'Pilots know something...': Flying Beast points to quiet unease after fatal Air India crash

After the fatal crash of Air India Flight 171 on June 12 in Ahmedabad that claimed 270 lives, a wave of flight cancellations and rising speculation has stirred public anxiety and prompted a warning from aviation YouTuber and former pilot Gaurav Taneja.

In a post on X Thursday evening, Taneja, known online as “Flying Beast,” implied that Air India pilots may be quietly flagging issues the public isn’t being told. “Pilots are snagging aircrafts, grounding, reporting sick and refusing to fly when in doubt,” he wrote. 

“The pilots know something that the public doesn’t.”

Taneja, who spent over a decade in commercial aviation, has been using his platform to explore technical theories behind the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash. He previously suggested a “dual engine failure” scenario and pointed to delayed takeoff and extended runway usage as signs that something went wrong during the aircraft’s initial acceleration.

In a YouTube video, Taneja explained that the Dreamliner appeared close to its maximum takeoff weight of around 2.25 tonnes and may have already lost one engine before takeoff. “If both engines had failed, it wouldn’t have lifted off. But even with one down, it took more runway than expected,” he said—while clearly stating these were unverified theories.

He also speculated on possible overloading and emphasized that no conclusions could be drawn without official data.

Meanwhile, fellow aviation YouTuber Captain Steeeve floated pilot error as a potential cause, though he later clarified his position amid backlash. He, too, discussed the extreme heat at the time of takeoff and other operational stressors.

Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran addressed the speculation in an interview with Times Now, stating the aircraft had a “clean history.” He noted the right engine was newly installed in March 2025 and the left engine was not due for service until December.