Ahmedabad: One of India’s deadliest aviation disasters occurred on this day in 1982, killing at least 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew, just minutes after an Air India flight took off from Ahmedabad for London.
A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft with the call sign Flight AI171 was on its way out of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on 12th June 2025 at 1:38 PM. Just afterwards, the pilot frantically requested help from air traffic control (ATC), declaring, “Thrust not gained, going down, Mayday,” sources told the press. The plane fell into a residential area in Meghani Nagar, hit a medical college hostel, and exploded when the aircraft was struggling to climb.
Among the 242 people aboard, 241 people died in the crash, with only one survivor, a British citizen, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who sat in the emergency exit row. According to Police, Ramesh jumped out of the aircraft. At least 33 people, including medical students, died on the ground, meaning 270 people had lost their lives, according to hospital officials.
Investigators obtained the black box from the flight, a major breakthrough in identifying the cause, on June 13. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting the probe, assisted by British and American experts. Initial reports suggest the aircraft climbed out to just 650 feet before descending very rapidly. Video footage of the takeoff and the crash, all within 59 seconds, is under examination, while other possible theories, like bird strikes, have been dismissed. The government has ordered additional safety inspections on the Air India fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft, and a commission will also submit a report within three months.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu expressed condolences over the accident, saying, ‘The accident shook the country.’ We maintain high safety standards, and the DGCA has been conducting expanded scrutiny over this series of Boeing 787s. Families, including Ramesh, are currently at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, taking their time to identify the charred remains.
India’s worst aviation accident in 30 years God rest the souls of the departed, and let safety be an issue of concern. Victims are being identified using DNA, and the effort to clean up the smouldering wreckage continues.