The Tragic Story of Air India Flight AI-171
A Nation in Shock
A London-bound Air India Dreamliner crashed soon after taking off from Ahmedabad. This sad event took the lives of at least 245 people. Among them was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The Boeing 787-8 carried 242 passengers and crew. It couldn’t gain height and crashed near the airport.
The Last 34 Seconds
In just 34 seconds, a normal takeoff turned into a nightmare. Three images show the horror of those moments. They are now etched into the nation’s memory.
Just After Takeoff
The first photo shows the Dreamliner just after it lifted off. It was 1:39 PM at Ahmedabad airport. The aircraft looked too low. It barely cleared the airport boundary. Its landing gear was still down. The plane wasn’t climbing. It was gliding flat, almost hesitantly. For a big plane carrying over 240 people, the path looked wrong.
Flight AI-171 was seen flying too low. Its landing gear was still out. The aircraft struggled to gain height. It was just 425 feet above the ground. Then it disappeared behind buildings near Meghaninagar.
The Moment of Impact
The second photo captures the exact moment of impact. The aircraft lost height quickly. It crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel mess in Meghaninagar. The image shows a loud blast. An orange-white fireball erupted from the ground. It threw metal, glass, and flame into the sky. Black smoke rose instantly. People nearby heard the plane coming in too low.
A massive explosion engulfed the BJ Medical College hostel building. The Dreamliner crashed into the doctors’ mess. It caused a fireball and thick black smoke. The smoke rose above the Meghaninagar skyline. People nearby described the sound as “like a bomb going off”.
The Aftermath
The third photo shows the aftermath. Nothing that looked like an aircraft remained. The fuselage had broken apart. Debris was scattered across the hostel quarters and nearby lanes. A part of the empennage, the aircraft’s tail, hung strangely from the roof of the mess building. The landing gear was stuck in a nearby wall. The crash site, just 3km from the end of the runway, looked like a war zone.
The broken remains of Air India’s 787-8 Dreamliner were spread across the residential block and mess hall. Its tail section was stuck in the rooftop. Debris was scattered across half a kilometre. The scale of destruction left little hope for survivors.
The Final Call
AI-171 had taken off late. It didn’t get far. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s calm “Mayday” call to Ahmedabad ATC was the last transmission. After climbing to just 425 feet, the plane nosedived. There was little time for response and no chance for recovery.
The Aftermath and Investigation
The crash killed at least 245 people. Among them were former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani and several doctors and residents on the college campus. One man, seated in 11A, a UK national of Indian origin, survived. He walked out of the burning fuselage. The death toll is expected to rise. Rescue teams used nearly 290 body bags.
Early investigations point to a double engine failure. It was possibly due to a bird strike. Investigators have not ruled out technical or procedural mistakes. This was the first crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its launch. The aircraft had logged over 41,000 flight hours. It had 8,000 takeoffs and landings in the past year alone.
Support and Compensation
The Tata Group has announced ₹1 crore compensation for each victim’s family. They have promised support to rebuild the BJ Medical College hostel.
The Story in Images
As firefighters, NDRF teams, and hospital staff searched through the burned remains, the three photos told the full story. These frozen moments from a tragedy spoke in a way words never could.
