- 53 British nationals were aboard the crashed aircraft
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Plane gave ‘mayday’ call and then went silent
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Crash happened less than a minute after take-off
AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI, June 12(Agencies/LP Correspondent) – An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (Flight AI171) bound for London Gatwick crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport today, killing all 242 people on board. The aircraft, carrying 232 passengers and 10 crew members, plummeted outside the airport perimeter at 1:38 PM local time, erupting in a massive fireball that sent thick plumes of smoke over the city.
According to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the 10-year-old aircraft issued a mayday call before losing contact with air traffic control. Gujarat police confirmed the crash occurred “within 10 minutes” of departure. Eyewitness videos showed the plane struggling at low altitude before impact.
Air India Chair N. Chandrasekaran (of parent company Tata Group) expressed “profound sorrow,” while Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naiku Kinjarapu pledged “swift and coordinated action” by emergency teams. At least two dozen ambulances responded to the site, though no survivors were reported.
The pilots – Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 flight hours) and First Officer Clive Kundar (1,100 hours) – were among the victims. Ahmedabad Airport remains closed indefinitely.
