmedabad, just hours before the same aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
He further said that he tried to raise the issue of the air conditioning with the cabin crew, but they were unable to address his complaint due to the flight's impending departure.
"I tried to complain about it, but the crew was in a rush because the flight was almost ready for takeoff. Even after the AC was switched on, its temperature kept fluctuating. Later, several passengers also mentioned it. In fact, when we got on the shuttle bus after landing, many remarked that the bus AC was working better than the flight's," he said.
Air India's flight AI 171 was carrying 242 people when it crashed into a doctor's hostel near the Ahmedabad airport shortly after take-off.
Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those who died in the crash.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met the survivor and other injured people.
According to airline authorities, the passengers on board included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.