12/06/2025
WHAT HAPPENED TO INDIAN FLIGHT AI 171 (VT-ANB) FLIGHT.
Flight AI 171 (VT‑ANB), a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, departed from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, at ~13:39 local, carrying 242 souls—230 passengers and 12 crew .
Just 30–60 seconds into the flight, at roughly 625 ft altitude, the aircraft flew low over a residential area in Meghani Nagar, before crashing into the B.J. Medical College hostel.
1. CASUALTIES AND SURVIVOR:
Recovery teams found 241 fatalities on board; a single male passenger survived with survivable injuries (seat 11A) .
Ground fatalities include at least 5 medical-college occupants, pushing the total death toll to 269–294.
The lone survivor, reportedly a British national, was hospitalized with minor injuries after reportedly leaping from the emergency exit.
2. AIRCRAFT AND CREW:
The Dreamliner was produced in 2013, delivered in 2014, marking the first-ever fatal crash of a Boeing 787 .
On board were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian.
3. EMERGENCY RESPONSE & AFTERMATH:
CCTV footage captured smoke and a fireball as the jet disappeared. Emergency services—fire engines, ambulances, CISF, Army—responded within minutes .
Home Minister Amit Shah stated that 125,000 litres of jet fuel ignited, producing intense heat that made rescues impossible.
4. INVESTIGATIONS UNDERWAY:
Black boxes (flight data and cockpit voice recorders) were retrieved and sent to the AAIB in New Delhi .
Domestic investigation pilots include India’s AAIB, plus international teams from the NTSB (U.S.), UK AAIB, and Boeing/GE Aerospace are assisting.
Preliminary observations suggest possible issues with landing gear/flap settings, but no final cause has been determined.
5. COMPENSATIONS & GLOBAL REACTION:
Tata Group/Air India announced ₹1 crore (~US $116k) to each family of the deceased, plus medical coverage for the injured .
Condolences have poured in from leaders including PM.
