Tragedy in the Skies: Air India Flight AI 171 Crash Claims 269 Lives, Sparks Global Mourning and Investigation.
In what is now considered one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Indian history, Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025, en route to London Gatwick. The accident has resulted in the deaths of 241 people on board and at least 28 on the ground, marking a somber moment in both national and global aviation history.
Flight AI 171 took off at 13:38 IST. Within 30 to 60 seconds, it had reached approximately 625 feet in altitude when a mayday call was issued by the cockpit crew. Witnesses and flight tracking data confirm that the aircraft then entered a sharp descent, eventually crashing into a student hostel at B.J. Medical College, located approximately 1.5 kilometers from the runway.
The aircraft, identified by registration VT-ANB, was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The force of the impact, combined with subsequent fires and structural collapse of the hostel building, led to the catastrophic death toll.
Amidst the wreckage, a single survivor emerged: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian national seated in 11A. Vishwash, though severely injured with burns and fractures, managed to escape through a broken emergency exit, describing his harrowing experience as one of "walking through a corridor of death". He recounted crawling past burning debris and unconscious passengers, saying: "I stood up and ran... I don't know how, but I ran."
His brother, Ajay Ramesh, also aboard the flight, did not survive. Vishwash remains in a critical care unit, and his survival has been termed “miraculous” by medical personnel.
Emergency teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian military units, and local police, were deployed within minutes. Despite the rapid response, the scale of destruction left little chance for rescue. Fire crews battled blazes in both the wreckage and the hostel, while paramedics tended to survivors among the hostel residents.
The black box and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) have been recovered and are under examination by a joint investigative team comprising officials from the DGCA, AAIB, Boeing, and international agencies like the FAA and NTSB. Preliminary theories suggest potential flap or landing gear misconfiguration possibly exacerbated by extremely high ambient temperatures, which can affect takeoff performance.
This marks the first fatal hull loss involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model often praised for its advanced safety features. The aircraft involved had been delivered in late 2013, powered by GE engines, and had a routine maintenance record, according to Air India sources. Contrary to circulating rumors, Turkish Technic, which services some Air India aircraft, was not responsible for maintenance of this particular Dreamliner.
In the aftermath of the crash, social media platforms were flooded with graphic videos and images purporting to show the crash in real-time. However, most of these were false:
A widely shared video inside a crashing cabin was traced to the 2023 Yeti Airlines crash in Nepal, not the Ahmedabad crash.
Images of wreckage attributed to this crash were found to be from previous accidents, including Kozhikode (2020) and Mangalore (2010).
Claims linking the crash to poor maintenance by Turkish Technic were factually incorrect.
Fact-checking organizations like India Today, Snopes, PTI Fact Check, BOOM, and Factly have debunked these materials, urging the public to refrain from sharing unverified content and to rely on official reports and credible media sources.
The Indian government has declared a national day of mourning, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating: “This is a moment of profound national grief. We stand with the families who have lost their loved ones, and we commit to finding answers.” Vigils have been held across major cities, including London, where many passengers were based.
This disaster has reignited debates about airport infrastructure, pilot training, and the effects of climate conditions on aviation safety. Boeing has pledged full cooperation with investigators, while the Ministry of Civil Aviation has promised a comprehensive safety audit across all domestic and international flights.
As the investigation unfolds, the world looks to authorities for answers, accountability, and most importantly, justice for the 269 souls lost in one of the darkest moments in Indian aviation history.
Flight AI 171 took off at 13:38 IST. Within 30 to 60 seconds, it had reached approximately 625 feet in altitude when a mayday call was issued by the cockpit crew. Witnesses and flight tracking data confirm that the aircraft then entered a sharp descent, eventually crashing into a student hostel at B.J. Medical College, located approximately 1.5 kilometers from the runway.
The aircraft, identified by registration VT-ANB, was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The force of the impact, combined with subsequent fires and structural collapse of the hostel building, led to the catastrophic death toll.
Amidst the wreckage, a single survivor emerged: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian national seated in 11A. Vishwash, though severely injured with burns and fractures, managed to escape through a broken emergency exit, describing his harrowing experience as one of "walking through a corridor of death". He recounted crawling past burning debris and unconscious passengers, saying: "I stood up and ran... I don't know how, but I ran."
His brother, Ajay Ramesh, also aboard the flight, did not survive. Vishwash remains in a critical care unit, and his survival has been termed “miraculous” by medical personnel.
Emergency teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian military units, and local police, were deployed within minutes. Despite the rapid response, the scale of destruction left little chance for rescue. Fire crews battled blazes in both the wreckage and the hostel, while paramedics tended to survivors among the hostel residents.
The black box and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) have been recovered and are under examination by a joint investigative team comprising officials from the DGCA, AAIB, Boeing, and international agencies like the FAA and NTSB. Preliminary theories suggest potential flap or landing gear misconfiguration possibly exacerbated by extremely high ambient temperatures, which can affect takeoff performance.
This marks the first fatal hull loss involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model often praised for its advanced safety features. The aircraft involved had been delivered in late 2013, powered by GE engines, and had a routine maintenance record, according to Air India sources. Contrary to circulating rumors, Turkish Technic, which services some Air India aircraft, was not responsible for maintenance of this particular Dreamliner.
In the aftermath of the crash, social media platforms were flooded with graphic videos and images purporting to show the crash in real-time. However, most of these were false:
A widely shared video inside a crashing cabin was traced to the 2023 Yeti Airlines crash in Nepal, not the Ahmedabad crash.
Images of wreckage attributed to this crash were found to be from previous accidents, including Kozhikode (2020) and Mangalore (2010).
Claims linking the crash to poor maintenance by Turkish Technic were factually incorrect.
Fact-checking organizations like India Today, Snopes, PTI Fact Check, BOOM, and Factly have debunked these materials, urging the public to refrain from sharing unverified content and to rely on official reports and credible media sources.
The Indian government has declared a national day of mourning, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating: “This is a moment of profound national grief. We stand with the families who have lost their loved ones, and we commit to finding answers.” Vigils have been held across major cities, including London, where many passengers were based.
This disaster has reignited debates about airport infrastructure, pilot training, and the effects of climate conditions on aviation safety. Boeing has pledged full cooperation with investigators, while the Ministry of Civil Aviation has promised a comprehensive safety audit across all domestic and international flights.
As the investigation unfolds, the world looks to authorities for answers, accountability, and most importantly, justice for the 269 souls lost in one of the darkest moments in Indian aviation history.
