In a heartbreaking aviation disaster, Air India flight AI171 — a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick — crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft was carrying more than 240 people at the time.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik confirmed to the Associated Press that “there appear to be no survivors.”
The aircraft took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM IST and reportedly lost contact shortly after sending out a “MAYDAY” distress call to Air Traffic Control. As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the plane crashed just outside the airport boundary in Meghaninagar, a densely populated locality, sparking a massive fire that could be seen from afar.
Commissioner Malik also stated that locals in the vicinity may have also died due to the crash impact. “Some locals would have also died. Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained,” he said.
Aircraft, Crew & Flight Details
The crashed aircraft, bearing registration VT-ANB, was being flown by Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned pilot with 8,200 flying hours, alongside First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of experience. The DGCA confirmed that there were 242 people onboard – including 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the passengers. Although some early claims were unverified or later deleted (including a now-deleted tweet by MP Parimal Nathwani), his name reportedly appeared on the official passenger manifest.
Expert Reactions
John McDermid, a professor of computer science and safety engineering at the University of York, noted that the accident was “very surprising at first glance.” He said, “It seems like the problem occurred very suddenly in the final part of the takeoff roll, or shortly after takeoff, and was sufficiently serious to be unmanageable.”
He emphasized that modern jets are equipped with multiple safety redundancies, including the ability to continue flying with a single engine, making the incident even more unusual.
Global Reactions and Investigation
The accident has sparked international concern, with multiple foreign nationals onboard, including 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian passenger, along with 169 Indian nationals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Home Minister Amit Shah and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, directing both to reach Ahmedabad and take charge of rescue and relief operations. Air India has activated an emergency response center, while investigations into the crash are being carried out by the DGCA and Boeing.
This tragic incident has also raised serious concerns about the safety of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which, until now, had maintained a clean record with no confirmed fatal crashes since its launch.