Ahmedabad, India – A devastating Air India flight AI-171, bound for London’s Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national, crashed into a resident doctors’ hostel building near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday morning to assess the crash site and visit the Civil Hospital to meet with the injured. He was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union MoS Murlidhar Mohol, and State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi.
According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 13:39 IST (08:09 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC but subsequently lost contact. Heavy black smoke was reported coming from the accident site immediately after the crash, which occurred outside the airport perimeter.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited the crash site on Thursday, stated that the high temperature caused by the burning of nearly 125,000 litres of fuel on board left no chance for survival. He also mentioned that approximately 1000 DNA tests have been conducted, and the official number of deaths will be released after DNA test results are confirmed. Shah credited quick action from central and state governments, initiated by his immediate notification to the Prime Minister, for the swift relief and rescue operations.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed on Thursday that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), a division of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has launched a formal investigation into the crash in line with international protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Indian government is also forming a high-level committee to examine the incident and enhance aviation safety. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) from the United States is also preparing to send a team to assist with the investigation.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.
Miraculously, one person, a British national of Indian origin, survived the crash.
Tata Group-owned Air India has established a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444 (or +91 8062779200 for international callers), to provide information. The Tata Group has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each victim.
