A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday, killing all 242 passengers and crew along with 23 people on the ground.
Flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, reached just 625 feet before plummeting into a medical college hostel four miles from the runway. The cockpit voice recorder captured pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s final mayday call reporting loss of thrust and power before the aircraft nosedived.
Indian aviation authorities have launched a multinational investigation with assistance from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Preliminary reports suggest possible engine failure, though officials stress the inquiry remains ongoing. The crash marks the first fatal accident involving Boeing’s 787 aircraft since its introduction in 2011. Air India’s parent company Tata Group has pledged full support to victims’ families while emergency crews continue recovery operations at the densely populated crash site.
The disaster represents India’s deadliest aviation accident in over a decade and has prompted renewed scrutiny of the country’s rapidly expanding air transport infrastructure. Aviation experts note the 787 Dreamliner’s previously unblemished safety record, with no hull losses in commercial service prior to Thursday’s tragedy.
