Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash: DGCA summons Air India, Air India Express for urgent meeting

Members of the Indian diaspora in London are mobilising to organise fundraisers in support of UK-based families affected by the Ahmedabad plane crash, including urgent assistance for two orphaned children by the tragedy.

Among the victims was Arjun Patoliya, who had travelled to Gujarat to immerse his late wife’s ashes in India following her recent death from cancer. Their friends and family launched an online GoFundMe fundraiser in support of their two daughters on Friday and have already raised more than half of the GBP 500,000 target.

Air India is currently conducting one-time safety checks on its Boeing 787 aircraft as per the directive issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the airline said in a statement on Saturday.

“These checks are being carried out on the Boeing 787 fleet as they return to India, before being cleared for their next operations,” an Air India spokesperson stated. So far, nine aircraft have completed the safety inspections and the airline aims to complete checks on the remaining 24 within the DGCA’s stipulated timeline.

The airline cautioned that these procedures could result in increased turnaround times and potential delays, especially on long-haul routes operating under strict airport curfews. Passengers facing disruptions will be notified in advance and offered refunds or complimentary rescheduling options, the Tata-owned airline said.

Rammohan Naidu further said that the government will look into all possible theories of what could have caused the Air India plane crash.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu says, “The last two days have been, very difficult…My deepest condolences to all the families who have lost their loved ones in the incident… I personally rushed to the site to oversee what needs to be done, what support needs to be provided and that was the attitude of the government of Gujarat also. The attitude was the same from GoI and the other people at the ministry also. Once we rushed to the site, we already saw the response teams from all the concerned departments were working on ground, actively trying to rescue whatever is possible, trying to cut down the fire and to move the debris so that the bodies can be sent to the hospital at the earliest. Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which was formed specifically to look into the incidents, accidents that happen around aircrafts, was immediately mobilised. One important update from the technical investigation which is happening through the AAIB is the recovery of the black box yesterday around 5pm from the site, the AAIB team believes that this decoding of the black box is going to give a, in depth insight into what would have actually happened during the process of the crash or moments before the crash itself. We are also eagerly waiting for what the results or the report is going to be once the AAIB goes through its full investigation…”

-via ANI

Civil Aviation Minister announced at a press briefing that authorities will carry out extended surveillance of all Boeing 787 flights. At present, 34 such aircraft are in operation across India. The govt has inspected 8 Boeing Dreamliners so far, he added.

“I personally lost my father in road accident. In a way I understand the grief of victims’ families,” says Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu.

The Minister also said that the accident has shaken the entire nation.

Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha begins briefing on the Air India flight crash. Lays out details of the accident and reveals timeline.

Air India and Air India Express will do away with flight number ‘171’ after the fatal crash of the Air India plane that killed 241 people onbaord, as per PTI.

Sources on Saturday said it is a general practice that airlines stop using particular flight numbers after fatal flight accidents.

From June 17 onwards, the flight number of Ahmedabad-London Gatwick will be ‘AI 159’ instead of ‘AI 171’.

Markets in Rajkot remained closed for half a day on Saturday as a mark of respect to former Gujarat Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Rupani, who tragically lost his life in the Air India Flight AI 171 crash .

The city observed the shutdown till noon, with traders and local residents paying homage to the veteran leader, who was deeply associated with the development and transformation of Rajkot. Several shops in the city voluntarily pulled down their shutters.

A resident, Navneet, paying homage to Vijay Rupani, stated that Rajkot will never forget him.

Former Pilot Captain Steve’s analysis went viral on social media after he presented his take on what went wrong. He suspected a faulty airplane as the wheels were not disengaged even after being more than 100ft off the ground, and possible overloading.

Ramesh Mahadev Pawar, who lost both his parents in the tragic Air India-171 plane crash, recalled the last moments he shared with them over a video call shortly before the incident. His parents, Mahadev Pawar and Asha M Pawar were among the 270 killed in the Air India Ahmedabad plane crash.

Bollywood icon and husband of Rajya Sabha Member, Amitabh Bachchan condoled the loss of life in the Air India plane crash. He said is “pained and filled with grief over the tragic loss of lives”. He posted a noted saying, “may grief transform into solidarity in honouring lost lives”.

The 82-year-old actor called for “transparent investigation” in the accident.

The family of British national Ramesh Patel, who died in the Air India-171 plane crash, reached Ahmedabad. Speaking to ANI, Ramesh Patel’s daughter Priti Pandya said, “He (her father) came here for nine days. He just came here to eat fruits…he did not come back home. ”

He informed his family members after boarding the plane and said “I’m in the plane safely”.

Teams of National Security Guard (NSG), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Air Force, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Fire rescue forces, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) have visited the crash site of AI-171 as investigations and rescue operations are underway.

From a meeting at the Forensic Science Laboratory, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi revealed that, “the entire Forensic Science Gujarat team, which is working to match the DNA of every family as soon as possible. The Indian government has also sent major help in the form of forensic experts… After this, we will visit the National Forensic Science University. We are working on fast-tracking the process”.

Mohan Bahadur Kshatriya, an eyewitness to the deadly Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, on Saturday, described scenes of chaos as he helped rescue survivors from the wreckage. Living just 500 meters from the crash site, Kshatriya told ANI that he first mistook the explosion for an earthquake before witnessing the harrowing scenes of thick smoke, raging fires, and students screaming for help.

Officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) arrived in Ahmedabad where the Air India flight AI-171 crashed taking the life of more than 270 people.

The AAIB, a division under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is responsible for probing aircraft accidents in India

After an inauguration at the MCF Public School, MP Priyanka Gandhi shared her feelings about the fatal flight of AI-171.

NSG commandos have been deployed at the crash site of AI-171, the fatal flight that had over 240 people aboard. Bound for London, it crashed into the BJMC hostel in Ahmedabad, merely 30 seconds after take off.

The 33 ground victims who lost their life to the Air India Ahmedabad plane crash will also be compensated with Rs 1 crore by the Tata Group. Hours after the tragedy, Tata announced the Rs 1 crore compensation for all 250+ victims aboard the Air India plane.

This came after the Indian Medical Association wrote Tata Sons seeking aid for students.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has arrived at the Ministry of Civil Aviation, where he is set to chair the thigh-level meeting on air safety.

Civil Aviation Secretary, DGCA Director General, AAI officials, and other senior ministry officials will also be present in the meeting.

For the black box analysis, it is sent to a lab under the DGCA or AAIB. The memory module is then decode following a synchronisation of voice and flight data. To understand the whole situation and what went wrong, this retrieved data is correlated with the radar logs and ATC records.

Following the recovery of the first black box on the AI-171, the wreckage will be transported to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The probe suspects ignorance at the level of safety checks. Agencies report that the officials knew of the errors before take off.

Officials inspect the mangled remains of the ill-fated Air India aircraft at the crash site near the BJ Medical College.

Chairing the high-level meeting on air safety following the Ahmedabad plane crash, Civil Aviation Minister Naidu will brief the media at 1:30 PM today.

Shiv Seva (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut raises ” serious questions about sabotage in the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad within 30 seconds of take off. Was there any cyber attack on the system of the plane by any enemy country, as they try to target our military installations with their cyber attacks?”

Parmarth Niketan Ashram President Swami Chidanand Saraswati performed special prayers and aarti on the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh to pay tribute to the victims of the tragic AI-171 plane crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 241 lives.

He also paid tribute to former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who died in the crash, describing him as a “very dear person.”

Samples from over 250 people have already been collected in the massive identification effort. The victims’ identification relies entirely on DNA results, as the bodies were charred beyond recognition.

ANI

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu will chair a high-level meeting on air safety in the National Capital. It will be attended by the Civil Aviation Secretary, the Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials, and other senior ministry officials.

King Charles III has directed members of the Royal Family to wear black armbands during the Trooping, the Colour Parade as a tribute to the Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash victims. One of the deadliest aviation tragedy, the ceremonial event will also observe a minute’s silence for mourning.