Man Who Flew Same Air India Plane Before Crash, Flags Issues In Viral Post Seen By 4 Million People

In a chilling revelation, Delhi-based flyer Akash Vatsa claims he flew on the same Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner—just two hours before it crashed near Ahmedabad while operating as AI171 to London. Speaking to ANI, Vatsa said he experienced multiple issues onboard, including malfunctioning air-conditioning and flickering in-flight entertainment. He also shared that he observed 'unusual flap movements' mid-air. His viral tweet, seen by over 4 million people, includes footage from inside the aircraft, showing visibly uncomfortable passengers. While aviation experts note that flap activity and AC behavior can be within operational norms, Vatsa's account raises fresh concerns about aircraft fitness prior to one of India's worst aviation disasters. Air India has not yet responded publicly to Vatsa's claim. The plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 265 people. The aircraft had flown in from Delhi just hours earlier.#airindiacrash #akashvatsa #boeing787 #flightai171 #ahmedabadcrash #airindia #aviationsafety #viralvideo #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews

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Indian Express

28 minutes ago

• Indian Express

How a city killed a river: lessons from Delhi's Sahibi river for Pune's urban planners

For centuries, a seasonal river emerged from the Aravalli hills and followed its course to meander into the waters of the Yamuna – until human interventions created a conflict between it and urban planning. 'Sahibi river is a case study on how a river goes extinct in a city,' says Dr Rajendra Ravi, a Delhi-based urban social planner. When Parisar, a Pune-based organisation working on sustainable development, undertook a project to reimagine Delhi, one of the world's most polluted cities with one of the most threatened rivers, as a space for sustainability, justice, and community, mapping the disappearing Sahibi became an integral point. Ravi is the coordinator of the project. 'Our study of the Sahibi river in Delhi, which is a tributary of the Yamuna, reveals a recurring pattern of urban river mismanagement across the country. Rivers, like the Sahibi in Delhi, or the Mula and the Mutha in Pune are dammed upstream to provide water to the ever-growing cities,' says Ranjit Gadgil, Programme Director, Parisar. 'The water that flows in the rivers after damming is mostly sewage and industrial effluent, affecting the downstream communities. Constricting the Sahibi contributes to the severe flooding in Gurugram every year. Creating riverfronts does not address the pollution in the rivers and, in fact, can worsen flooding. We can expect the same in Pune,' he adds. From water to sewage According to Parisar, a course that flowed into the Yamuna was called Sabi 'Naala1807' in a 1807 map of Delhi. The Sahibi was also mentioned in the Vedic period as the Drishadvati river. 'For agrarian communities, waterbodies like rivers, canals and ponds are of great importance. There was great community involvement because waterbodies are their lifeline,' says Ravi. Once villages make way for cities, the living relationship between the people and the land, the river and other natural resources ends. 'The small tributaries and irrigation systems disappear with urbanisation. Governments rarely have a long-term plan that is aligned with the ecology, such as how will water enter a city, where will it go and how will it be cleaned before meeting the sea?' says Ravi. The Sahibi would flood during the rainy season, and urban planners created bunds and other ways to check the flow. In 1977, large parts of Delhi were flooded, and the government constructed the Masani barrage on the Delhi-Jaipur highway near Masani village in Rewari. Several other dams were constructed in Rajasthan to hold rainwater. The result was that flow in the Sahibi downstream from the Masani barrage stopped. 'The structure of the Sahibi, however, remained on the land. In place of clean water, we have waste water and sewage from colonies and industries flowing along the course of the Sahibi into the Najafgarh jheel through which the Sahibi used to enter the Yamuna,' says Ravi. 'Though you will find Sahibi on the map, the river does not exist,' he adds. Ravi adds that urban planners must find ways to dispose of sewage, else these will continue to threaten the survival of rivers. 'So far, we have gathered different data sets on the river and its extinction. We are compiling a timeline of court and NGT orders that have called for the rejuvenation and recognition of the Sahibi as a river. The Delhi lieutenant governor's office has allocated a budget and has promised a complete rejuvenation of the Sahibi soon. This, however, is yet to be verified by our fieldwork. Subsequently, we plan to refine our data and publish a booklet with a brief on the river, a timeline of court orders, budgetary allocation and efforts by the L-G. All this will be supplemented with visuals from the field site as the visual ethnography of a dead river,' says Ravi. Dipanita Nath is interested in the climate crisis and sustainability. She has written extensively on social trends, heritage, theatre and startups. She has worked with major news organizations such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India and Mint. ... Read More

India Today

an hour ago

• India Today

A hidden height filter is spoiling your dating, marriage chances

Deepak realised while at school that he was shorter than the other boys. But he didn't let that deter him from the dating market later. He developed a sharp sense of humour, a calmness, a self-assuring temperament for himself. "But tall men do have it easier," he 33, decided to look for arranged marriage rishtas. His parents had one condition. A girl shorter than 5ft. They thought a taller girl would not be good with their son, who was 5'4. This was after he had been rejected by some girls over his is crucial in dating and marriage, especially for men. It is also seen in Tinder's new premium feature, which comes with a height filter. Last week, Celine Song's Materialists also hit the theatres. It clearly established that height equalled desirability and increased one's prospects in 'modern dating and marriage markets'. It is clear that in 2025, love and marriage come with a measuring tape. But why does height even carry such weight in modern dating? Also, while we have dealt with several other biases such as complexion, caste and community-based marriages, why does height remain a silent and ever-present factor?Tinder's new height preference feature lets paid users set a desired height range for potential matches. This is with the goal of matching singles whose desired height ranges is possible that the preference for a taller partner comes from an evolutionary bias. With time, while we have attempted to do away with other biases, why does this one persist?advertisementThis height parameter isn't always a personal preference. Most times, it is rooted in societal expectations."It is fine if some people are attracted to taller people. But many people want taller partners for social acceptance and validation," Bangalore-based psychologist Subash tells India Today evolutionary bias to social expectation, there are several reasons as to why height biases remain strong in India. It is ingrained to such an extent that even men start perceiving their height as an asset or liability and fixate on it. These biases reveal themselves in online dating and matrimony TALLER MEN ARE PREFERRED IN THE DATING MARKET?The instinct might have an evolutionary answer. "Height preferences go deeper than just looks," explains psychologist Sharya Sharma."Historically, height symbolised strength and safety, especially in men. Those associations still linger, even when they don't reflect real-life needs any more," she who are not tall sometimes fixate on other physical attributes."In my sessions, I see men who have spent years trying to prove they're 'enough' — just because they're not tall," says therapist Subhash."They'll chase promotions, build perfect bodies, because somewhere, they were made to feel they lacked the most basic currency of attraction."advertisementA 2015 study published in Evolutionary Psychology explores several reasons why many women prefer taller include a perception of greater safety; taller men are often seen as more masculine and physically capable, as well as the idea of potential reproductive advantages, like taller bias begins early and shows up everywhere, from teen years to marriage proposals, from online filters to queer dating spaces. While cultural norms and evolutionary ideas continue to shape these preferences, a growing counter-narrative is pushing back."I know short guys who have done pretty well," says Deepak, a 27-year-old software engineer. "But they have to work harder, that's for damn sure. You don't get noticed easily when you're 5'6 compared to 5'10."It's not that shorter men are shut out of love, it's that their desirability often requires extra qualities must be dialled up to offset what is perceived, often unfairly, as a flaw."It's like you need a portfolio," adds Deepak. "You have to be funny, ambitious, sensitive, stylish, and still, sometimes that won't cut it."This conditioning begins young. "It starts early," says Mayank, 30, a photographer based in Delhi."In school, the taller boys get picked first, on the field and by the girls. We were made to believe we were different". He remembers his teenage years. "I was always the shortest in my friend group growing up."advertisementThe message gets internalised early: taller is better. And it doesn't stop with IS NOT BLIND ON DATING APPSInterestingly, some people think when people meet organically at work, through friends, or college, the height filter is less important."Online, height seems to make a huge difference. Offline, not at all," says Arpita, 29. "When physical presence isn't reduced to a photo and a few stats, other qualities shine first. You might notice someone's laugh or how they speak before you even register their height."But not everyone's lucky enough to escape those digital first-impressions."People say love is blind," wrote one Reddit user. "But on dating apps, it's filtered. And height is one of the biggest filters."This quiet hierarchy shows up in queer spaces too."I'm 5'3 and gay," says Krish, 26. "Even in queer spaces, height is currency. I once had someone tell me, 'You're great, but I want someone who looks dominant.' What does that even mean?"advertisementMEN AND THE OBSESSION TO BE 'TALLER'In dating culture, height has become a kind of shorthand for desirability. "I'm six foot, by the way," is a line that often makes it into dating bios or first-date banter — unsolicited and not that everyone cares, but enough people do to make the statement feel like a safe more often than not, it works. It isn't rare to hear women admit they just "don't feel attracted to shorter guys" or "don't want to feel taller in heels."A false sense of "protection" might be at play here. "I have this false sense of protection and safety which I feel if the man is taller. I somewhere also think, my kids will be taller if I marry a tall man," says Ritika, is true that even in some professions, taller men are preferred. This is done to ensure "efficiency" or command a room. The subliminal message is that taller equals more no surprise, then, that many men feel pressured to 2010, OkCupid said its research showed that most men inflated their height by two inches. In 2019, Tinder even joked about launching a "height verification" feature — to curb these quiet SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, BUT WITH A HEIGHT FILTERIn arranged marriage setups, the word "tall" is code for ideal. "Tall, well-settled, good family" — a phrase that repeats itself across hundreds of biodatas and WhatsApp fact, height is often listed right after age and income. To many, it signals good health, strong genes, and even association is so ingrained that parents sometimes eliminate prospects without even realising height was the silent deal-breaker."Whenever a rishta (marriage proposal) used to come, my mom's first question was always height," laughs Aditya, 33, a banker from Lucknow. "She thought if the girl was taller, it'll be embarrassing for us. We never got to personality." He adds: "I think I also got rejected because I'm 5'4. They never said it directly, but we knew."Of course, not everyone conforms to this recent years, a quiet rebellion has taken root, what the internet calls Short King Spring. What began as a cheeky phrase online has grown into a cultural pushback, celebrating men under six by memes, TikToks, and shifting tone, it flips the script: short isn't just okay, it's Tom Holland's red carpet moments to everyday tales of connection, the message is clear: charisma, compassion, and confidence don't come with a height requirement. And for many who have never fit the filter, this shift brings a quiet hope: that in the end, love might see above and beyond a few inches.

News18

4 hours ago

• News18

Gaurav Taneja AKA Flying Beast Simulates Air India Flight 171 Crash: 'It Was Scary, I Froze'

Last Updated: Flying Beast Gaurav Taneja simulates Air India Flight 171 crash, discusses overloading, pilot error, and rules out dual engine failure in new YouTube video. Popular YouTuber and pilot Gaurav Taneja, better known as Flying Beast, has released a detailed video analysing the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad. The incident, which resulted in the death of 270 people, shocked the nation and raised questions about what could have gone wrong. In his latest upload, Taneja attempts to understand the crash by recreating it through flight simulations and exploring various theories. Initially, Taneja leaned toward a dual-engine failure being the most likely cause. However, after running simulations, he says his opinion has evolved. He even hinted at a combination of factors — including overloading and potential pilot error — being at play. 'I was fixated on this reason until today evening. In the sim, everything was falling into place. After takeoff, we killed both engines at 100 feet," he said, referring to his simulation scenario. He further explained that he made some adjustments to reflect a more realistic setup for a long-haul international route. 'Usually, this aircraft is 62 tonnes, but considering that it was a long flight to London, I've made it 70 tonnes." The experience during the simulation left a strong impression on him. 'It was scary. I froze. There was nothing that you could do. What could you do? All you can do is pray and watch the ground come at you." Earlier, Taneja had pointed out that because the plane managed to lift off, the aircraft systems were likely functioning properly in the initial seconds. However, the fact that the landing gear was not retracted could be a major indicator that something went wrong immediately after take-off. 'So, if there was no such warning at take-off, that means there was no major error in the aircraft or its systems. Aircraft usually take off as part of a routine, once you cross 100 or 400 feet, you put the autopilot on. In this case, I don't know whether the pilots had time to do that. The landing gear was still down. The usual procedure is: you take off, confirm there is a positive rate of climb, and then the pilot flying calls it out, and the gear is taken up. But here, the gears were left down, indicating that right after take-off there was some emergency. The pilots were distracted, they were trying to solve that problem. There was no time or perhaps no confirmation of a positive rate of climb, and the aircraft was sinking, about 400 feet per minute." With nearly 10 million subscribers on YouTube, Flying Beast's video has sparked fresh conversation around aviation safety, aircraft weight regulations, and cockpit decisions under stress. In the past, Taneja has used his platform to simplify aviation concepts for general audiences, and this latest upload continues in that direction — helping viewers understand the real-life challenges pilots face. First Published: