Air India Pilot's Last Words To Air Traffic Control Are A Chilling Prelude To Tragedy

The captain was reportedly a few months from retirement.

The pilot of the London-bound Air India jet that crashed Thursday put out an urgent call as the Boeing 787-8 quickly lost altitude on takeoff.

“Mayday ... no thrust, losing power, unable to lift,” Sumeet Sabharwal told traffic control less than a minute into the flight, per reports.

The plane slammed into a medical building in Ahmedabad, killing all but one of its 242 passengers. At least 24 people died on the ground, according to Reuters.

Sabharwal, 60, was just a few months away from retirement, his neighbors told the Indian Express. He had planned to take care of his 90-year-old father.

He had a sister in Delhi whose sons are also commercial pilots, according to the outlet.