India, June 12 -- Flight tracking platform FlightRadar has revealed that the last signal from Air India flight AI171 was received seconds after takeoff and it gained an altitude of 625 feet before it crashed on Thursday. Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising into the Ahmedabad skyline seconds after the crash.

"Initial ADS-B data from flight #AI171 shows that the aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet) and then it started to descend with a vertical speed of -475 feet per minute," FlightRadar said.

The flight tracking platform added that the last signal was received around 1.38pm, just moment before it took off.

The aircraft had 242 passengers onboard and went down near the Meghani...