Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of 241 people. One passenger survived.
The flight was en route to London Gatwick with 242 individuals on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
The aircraft crashed approximately 30 seconds after takeoff, descending from an altitude of around 625 feet before striking a hostel building in the B.J. Medical College campus located in the Meghani Nagar area.
Authorities confirmed that 28 people on the ground were also killed. Around 60 others were injured, including medical students and staff.
The sole survivor of the crash is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British-Indian national who was seated in the emergency exit row. He sustained injuries to his chest, face, eyes, and feet, and is currently receiving treatment at Civil Hospital, Asarwa.
Flight tracking data indicated the aircraft climbed before entering a steep descent. Preliminary reports noted the plane’s landing gear was extended and the flaps were in an abnormal position during takeoff.
The passenger manifest included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian. Emergency response units from the fire department, police, military, and disaster relief agencies were deployed to the site.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the investigation. The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), Boeing, and GE Aerospace are also assisting. Both flight recorders have been recovered.
This is the deadliest single-aircraft accident in India and the first fatal crash involving the Boeing 787 since its introduction in 2011.
