On October 24, 1965, Air India Flight 171 tragically crashed near Mont Blanc, France, killing all 48 people on board. The flight, a Boeing 707 named Kanchenjunga, was en route from Bombay (now Mumbai) to London with stopovers in Beirut and Geneva — but what should have been a routine leg turned into one of aviation’s eeriest unsolved disasters.

The Final Moments

As the aircraft approached Geneva for landing, air traffic control instructed the pilot to begin descent. The plane, however, veered off course — directly into the Mont Blanc massif.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a strange sound, almost like a “dull thud” or “metallic crack,” moments before the aircraft disappeared from radar.

Investigators Uncover Disturbing Clues

Initial investigations pointed to navigational miscommunication. The pilots were reportedly given outdated weather and route information, and some theorized that altimeter settings may have been incorrect, causing the crew to believe they were flying higher than they actually were.

But the mystery deepened with two chilling details:

The Sound: Several local residents in the area reported hearing a strange noise — not the typical roar of a jet engine or an explosion, but something unfamiliar and mechanical, just before impact.
The Coincidence: In an almost unbelievable twist, another Air India flight had crashed into Mont Blanc at almost the exact same location 16 years earlier in 1950, killing all 48 passengers — including Homi J. Bhabha, India’s top nuclear scientist. The eerie similarities between both crashes still spark conspiracy theories.

 Conspiracy Theories and Unanswered Questions

Some suggest Flight 171 was sabotaged, possibly to interfere with Indian scientific advancements or political matters. The sudden loss of radio contact, the bizarre sound, and the eerie location have fueled decades of speculation. Others point to a possible mid-air mechanical failure or instrument malfunction, though no definitive cause has ever been proven.

The Legacy

To this day, the crash of Air India Flight 171 remains one of aviation’s great unsolved tragedies. The combination of human error, outdated technology, and mysterious final moments continues to haunt both families of the victims and aviation historians.

Was it a tragic accident — or something more? The strange sound before impact may never be fully explained, but its echo still lingers over the snowy peaks of Mont Blanc.