Last 33 seconds of Air India: Inside the terrifying final moments of flight before crash

Tragedy struck Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. While an investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the deadly crash, several videos and photos have surfaced on social media showing the final moments of the flight, which was carrying 242 people on board.

All but one person were killed in the crash, which has been deemed one of the world's worst plane crashes. The Air India plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. According to the Aviation Safety Network database, it was the first crash for the Dreamliner, a wide-body airliner that began flying commercially in 2011.

The Hindustan Times gathered information about Air India Flight AI-171's crash just 33 seconds after takeoff based on Flightradar data, eyewitness accounts, and videos.

Here's a timeline of the last and final moments of the Air India flight:

1.30 pm: Air India flight pushes back from the loading bay at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport

1.31 pm: The aircraft begins moving toward the active runway

1.34 pm: The Air India flight lines up on Runway 28 to initiate its take-off sequence

1:38.24 pm: After completing final pre-flight checks, the Dreamliner starts taxiing

1:38.40 pm: Air India flight takes off. Seconds later, the pilot issues a 'Mayday' distress call, signalling a full emergency.

1.38.55 pm: The aircraft reached an altitude of 625 feet. Its top speed was 174 knots before it began to descend rapidly, according to Flightradar24 data.

1.39.13 pm: The aircraft enters a shallow descent with its nose pitched upward.

Final moments captured in videos

Video footage shared on social media showed the aircraft flying unusually low and struggling to gain altitude before slamming into the ground and bursting into a massive fireball.

The plane had plunged into a dining hall at a medical school where students were having lunch. The impact was catastrophic.

Flames erupted, and thick black smoke billowed into the sky. Glass and concrete debris rained down.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)