An old, unrelated video of a pilot inviting his mother on board is falsely being shared as footage from the crashed Ahmedabad flight
On 12 June 2025, Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad. The aircraft lost altitude within minutes and went down in the Meghani Nagar area near the airport, erupting in flames (here, here). It crashed into the hostel building of B.J. Medical College and Civil Hospital, which was reportedly housing medical students at the time. Over 240 people were on board, including nationals of India, the UK, Portugal, and Canada (here). Investigation into the causes of the incident is ongoing, led by the DGCA, AAIB, and Air India.
In this context, a video (here and here) is going viral on social media showing a pilot announcing to passengers that he is happy to take his mother on an international flight. The clip also shows moments like his mother sitting in the cockpit. It is being claimed that this video was recorded just before the Ahmedabad flight crash. Let’s find out the truth behind this claim.
Claim: This video showing a pilot inviting his mother on board and making an emotional announcement is from the Air India Flight AI-171 that crashed in Ahmedabad.
Fact: The viral video features pilot Aswath Pushpan and was originally posted in March 2025, several weeks before the Ahmedabad flight crash. It has no connection to the incident, as the pilots of the crashed Air India Flight AI-171 were identified as Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
To verify the claim, we conducted a reverse image search on Google, which led us to the same visuals shared by Calcutta Times on Instagram on 19 April 2025—well before the Ahmedabad flight crash. According to the post, the video was recorded about a month earlier and is now resurfacing online. It features pilot Aswath Pushpan warmly inviting his mother onboard and sharing the moment with passengers.
We also accessed Aswath Pushpan’s Instagram account, where we found the same visuals. He had uploaded the video on 15 March 2025, with the caption: “Cleared for takeoff — with the most special passenger on board! Welcome on board, Mom.” This further confirms that the video is unrelated to the Ahmedabad flight crash.
Further research revealed that the video featuring pilot Aswath Pushpan was widely covered by media outlets (here, here, and here). It shows him making a special in-flight announcement for his mother, who was flying with him for the first time to another country. The clip, shared in March 2025, captures heartwarming moments of the pilot and his mom, including scenes from the cockpit.
Additionally, media reports confirmed that the pilots involved in the Ahmedabad flight crash were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder. In contrast, the viral video features pilot Aswath Pushpan, who has no connection to the incident.
To sum up, an old video of a pilot inviting his mother on board is falsely being shared as footage from the crashed Ahmedabad flight.