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In one of the worst aviation disasters, London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner AI-171 crashed within seconds of taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad Thursday afternoon, exploding into a fireball, sending shockwaves around the world. The aircraft, bearing registration VT-ANB, had 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew members. More than 200 may have been killed in the crash.
Confirming the crash, Air India, owned by the Tata group, said 169 passengers were Indian nationals, 53 British, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese. Till the time of going to press, there were reports of one miracle survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40. Ramesh, a British national on seat 11A of the flight, escaped with some injuries. Seated right behind him was former chief minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, who died in the crash.
The cause of the crash, the first major one involving a 787 Dreamliner, is not known yet. Headed to London’s Gatwick airport, the aircraft crashed into the hostel of the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad soon after a Mayday call — the highest level of distress signal from a flight.
Reports indicated at least five medical students died and over 40 suffered injuries in the deadly crash which caused collateral damage, both in air and on ground.
While there was no confirmation on the extent of casualties till Thursday night, the authorities indicated the chance of many survivors was slim. While emergency teams, including from the army, were deployed at the accident site, a high-level team from the US to assist India was on its way.
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“The aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1.39 pm from Runway 23... It gave a Mayday call to ATC (air traffic controller), but thereafter no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC,” said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Moments later, the plane crashed outside the airport perimeter, in Meghaninagar area of the city, and “heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the DGCA said.
The flight was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain (LTC) with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours. The DGCA confirmed that “the aircraft fell on ground immediately after departure” and that a detailed investigation had been initiated.
Manufactured in Seattle, the aircraft was 11.5 years old and configured with 18 business-class and 238 economy-class seats. At the time of the incident, it had logged over 41,000 flight hours and nearly 8,000 takeoffs and landings, including around 700 flight cycles in the past year, it is learnt.
In the absence of an official cause, experts hinted at various possible reasons of a crash at takeoff, including possible bird hit, engine failure and faulty takeoff configuration. A former official compared this crash with another in Aurangabad way back in 1993, when a Boeing 737 Indian Airlines aircraft had collided with a truck while taking off. That had left 56 dead and one of the aircraft’s engines and flight controls damaged.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment on Thursday. Air India said it had activated a dedicated passenger helpline (1800 5691 444) to assist families and provide updates. The airline, while organising relief flights, noted that it was fully cooperating with the authorities in investigating the incident.
The Ahmedabad airport had suspended flight operations for a few hours following the crash. Services resumed around 4:05 pm.
This is the first major crash involving Air India since its privatisation and takeover by the Tata group in January 2022.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”
Home Minister Amit Shah, who is a member of Parliament from Gandhinagar (close to Ahmedabad), rushed to the accident site on Thursday evening.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who visited the crash site, assured people of swift action. “We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” he said.
The Air India crash comes just weeks after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Delhi, where over 1,700 global aviation stakeholders gathered, and the event highlighted India’s emergence as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets. IATA has more than 300 airlines as its members.
Calling it a “difficult day for all of us at Air India”, the airline’s chief executive & managing director, Campbell Wilson, said the company’s full attention was on supporting the passengers, crew, and their families. “I know that there are many questions, and at this stage, I will not be able to answer all of them,” he said in a video message.
Expressing sorrow, Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran announced ₹1 crore would be paid to the families of each person who had lost life in this tragedy. “We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support. Additionally, we will provide support in the building up of the BJ Medical College’s hostel,” he said.
Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, described the incident as “heart-wrenching” and expressed solidarity with those mourning the loss of their loved ones.
Cirium, a global aviation analytics firm, said the Boeing 787-8 aircraft involved in the Air India tragedy first flew on December 14, 2013, and was delivered to the airline on January 28, 2014. While noting that the aircraft had done 700 flight cycles in the past year, Cirium said it was an average for an aircraft of its type and age.
According to Cirium, there are 1,148 Boeing 787 variants currently in service worldwide, with an average age of 7.5 years. Air India had 34 of these aircraft in active service, including the one involved in the crash, and held orders for 20 more with options for an additional 24. In total, the airline operates a fleet of 190 aircraft, with an average age of 8.4 years.
In a statement on X, US-based planemaker Boeing said: “We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.”
Before this, India had seen two deadly accidents since 2010, both involving Air India Express, the low-cost airline subsidiary of Air India.
On August 7, 2020, an Air India Express flight from Dubai overshot the tabletop runway at Kozhikode International Airport amid heavy rainfall. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, broke apart after falling into a 35-foot gorge. A total of 21 people, including both pilots, lost their lives and over 100 were injured. The official investigation blamed an unstable landing approach and pilot error for the tragedy.
Earlier, on May 22, 2010, Air India Express flight IX812 from Dubai had crashed at Mangalore International Airport in similar circumstances. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft had landed too far down the runway and had been unable to stop before plunging into a deep valley and catching fire. Of the 166 people on board, 158 had died. Investigators had concluded that the captain, who had reportedly been asleep during much of the flight, had ignored multiple warnings from the co-pilot about the unstable approach. This accident had led to major reforms in crew duty regulations and training standards.
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