On June 12, 2025, India was gripped by one of the most horrifying air disasters in its modern aviation history. Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London via Mumbai, crashed just moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing all 242 people on board and causing multiple fatalities and injuries on the ground. The aircraft crashed into a residential complex near B.J. Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad, reducing a student hostel and surrounding buildings to ruins.
The flight, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, took off at 1:39 PM IST under clear weather conditions. According to flight data and communications between the cockpit and air traffic control, the aircraft had barely ascended to 600 feet when it issued a distress signal. “Mayday, Mayday,” was heard on ATC frequencies as the pilots reported technical failure, believed to be in the engines or electrical systems.
Seconds later, radar contact was lost. Surveillance cameras and eyewitnesses confirmed that the aircraft, trailing dark smoke, banked steeply before plunging nose-first into the densely populated neighborhood adjacent to the airport boundary. The crash caused a massive explosion that could be heard across the city and ignited a large fire that engulfed the crash site.
A Scene of Horror in Ahmedabad
The impact site was a doctors’ hostel affiliated with B.J. Medical College. According to officials, over 30 medical students were in the building’s dining area at the time of impact. Rescue workers described scenes of chaos, with burning wreckage, collapsed walls, and cries for help. The wreckage crushed parts of the building and scattered debris across a 300-meter radius.
Initial rescue operations were hampered by heavy fire and falling debris. Firefighters, paramedics, and local police were the first on the scene, quickly followed by six NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) teams and two units of the Border Security Force. Emergency services evacuated the injured from the crash zone, but many succumbed to their injuries en route to hospitals. By the evening, over 100 bodies had been recovered. The Gujarat government later confirmed that no one on board had survived and that at least 14 people on the ground had been killed, including several medical interns.
Residents from nearby buildings described watching in horror as the plane descended at an unusually low altitude. One eyewitness, Imran Sheikh, who was near the crash site, said, “It was flying like it was going to land in our lane. The plane was on fire. There was a loud boom and the whole area shook.” Multiple residents managed to capture videos showing the aircraft flying low with landing gear still extended—suggesting a failed climb.
Victims and National Grief
Among the 230 passengers, 169 were Indian citizens, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Air India later confirmed that several prominent individuals were on board, including a former Gujarat minister and several expatriates returning to London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian officials expressed condolences and offered consular support to families affected.
In the hours following the crash, family members gathered at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital and at help desks set up at the airport, desperately seeking information. Air India, in coordination with Tata Group (its parent company), deployed an emergency response team to assist relatives. Many were seen holding up photos and praying as rescue workers continued to recover remains.
At the national level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow, stating, “The nation mourns this tragic loss. We stand with the families in this hour of grief and will do everything to support them.” The Gujarat government announced compensation of ₹25 lakh for each victim’s family and ₹5 lakh for the injured.
A Shocking Blow to Air Safety
This tragedy is the deadliest aviation accident in India in nearly three decades, after the Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision in 1996. It is also the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner globally, a model widely regarded as one of the safest and most advanced long-haul aircraft.
The aircraft in question, bearing registration VT-ANB, was delivered to Air India in 2014 and had been in service for 11 years. It was last inspected in May 2025 and was deemed airworthy. It had a clean service record, with no major incidents previously reported.
Boeing issued a statement expressing deep regret and pledged full support to the investigation. “We are working closely with Indian authorities and Air India to understand what happened,” the statement read. Shares of Boeing dropped over 6% in after-hours trading, reflecting investor concern.
Investigation Underway
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), along with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), has launched a full inquiry. Boeing and engine manufacturer General Electric have also dispatched technical teams to India. The crash site has been cordoned off, and the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR)—commonly referred to as the black boxes—were recovered 18 hours after the crash and sent to Delhi for analysis.
Preliminary evidence suggests a dual engine malfunction, though this remains speculative. Investigators are looking into multiple potential causes, including fuel contamination, electrical failure, bird strike, or mechanical fatigue. The fact that the landing gear remained deployed during the flight and that the aircraft failed to gain altitude suggests a severe systems failure or pilot decision to attempt an emergency return.
Aviation experts are particularly concerned about the possibility of simultaneous failure of both engines—an extremely rare event in modern aviation. Black box data is expected to shed light on what transpired during the aircraft’s final moments.
Ground-Level Fallout
The crash not only killed everyone onboard but also caused severe devastation in the neighborhood it struck. The doctors’ hostel where the aircraft crashed was reduced to rubble, and adjacent buildings were severely damaged. Over 30 people suffered serious burns and trauma injuries, many of whom were studying medicine and residing in the hostel.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the state’s urban development team have launched an audit of buildings in high-risk zones near the airport perimeter. Hospitals across the city have opened emergency beds, and forensic teams have been working round the clock to identify remains through DNA and dental records.
There has been criticism of the airport’s surrounding infrastructure and whether the proximity of high-density buildings to the runway increased the scale of the disaster. Local residents have called for stricter air corridor monitoring and relocation of sensitive institutions from danger zones.
International Repercussions
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the global aviation industry. With over 1,000 Boeing 787s currently in operation worldwide, regulators are under pressure to review emergency protocols and investigate whether a systemic flaw contributed to the crash. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are closely monitoring the DGCA’s findings and have not ruled out their own investigations.
Several airlines—including British Airways, Air France, and Qatar Airways—have initiated internal inspections of their Dreamliner fleets as a precaution. Indian carriers operating the 787 have also grounded some aircraft pending detailed assessments.
In the political arena, opposition leaders have demanded a parliamentary review of Air India’s maintenance practices, especially after its privatization under the Tata Group. There are also calls for more transparency in the auditing process of aging aircraft fleets.
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Last Updated on: Sunday, June 15, 2025 1:08 pm by Ventrapati Mahitha | Published by: Ventrapati Mahitha on Thursday, June 12, 2025 6:51 pm | News Categories: News
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