The skies over Ahmedabad turned apocalyptic on Thursday, June 12, 2025, as an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London crashed moments after takeoff, killing more than 100 people in one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters. Flight AI-171, carrying 242 passengers and crew, plummeted onto a doctors’ hostel in a residential area near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The Final Moments: A Routine Flight Turns Catastrophic
The sequence of horror unfolded rapidly:
- 1:39 PM IST: The aircraft departed Ahmedabad’s Runway 23 for London’s Gatwick Airport.
- Minutes Later: Air traffic control received a frantic “Mayday” emergency call. Communication then ceased.
- Impact: The plane slammed into the hostel building of B.J. Medical College. Eyewitness videos captured a massive fireball and towering plumes of black smoke engulfing the site.
- Immediate Aftermath: The tail section lodged grotesquely atop the shattered building, with fuselage debris scattered like confetti. Fire consumed the hostel’s dining area – packed with medical students on lunch break.
Grim Toll and Heroic Rescues
- Human Cost: Police confirmed over 100 “badly charred” bodies recovered and transported for autopsy. The toll is expected to rise significantly.
- Passenger Breakdown: The flight carried 217 adults, 11 children, and 2 infants. Nationalities included 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian.
- Ground Victims: Many medical students and staff were killed or injured inside the hostel. One mother, Ramila, recounted her son’s escape: “My son jumped from the second floor… he suffered injuries but is safe.”
- Rescue Race: Senior police reported 70-80% of the crash site cleared within hours, with teams working relentlessly amidst smoldering wreckage. Over 30 ambulances ferried the injured to overwhelmed local hospitals.
The Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s First Fatal Crash
The involved aircraft (Registration VT-ANH) marked a tragic aviation milestone:
- Maiden Flight: 2013, delivered to Air India in 2014.
- Safety Record: This is the first fatal crash involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its 2011 commercial debut, per Aviation Safety Network.
- Early Red Flags: Aviation experts noted disturbing footage showing the landing gear deployed after takeoff – highly abnormal at that flight phase. U.S. safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse observed: “If you didn’t know what was happening, you would think that plane was on approach to a runway.”
Immediate Fallout and Global Response
- Market Shock: Boeing shares plummeted 6.8% in pre-market trading. GE Aerospace (engine manufacturer) dispatched a team to analyze cockpit data.
- Leadership Reactions:
- India: PM Narendra Modi called the tragedy “heartbreaking beyond words,” directing full support for rescue efforts.
- UK: PM Keir Starmer termed emerging images “devastating.” King Charles received updates. The Foreign Office pledged urgent cooperation with Indian authorities.
- Airport & Airline:
- Ahmedabad Airport (operated by Adani Group) suspended operations briefly. Chairman Gautam Adani expressed being “shocked and deeply saddened.”
- Air India (owned by Tata Group since 2022) stated it was “ascertaining details” and caring for the injured.
Historical Echoes and Unanswered Questions
This disaster evokes painful memories of India’s last major crash – the 2020 Air India Express Boeing 737 tabletop runway overshoot in Kozhikode (21 fatalities). Critical investigations are now underway focusing on:
- The Mayday Call: What emergency prompted the final transmission?
- Landing Gear Anomaly: Why was it deployed prematurely?
- Engine/Aircraft Performance: GE Aerospace’s data analysis will be crucial.
- ATC Coordination: Scrutiny of communications and flight path data.
A City and Nation in Mourning
The crash site, located in PM Modi’s home state of Gujarat, became a symbol of unimaginable loss. Relatives like Poonam Patel, awaiting news of a sister-in-law, embodied the human anguish at government hospitals. As night fell over Ahmedabad, the smoldering ruins of the doctors’ hostel stood as a grim testament to over 100 lives abruptly erased – passengers dreaming of London journeys, medical students on lunch break, and crew serving their final flight.
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(This is a developing story. Updates will follow as official investigations progress and more information is released by authorities.)
