AI flight with 242 on board crashes in Ahmedabad

Home » AI flight with 242 on board crashes in Ahmedabad

An Air India London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (Flight AI 171) crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad.
Crash site: Into a medical college hostel in Meghani Nagar, 5 km from the airport.
Time of crash: Within 40 seconds of take-off at 1:38 p.m., as captured on CISF CCTV footage.
Fatalities: All 242 on board (230 passengers + 12 crew) feared dead; 1 survivor identified — British national Viswashkumar Ramesh.
Ground casualties: At least 24 people killed at the crash site (students and residents), per local police.

Relevance : GS 3(Disaster Management )

Pilots issued a ‘Mayday’ alert immediately after take-off — indicating a life-threatening emergency.
No further communication was received from the cockpit post-Mayday, suggesting a rapid systems failure or incapacitation.

169 Indians, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian among the passengers.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was confirmed among the deceased.

Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, known for its advanced safety systems.
This is the first-ever crash involving a 787 Dreamliner variant, raising serious concerns for Boeing.

Authorities are searching for the black box (Flight Data Recorder & Cockpit Voice Recorder) to determine the cause.
Potential cause: Still under investigation, with fuel explosion (1.25 lakh litres) contributing to the inability to rescue.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the survivor and assured a detailed inquiry.
Air India & Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran announced:
- ₹1 crore compensation to each victim’s family.
- Relief flights from Delhi & Mumbai for kin of victims.

Raises aviation safety concerns in India and globally regarding the Dreamliner fleet.
May lead to grounding and technical review of Boeing 787s in India and abroad.
Highlights the need for improved emergency response protocols and urban planning near airports.