How does a routine flight turn into the worst aviation disaster in a decade, claiming 275 lives and plummeting within seconds?
At a Glance
- Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025, killing 275 people.
- All 241 passengers and crew on board—save for one survivor—were killed, along with 34 people on the ground.
- India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the probe and is expected to release a preliminary report by July 11.
- The investigation is focused on a potential dual engine failure, and the crash has put a new spotlight on Air India’s maintenance practices.
Catastrophe in Ahmedabad
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171 crashed just 32 seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, creating a scene of devastation and resulting in the loss of 275 lives. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, crashed into the nearby B.J. Medical College campus.
The disaster claimed the lives of all 241 passengers and crew members aboard the flight, with the miraculous exception of a single passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. An additional 34 people on the ground were killed in the crash. It is one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent history.
UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident.
The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew.
The aircraft crashed shortly…
— Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025
A Focus on Engine Failure
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading a major international probe into the cause of the crash. Just before the aircraft went down, the pilots, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, issued a mayday call reporting a loss of power and thrust from the plane’s engines.
As reported by AeroNews Journal, the investigation is now focused on a potential dual engine failure. The flight’s two “black boxes”—the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder—were recovered from the wreckage and are being analyzed. Investigators have largely ruled out a bird strike or sabotage.
A Spotlight on Maintenance Practices
The crash has put a harsh spotlight on the maintenance practices at Air India. According to a report in Firstpost, a recent safety audit of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet by India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had uncovered recurring maintenance flaws and inadequate record-keeping.
In response to the crash, the DGCA has now ordered enhanced, immediate inspections of the engines on all Boeing 787 aircraft operated by Indian carriers.
The AAIB, which is being assisted by international experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and its British counterpart, as well as by Boeing and engine manufacturer GE, is expected to release a preliminary report on the crash by July 11, 2025.
