Videos show the plane flying at a low altitude with its landing gear deployed and its nose pitched upward before turning into a fireball upon impact.
Published Jun 12, 2025 | 4:07 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 12, 2025 | 8:15 PM
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, had 242 passengers and 10 crew members on board.
Synopsis: The Air India flight bound for London, which crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, reached a a maximum altitude of 625 feet before descending rapidly, according to Flightradar24 data. The plane reportedly crashed into a hostel mess, injuring unconfirmed number of UG students.
Air India flight AI171, which crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, 12 June, climbed to a barometric altitude of just 625 feet before beginning a rapid descent, according to data from flight tracking site Flightradar24.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, had 242 passengers and 10 crew members on board. It crashed just 10 minutes after take-off into a residential area, culminating in a fiery impact near the airport’s perimeter.
“Initial ADS-B data from flight #AI171 shows that the aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet) and then it started to descend with a vertical speed of -475 feet per minute,” Flightradar24 stated on its official X account.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation of casualty figures or fatalities. Rescue efforts are ongoing. However, the passenger manifest includes former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, listed as passenger number 12.
Unconfirmed video footage circulating on X appears to capture the final moments of the aircraft. The videos show the plane flying at a low altitude with its landing gear deployed and its nose pitched upward before turning into a fireball upon impact.
The aircraft, for reasons still unknown, failed to gain altitude as expected after take-off.
Jayesh Khadia, a fire officer at the site, told Business Insider, “The plane caught fire after crashing, and fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze.”
Furthermore, the aircraft is believed to have crashed near a doctors’ hostel in the Meghani Nagar area, identified as BJMC UG hostel mess. Multiple students are reportedly injured and have been admitted to Civil Hospital Ahmedabad. However, there has been no official confirmation regarding casualties, including deaths or missing students.
A senior police officer at the site told ANI, “Preliminary, we came to know that an Air India flight bound to London has crashed at the doctors’ hostel. Within 2-3 minutes, police and other agencies reached the spot. Almost 70–80 percent of the area has been cleaned. All agencies are working here.”
Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Gandhinagar and three more from Vadodara, comprising around 90 personnel, were dispatched to aid in rescue and containment operations.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours.
Shortly after departure, the aircraft issued a MAYDAY call, but thereafter, Air Traffic Control reportedly received no further response.
“Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the DGCA said in a statement to ANI.
Air India Chairperson Natarajan Chandrasekaran called the crash a “tragic accident,” extending condolences to the families and loved ones of those affected.
Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu described the crash as “shocking and devastating” and said that all relevant agencies had been mobilised for a coordinated emergency response.
“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” he said.
Multiple Indian Army columns from the Golden Katar Division have been activated and deployed to the site to assist civil authorities in humanitarian and disaster relief operations.
“Indian Army relief columns from Golden Katar Division were activated and rushed to the Ahmedabad plane crash site to assist in humanitarian and disaster relief operations,” the Additional Directorate General of Public Information said in a statement.
“The Indian Army remains committed to providing comprehensive support in this hour of grief.”
Meanwhile, Air India has arranged special relief flights for the next of kin of passengers and crew members. Two flights each from Delhi and Mumbai are being operated to facilitate the travel of affected families to Ahmedabad:
Family members wishing to travel on these flights may contact Air India’s domestic hotline at 1800 5691 444, or, if arriving from international locations, use the alternate hotline at +91 8062779200.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
