Air India Flight 171 Crashes After Takeoff at Ahmedabad Airport

‍AHMEDABAD — On June 12, 2025, Air India (AI) Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD) in Ahmedabad.

The London-bound aircraft carrying 242 people went down in the densely populated Meghaninagar area, marking one of India's most devastating aviation accidents in recent history and the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Flight Details, Timeline

Aircraft, Route Information

Air India Flight AI171 was operating a scheduled international service from AMD to London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registered as VT-ANB, serial number 36279, which was 15 years old and had been delivered to the Indian flag carrier at the start of 2014. 

The aircraft had operated a domestic flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad earlier that morning, before departing on the fatal international flight.

Departure, Crash Sequence

The flight departed from Runway 23 at AMD at 1:39 PM IST (13:39 local time). According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft issued a MAYDAY distress call to Air Traffic Control shortly after takeoff. 

We do not know the content of the MAYDAY communication, and the signal was lost before the crash, with no further communication was received from the crew.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of only 625 feet before losing signal at 1:38 PM local time.

Looking at the initial videos of the crash, the angle of attack of the Dreamliner does not look  proper; the aircraft sink with its nose not angled up.

Passengers, Crew

Onboard Composition

The aircraft was carrying a total of 242 souls, consisting of 230 passengers and 12 crew members (2 pilots and 10 cabin crew). 

The passenger manifest included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian national. Among the notable passengers was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was traveling in business class.

Flight Crew

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, commanded the flight. The First Officer was Clive Kundar, who had accumulated 1,100 hours of flying experience.

Crash Site, Impact

Location, Damage

The aircraft crashed into the Meghaninagar area, specifically hitting the residential quarters and mess hall of BJ Medical College's doctors' hostel. 

The crash occurred outside the airport perimeter in a densely populated civilian area. Eyewitnesses reported hearing multiple loud explosions followed by massive plumes of black smoke rising from the crash site.

Impact on Medical College

The plane's impact on the BJ Medical College hostel resulted in significant casualties among medical students who were having lunch in the mess hall at the time of the crash. 

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) confirmed that multiple MBBS students were injured and admitted to the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. 

Reports indicate that approximately 20-30 people from the hostel were injured in the incident.

Emergency Response, Casualties

Immediate Response

Emergency services responded rapidly to the crash site, with at least seven fire engines and multiple ambulances dispatched to the scene. The Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services Department deployed more than five firefighting vehicles from various divisions across the city.

Three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 90 personnel were immediately deployed from Gandhinagar, with three additional teams dispatched from Vadodara.

Casualty Reports

While official casualty figures remain unconfirmed, rescue workers have recovered at least 30 bodies from the crash site at the time of writing, with reports indicating that more people remain trapped under the debris. 

The heavy fuel load carried by the aircraft for its long-haul journey to London intensified the post-crash fire, significantly complicating rescue operations.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Historic First for the Boeing 787

This crash represents the first fatal hull-loss accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft type entered service in 2011. 

While over 1,100 Boeing 787s have been delivered globally and the aircraft has maintained an exemplary safety record, Flight AI171 marks the first time the Dreamliner has been involved in a crash resulting in both aircraft destruction and fatalities.

This Boeing 787-8 was delivered to the airline after being ferried from Paine Field (PAE) to Delhi (DEL) at the end of January 2014, and entered commercial service on February 8, 2014.

In May 2019, the aircraft was adorned with a special "150 Years of Celebrating the Mahatma" sticker to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

Later that year, on November 17, 2019, the aircraft was placed into storage in Mumbai (BOM), where it remained until June 9, 2020. It returned to active service on June 14, 2020.

VT-ANB Factsheet, Air India Dreamliner Fleet

Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, is following developments related to the AI tragedy today and has shared the following information:  

• VT-ANB began being built on the final assembly line on August 9, 2010 in Seattle and rolled out of the factory floor on November 26, 2010.
• The aircraft's first flight was December 14, 2013. It was delivered to AI on January 28, 2014.
• The aircraft had 18 business class seats and 238 economy class seats.
• It had more than 41,000 hours of flying time, and almost 8,000 takeoffs and landings, including some 700 cycles in the past 12 months. This is average for that aircraft build year/period.
• There are 1,148 Boeing 787 variants in service globally, with an average age of 7.5 years old.
• Air India had 34 of the Boeing 787 in service at the time of the incident, including this aircraft.
• The airline has an additional 20 787 on order and letter of intent for options an additional 24 aircraft.
• In total, AI has 190 aircraft, with an average age of 8.4 years old.

Market Impact

The crash had immediate repercussions on Boeing's stock price, with shares falling over 8% in premarket trading following news of the accident. 

The incident has reignited scrutiny of Boeing's safety record and drawn comparisons to previous controversies surrounding the company's aircraft.

However, it is too early to determine the causes of the crash for an aircraft type with such a pristine safety record.

Official Response, Investigation

Government Action

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his shock and sadness over the tragedy, stating that the incident had "stunned and saddened" the nation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah immediately traveled to Ahmedabad to assess the situation and coordinate rescue efforts.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel directed officials to conduct rescue operations on a "war footing" and established green corridors for rapid transport of injured victims to hospitals.

Investigation Status

The DGCA has dispatched a technical investigation team from Delhi to conduct a comprehensive probe into the crash. 

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the official investigation, which will examine flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and physical evidence from the crash site. 

Boeing has confirmed it is working to gather more information about the accident.

Airport Operations, support Services

Following the crash, all flight operations at AMD were immediately suspended. The airport, operated by the Adani Group, issued a statement advising passengers to check with their respective airlines before proceeding to the airport.

Indian Railways also announced plans to deploy Vande Bharat trains to help transport stranded passengers to major cities.

Meanwhile, AI has established a dedicated passenger hotline (1800 5691 444) to provide information and assistance to families of those affected by the crash. The airline's chairman, N. Chandrasekaran, expressed "profound sorrow" over the incident and assured full support for affected families and emergency response teams. 

Additionally, emergency support centers have been activated at the airport to assist families seeking information about their loved ones.

Only the investigation's findings will determine the cause of this unprecedented accident involving one of the world's most advanced passenger aircraft.

Update

The New Indian Express reports that "Police have said one survivor has been found following... The survivor had minor injuries and was able to walk away unaided from the site of the crash." The British national was in seat 11A. On certain aircraft, seat 11A may lack a proper window.