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Just moments before the devastating crash of Air India Flight AI171, passenger Jamie Ray Meek recorded a final Instagram video that has since gone viral. The clip shows Meek sitting inside Ahmedabad Airport, speaking into the camera as he prepared to board the flight bound for London Gatwick.

"We are at the airport just boarding. Goodbye India on a 10-hour flight back to London," he said. As he shared a few thoughts from his India trip, Meek added, "My biggest takeaway is to not lose your patience with your partner," before flashing a gentle smile and signing off with, "Going back happily, happily, happily calm."

Flight AI171 crashes after takeoff 

Jamie Ray Meek was among the 53 British nationals on board Air India Flight AI171, which crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, took off from Ahmedabad at 1:38 PM IST carrying 242 passengers and crew, including 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian national.

🤳Final Instagram Story from Jamie Ray Meek, a British passenger aboard Air India Flight 171, shared just before takeoff.

Meek is listed on the manifest as GBR 149261531.
Flight later crashed near Ahmedabad.#India #Boeing #Airplane #Crash #AirIndia #Breaking https://t.co/6UIXDm36zF

— the Pulse (@thePulseGlobal) June 12, 2025

Initial flight data suggests the plane encountered trouble almost immediately after departure, losing altitude shortly after reaching approximately 825 feet. The aircraft descended rapidly and crashed within minutes, between 1 PM and 2 PM IST. Plumes of dark smoke and emergency responses were seen in visuals circulated on social media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacts to Air India plane crash 

In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a heartfelt statement, saying, "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it."

Air India issued a brief statement confirming the incident: “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on airindia.com and on our X handle.”