Air India Plane Crash in Ahmedabad: 200+ Dead, One Survivor, Tata Group’s Response & Full Timeline

 🛑 Introduction: Air India Plane Crash in Ahmedabad – Key Highlights

• 🗓️ Date of Incident: June 12, 2025

• ✈️ Flight Details: Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner

• 📍 Route: Departed from Ahmedabad, bound for London Gatwick

• 💥 Crash Location: Crashed shortly after takeoff in Meghani Nagar, near B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad

• 🔥 Fatalities: Over 200 people killed, including passengers and people on the ground. Including Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani garu.

• 🙏 Only One Survivor: A British national seated in 11A miraculously survived

• 🏥 Ground Impact: Crash damaged a medical hostel, killing several students on the ground

• 🚨 Emergency Response: Rapid response from NDRF, police, fire brigade, and airport authorities

• 🧬 Identification Efforts: DNA testing underway for victim identification

• 🗣️ Global Condolences: Indian PM, UK PM, King Charles, and others issued heartfelt statements

• 💰 Tata Group’s Response: 1cr Compensation and support measures promised to families

• 🔍 Investigation Ongoing: Joint inquiry by Air India, DGCA, Boeing, and international agencies

• 🕊️ Nation in Mourning: India is grappling with its worst aviation disaster in years

✈️ Flight Overview: What Was Air India Flight AI171?

• 🛫 Flight Name & Number: Air India Flight AI171

• 🏢 Operated By: Air India (owned by the Tata Group)

• ✈️ Aircraft Model: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

• 🧭 Scheduled Route: Ahmedabad (India) ➝ London Gatwick (UK)

• ⏰ Departure Time: Around 5:45 AM IST on June 12, 2025

• 👥 Total People Onboard: 242

  • 217 Adults

  • 11 Children

  • 2 Infants

  • 12 Crew Members

• 🌐 Purpose: Regular international passenger service; majority of passengers were either students, tourists, or working professionals

• 🪪 Aircraft History: The Dreamliner was considered one of the safest and most fuel-efficient aircraft. This was the first-ever fatal crash involving a 787 since its launch in 2011.

🕒 Timeline of the Crash: How the Tragedy Unfolded

• 🕔 5:45 AM IST – Air India Flight AI171 took off from Ahmedabad International Airport (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport)

• 🛫 Within 2 minutes – The aircraft reached about 3,000 feet altitude before witnesses reported a strange “rumbling noise” and visible flames

• 💥 5:48 AM – The aircraft began descending rapidly and lost communication with ATC (Air Traffic Control)

• ⚠️ Moments later – The plane crashed into Meghani Nagar, a densely populated residential area near B.J. Medical College, hitting the roof of a student hostel

• 🔥 Immediate aftermath – Explosion, fire, and debris destroyed surrounding buildings and vehicles

• 🚨 5:50 AM – 6:30 AM –

  • Firefighters, NDRF teams, and local police arrived within minutes

  • Evacuation, fire control, and recovery efforts began rapidly

• 📵 Flight Radar Data Lost – Online trackers like Flightradar24 lost signal abruptly, further confirming the crash

• 🗣️ 6:45 AM – First official confirmation from Air India that Flight AI171 had crashed

• 📰 By 8:00 AM – News channels and social media flooded with images and videos from the crash site

• 🌐 10:00 AM onward –

  • Rescue teams began identifying bodies

  • The UK High Commission and Indian Civil Aviation Ministry issued emergency contact numbers for families

• 🕊️ Throughout the day – Nationwide mourning, and emergency press briefings held by officials and Tata Group

sources are news18 and other media.

📊 Flight Data Insights: What Went Wrong in the Air?

• 📉 Altitude Recorded: The aircraft reached only 625 feet before disaster struck.

  • Normally, a Boeing 787 would reach 1500–2000 feet within the first few minutes of takeoff.

  • This unusually low altitude indicates a serious malfunction early in ascent.

• ⏱️ Crash Timing:

  • The incident occurred within 2–3 minutes of takeoff, confirming a critical failure during initial climb.

• ⚠️ Ground Speed and Vertical Speed:

  • Despite a ground speed of 174 knots and vertical climb at +896 fpm, the plane couldn’t gain proper altitude.

  • This suggests engine thrust was active, but something internal prevented full lift.

• 🔥 Eyewitness Reports & Visuals:

  • Reports confirm a large explosion followed by black smoke (fog) — indicating a fuel tank rupture or fire.

  • The presence of black smoke (carbon-rich) typically means fuel combustion under pressure, pointing to possible tank damage.

• 🧯 Expert Observation:

  • In such emergencies, trained pilots are supposed to dump fuel mid-air to prevent ground impact fire.

  • However, due to how fast the failure occurred, there was likely no time for the crew to respond with emergency procedures.

• 🔍 Preliminary Theory:

• Based on data and smoke evidence, this could have been a mid-air mechanical failure, possibly involving the fuel system, engine containment, or hydraulics, causing immediate loss of control.