Air India Plane Crash

✈️ What happened

• Flight AI 171 departed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, at 1:38 p.m. IST (08:08 UTC), bound for London Gatwick, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew (total 242) (reuters.com).
  
  

• Only seconds after takeoff, while ascending at approximately 625 ft, the aircraft’s signal cut out and it began a rapid descent before crashing into the hostel block of B.J. Medical College in Meghani Nagar (en.wikipedia.org).
  
  

• A massive fireball and explosion erupted; debris spread onto nearby buildings—including the roof of a doctor’s residence and a canteen—causing ground casualties .
  
  

🧑‍✈️ Casualties & Survivors

• Onboard: 241 fatalities, just one lone survivor, later identified as a British citizen of Indian origin in seat 11A (reuters.com).
  
  

• Ground: At least 28 dead and around 60 injured at the medical hostel site (en.wikipedia.org).
  
  

🧬 Survivor's account

• Vishwash Kumar Ramesh reportedly jumped from an emergency exit and was thrown clear of the wreckage, later walking to a medic before hospitalization (reuters.com).
  
  

• He described the aircraft splitting mid-air, being surrounded by bodies and debris, then running away to safety (apnews.com).
  
  

🚨 Emergency response & ongoing rescue

• Rescue efforts by local fire, medical, CISF, and Indian Army forces rapidly mobilized. Multiple fire tenders and ambulances were deployed, roads were closed, and the second black box (unit unknown) was recovered overnight (pt.wikipedia.org).
  
  

• DNA testing is underway for victim identification (npr.org).
  
  

🛫 Why is this crash particularly notable?

• It marks the first fatal hull-loss of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft viewed as one of the safest and most advanced ever built (the-sun.com).
  
  

• The Boeing 787 had previously experienced no deadly crashes, though earlier incidents addressed battery and structural issues (news.com.au).
  
  

🔍 Possible causes under investigation

• Early analysis of CCTV reveals the plane may have had landing gear still down and flaps improperly configured, suggesting potential lift failure (cbsnews.com).
  
  

• An aerospace engineer points to possible engine or flap malfunction as culprits, but authorities caution these are preliminary theories (news.northeastern.edu).
  
  

🌍 Official reactions

• Air India is coordinating with families, deploying support teams, and honoring the tragic loss of life (cbsnews.com).
  
  

• Indian PM Narendra Modi, UK PM Keir Starmer, and King Charles issued statements of grief and support, highlighting the international scope of this tragedy (the-sun.com).
  
  

• Boeing’s CEO Kelly Ortberg canceled his trip to the Paris Air Show to focus on the investigation as their stock fell about 5% on the news (reuters.com).
  
  

🔮 What comes next?

• The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India, with support from the U.S. NTSB and FAA, launching a full-scale probe into flight data and maintenance logs (cbsnews.com).
  
  

• Analysis of black boxes, witness accounts, and meteorological data is expected over the coming weeks to pinpoint the precise cause.
  
  

🧭 Bottom line:

This crash is one of the deadliest in India in over a decade, but what sets it apart is being the first fatal 787 accident. It has immediate implications for Boeing’s flagship aircraft and India’s aviation safety standards. Investigators face a daunting challenge ahead, but the world's eyes will be on Boeing, regulators, and Air India for transparency and rectification.