Ahmedabad Plane Crash: One Survivor Found In Seat 11A

New Delhi:In one of the worst and most puzzling aviation disasters ever, a London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (flight AI-171), with 242 people on board, including the two pilots and 10 cabin crew, crashed immediately after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at about 1.40 pm, killing all but one on board.

Many people on the ground were believed killed. PTI reported that 265 bodies had been brought to the city civil hospital. “265 bodies have reached the hospital as per the message we received,” deputy commissioner of police Kanan Desai told reporters.” Some agencies put the figure at 290.

The plane rose into the air after take-off and began sink to the ground moments later, with its landing gear down. According to the flight tracker websites, it never gained more than 625 feet in height, and recorded a ground speed of 174 knots (about 332 km), said to be too less.

That flight information also the last signal the aircraft transmitted. The pilots called “Mayday”, indicating an emergency. Nothing was heard from them after that. The Dreamliner, which had never crashed before, fell with its nose pointed up, as the pilots desperately tried to help the plane claw its up to the sky. The flying crew was vastly experienced, with a total of over 8,000 hours on the type.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has commenced investigations.

The miracle survivor was identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national seated in 11A. Dr Dhaval Gameti, who examined him, said Ramesh appeared disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body but seemed to be out of danger.

There was no official count of those killed hours after the aircraft crashed into residential quarters of BJ Medical College and civil hospital in Meghaninagar area soon after take-off.

Union minister Amit Shah, who rushed to Ahmedabad, said that the temperature inside the crashed plane was so high due to burning fuel that there was no chance that anyone could be saved. The number of those killed will be officially released by the authorities after DNA test and identification of the victims, Shah said, while adding that one passenger did survive.

The flight took off at about 1.39 pm and declared a "Mayday" (emergency) call to the Ahmedabad air traffic control. Multiple videoes on social media showed the jet slowly descending as if it were landing. As soon as it disappeared out of view behind rows of houses, a giant fireball filled the sky.

The reason is suspected to double engine failure, probably caused by bird hits, outside the airport perimeter. Experts also suggested that the pre-take-off settings or improper loading, among others The huge explosion and accompanying inferno were caused by the large amount of aviation turbine fuel that the aircraft was carrying for its scheduled non-stop flight of over six hours.

The passengers on the ill-fated Air India flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick included 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national on board. Former Gujarat chief minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Rupani was one of the passengers.

According to reports, Ramesh, the survivor, said that just about 30 seconds into the flight, there was a loud sound and a huge explosion (caused by the aircraft hitting the building) and that there were bodies all around him. By some accounts, he escaped the aircraft through the emergency exit and was subsequently put into an ambulance.

"The police found one survivor in seat 11A. One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area," Ahmedabad police commissioner G.S. Malik told the media.

The medical college dean Minakshi Parikh told media that the plane crashed into the dining facility of the medical college residential quarters and that five students had died. Scores of others were hospitalised.

The Tata Group that owns Air India announced a compensation payment of `1 crore to the families of each of the persons who lost their lives in the crash. It also promised to cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support.

The Union government’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to thoroughly probe the shocking crash. The US government’s national transportation safety board (NTSB) said it will also be “leading a team of US investigators travelling to India to assist the AAIB with its investigation into the crash”.

The digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) — popularly known as the two black boxes — will also be retrieved to know what exactly went wrong.

Britain has also set up crisis teams in Delhi and London to support the families of those aboard the Air India Flight 171, which crashed soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday, foreign secretary David Lammy informed Parliament.

“Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick airport, crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad. There were 242 persons on board the aircraft, consisting of two pilots and 10 cabin crew. The aircraft was under the command of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar. Capt Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8,200 hours of experience. The copilot had 1,100 hours of flying experience,” the DGCA said shortly after the crash.

“As per the air traffic control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It gave a MAYDAY call to ATC, but thereafter no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC. Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23 fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the government aviation regulator added. All flight operations were suspended at the airport after the crash.

According to reports, the aircraft reached an altitude of less than 700 ft, with the plane struggling to gain altitude. The landing gear was also down. The aircraft then appeared to rapidly “lose lift” with the engines losing power.

Soon after the crash, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “stunned and saddened” at the tragedy.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected,” Mr Modi posted on social media platform X.

After the crash, the Prime Minister spoke to civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu, who informed him that he is rushing to Ahmedabad to oversee rescue and relief operations on the ground. The PM “directed the minister to ensure all necessary support is extended immediately and asked to be kept regularly updated on the situation”.

The civil aviation minister was in Vijayawada attending the first anniversary events of the NDA government when he heard the news, following which he cancelled his engagements and rushed to Ahmedabad.

According to reports, more than 100 bodies, most of them badly charred, were brought to the local government hospital for autopsy, the Ahmedabad police told the media.

“The building on which it crashed is a doctors' hostel... We have cleared almost 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer said.

According to reports, parts of the plane's body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. Reports added that “the tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building”.

Union home minister Amit Shah also rushed to Ahmedabad to take stock of the situation. He is also meeting Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and senior officials to discuss the rescue efforts. He also spoke with Gujarat home minister Harsh Sanghavi and the Ahmedabad police commissioner to assess the situation.

Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said, “We are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India flight 171. No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones and with those who have been injured… We will provide support in the building up of B.J. Medical’s hostel.”

In a video message, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said, "This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones. I know that there are many questions, and at this stage, I won’t be able to answer all of them."

The Air India CEO added: “We are actively working with the authorities on emergency response efforts. A special team of caregivers from Air India will soon be on their way to Ahmedabad to provide additional support. The investigations will take time, and anything we can do now, we are doing. We know that many people are concerned for the welfare of their loved ones. We have set up a special helpline that friends and family can reach us at. The number is 1800-56-91-444. That’s 1800-56-91-444. We understand that people are eager for information.”

“We are aware that a flight from Ahmedabad to London has crashed near Ahmedabad airport. We are working with local authorities to urgently establish the facts and provide support. Our thoughts are with all those affected,” the British high commission said in a brief statement on its official X handle.