The departure on Thursday afternoon turned into a disaster when an Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, for London Gatwick, crashed moments after take off from Ahmedabad. What followed became India’s most deadly single-aircraft crash in years.
Sequence of Disasters
Take off time & altitude: the flight departed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 p.m. IST, climbed to approximately 650 ft., lost control, and crashed on the B J Medical College & Civil Hospital campus in Meghani Nagar.
126,387,394,394,000 miles on board: there were 242 people on board the flight – 230 passengers + 12 crew.
All but one aboard the flight were killed, including:
- 169 Indian citizens
- 53 British
- 7 Portuguese
- 1 Canadian
The lone survivor was 40-year-old British-Indian Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was seated in emergency-exit row 11A. He exited the wreckage with non-life-threatening injuries.
Ground fatalities: at least 28 people on campus were killed in buildings hit by the aircraft, which included a cafeteria, doctors’ dormitory, and dining hall. Approximately 60 more people were injured.
Confirmed total dead: 269 people (241 aboard the flight + 28 ground deaths).
Vijay Rupani, former Chief Minister of Gujarat (2016-21) was on the flight and confirmed among the dead.
At least five and perhaps more Mbbs students, a PG resident doctor, and a pregnant doctor’s wife died when the flight crashed into their hostel during lunch hours.
A fourth resident doctor is presumed missing in the rubble. Over 60 injured patients, most with burns and fractures, were transported to local hospitals.
Rescue Operations
Within minutes, an impressive coalescence of emergency services: NDRF, IAF, BSF, NSG, more than 50 ambulances and more than 65 fire tenders, were on the move to extinguish flames, clear wreckage, and rescue those still entombed. The Indian Army was also utilized, to assist in medical search and evacuation.
A passenger, Vishwash Ramesh, recalled seeing “a loud bang about 30 seconds after taking off,” seeing flame and debris all around him. He eventually got his bearings and walked away from the wreckage. He is now under treatment at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. His brother, Ajay Ramesh, unfortunately, did not make it.
The pilots declared a distress “Mayday” transmission but quickly lost contact afterward. On preliminary flight tracking, the flight appears to have exhibited abnormal flight performance: stalling at low altitude when the landing gear may have still been deployed and the flaps have not been retracted.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken over the investigation, with the support of international teams from Boeing, GE Aerospace, and NTSB (US), along with British aviation specialists. The aircraft’s black boxes have been recovered from the black boxes and were sent to their lab for the deep data analysis process.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “Heartbreaking beyond words,” pledged that the government will assist in every possible way.
UK PM Keir Starmer, King Charles III, and others expressed their deep condolences and solidarity.
Boeing is being fully cooperative while its share price fell ~7% in early US markets.
Aviation safety: this is the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner has ever been involved in a fatal accident, which raises questions about the reliability of systems and maintenance standards.
Public confidence in aviation: tragedy like this, with approximately 270 dead, could undermine public confidence in global travel, particularly for new-generation jets.
How Ahmedabad will cope: the city’s emergency and medical response capacity has been severely tested, and DNA tests for body identification are ongoing due to the severity of burns suffered.
Regulatory oversight: while the investigation will be undertaken internationally; it could provide impetus for updates in certification and operational safety practices for aircraft worldwide.
The residual effects of the Ahmedabad incident further highlight the fragile nature of air safety; even with modern aircraft capabilities. While investigations take place, families of those lost grieve, and communities remember the lives lost; from the politicians – like Vijay Rupani, to unsuspecting students who were simply enjoying their lunch. The aviation world can only wait for the culmination of each phase of the investigation and hope to learn what caused the unthinkable and how it can be prevented in the future.
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