An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport today. The aircraft, carrying 242 individuals – 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew – went down in the Meghaninagar area, just outside the airport perimeter.
The crashed aircraft was identified by a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official as Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB. It was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an experienced LTC pilot with 8200 hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1100 hours of flying experience.
Eyewitness reveals after the Air India crash
Here is what an eyewitness told post-crash scenarios, “I was at home when we heard a massive sound. When we went out to see what had happened, there was a layer of thick smoke in the air. When we came here, dead bodies and debris from the crashed aircraft were scattered all over.”
VIDEO | Ahmedabad plane crash: Here's what an eyewitness said:
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2025
"I was at home when we heard a massive sound. When we went out to see what had happened, there was a layer of thick smoke in the air. When we came here, dead bodies and debris from the crashed aircraft were scattered… pic.twitter.com/Km0xCm9yde
Family members reaction
As emergency services responded to the crash site, a scene of raw anxiety unfolded at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. Distraught family members, desperate for any update on their loved ones, converged at the hospital, creating a palpable sense of urgency and despair.
A man at the civil hospital in Ahmedabad says, “My sister and brother-in-law are both inside, but they are not letting us go in…They were going to London…My niece is in London, and they were going to see her. She called me up from London to say that her parents were on the flight, and then I rushed here…”
#WATCH | Ahmedabad plane crash | A man at the civil hospital in Ahmedabad says, "My sister and brother-in-law are both inside, but they are not letting us go in…They were going to London…My niece is in London, and they were going to see her. She called me up from London to… pic.twitter.com/OsoNv4e31T
— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025
Amidst the growing crowd, a man was seen breaking down, pleading with authorities to allow him access to the hospital, his anguish evident.
#WATCH | Gujarat: Anxious family members gather outside the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad as they rush here to get an update about their loved ones who were on board the ill-fated London-bound Air India aircraft.
— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025
A man breaks down and pleads with the authority to let him in. pic.twitter.com/BPq5GZnL1p
Another woman, a neighbour of an AI-171 passenger, waited patiently but anxiously outside. “My neighbour’s daughter was on the flight,” she shared. “We don’t have any update on her yet as we are not being allowed to go inside.”
#WATCH | Ahmedabad | A neighbour of an AI-171 passenger waits outside the Civil Hospital. She says, "My neighbour's daughter was on the flight. We don't have any update on her yet as we are not being allowed to go inside." pic.twitter.com/ZUQZo4lrBK
— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025
The lack of immediate information and the restrictive access to the hospital intensified the agonising wait for families, highlighting the profound human toll of the tragic incident.
Response from governments
According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Runway 23 and issued a “mayday” call. However, subsequent attempts by ATC to establish contact with the aircraft went unanswered. The plane then fell to the ground outside the airport perimeter.
Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who was in Vijayawada, immediately rushed to Ahmedabad upon receiving the news. “Shocked and devastated to learn about the flight crash in Ahmedabad. We are on the highest alert,” Minister Naidu stated. He added that he is personally monitoring the situation and has directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action.
