Live Updates: Aviation Ministry Briefing on Air India Crash
Aircraft lost altitude just seconds after takeoff, says Civil Aviation Ministry in first detailed briefing.
"Decoding the black box will give in-depth insight into what happened moments before the crash," Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said at a press briefing.
The Dreamliner, flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed soon after takeoff, leaving only one survivor among 242 people on board. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the probe. Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the investigation is proceeding smoothly.
A multi-disciplinary panel, chaired by the home secretary, will meet Monday and submit its report within three months. The Gujarat government is coordinating DNA testing to identify victims and hand over bodies to their families.
Naidu assured that India maintains strict aviation safety standards, recognized internationally. "Even so, extended surveillance of the Boeing 787 series has been ordered through DGCA," he added. Of the 34 Boeing 787-8 aircraft in the Indian fleet, eight have been inspected so far.
The high-level committee includes experts from diverse backgrounds, tasked with a comprehensive investigation. "We have put a time limit of three months for them to consult various stakeholders and experts," Naidu stated.
Expressing condolences, Naidu said, "I can understand the pain and anguish the families are feeling. This was a very tragic and horrific incident." No questions were taken from the media during the briefing.
Live Updates
- 14 Jun 2025 2:21 PM IST
Black Box Recovered; High-Level Committee Formed to Probe Ahmedabad Crash
The black box from the crashed aircraft was recovered yesterday around 5 p.m., officials confirmed. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) believes decoding the black box will provide crucial insights into the events leading up to the crash.
In view of the seriousness of the incident and the multiple theories circulating, a high-level committee has also been constituted to oversee the investigation. Announced earlier by the minister and officially formed yesterday, the committee will be chaired by the Union Home Secretary.
The panel includes top officials: Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; a representative from the Gujarat government; the State Disaster Response Authority; Ahmedabad Police Commissioner; DG Inspection & Safety from the Indian Air Force; DG PCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security); DG DGCA; Special Director from Intelligence Bureau; and Director, Directorate of Forensic Sciences Services.
The minister emphasized that the committee’s broad composition brings in expertise from multiple sectors to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation.
- 14 Jun 2025 2:21 PM IST
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu: Ahmedabad Plane Crash Shook Nation; Probe Underway
Speaking on the Ahmedabad airport plane crash, the minister said the tragedy has shaken the entire nation. Expressing deep condolences, he added, “I have also personally lost my father in a road accident, so I can somewhat understand the pain of the affected families.”
The minister personally rushed to the crash site shortly after receiving the news. “The Gujarat government had already deployed rescue and response teams from all concerned departments. Efforts were underway to extinguish the fire, clear debris, and retrieve bodies swiftly for hospital transfer,” he said.
He further informed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which handles aviation accidents, was immediately activated. A five-member core team, including the Director General of AAIB, reached the site within hours to begin the investigation. Two more experts from forensics and medical teams have since joined the probe, with more to be added as required.
- 14 Jun 2025 2:11 PM IST
Indian Aviation Press Meet: Plane Crashes Near Airport Minutes After Takeoff; 230 On Board
In a Civil Aviation press conference, it was informed that the aircraft had 230 passengers, two pilots, and ten crew members on board. The plane took off at 1:39 PM and began descending shortly after reaching 650 feet. The pilot did not issue any mayday or full emergency signal. ATC attempted to contact the aircraft but received no response. About a minute later, the plane crashed in Medhari Nagar, approximately two kilometers from the airport. The aircraft had previously completed flights from Paris, Delhi, and Ahmedabad without any incident.
- 14 Jun 2025 11:19 AM ISTNSG team deployed at AI plane crash site in Ahmedabad
Apart from central and state government agencies, a team of the National Security Guard (NSG) has been deployed at the site of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, where 265 people lost their lives. According to official sources, the NSG team is at the site to assist other agencies in relief operations, and they do not have any investigative powers. - 14 Jun 2025 11:14 AM ISTBJ Medical College student from Rajasthan dies in Ahmedabad plane crash
A student from BJ Medical College lost his life in the Ahmedabad plane crash after the aircraft struck the college building.The deceased student, Manav Bhadu, was a resident of Pilibanga town in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district. He had been studying at the medical college in Ahmedabad since August 2024. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Hanumangarh, Janesh Tanwar confirmed the identity of the victim. - 14 Jun 2025 11:13 AM ISTSound of the crash felt like our eardrums would burst: Eye witness of AI 171 crash
Rekha Kshtriya, an eye witness of the AI 171 plane air crash in Ahmedabad on Saturday recalled the chilling moments after the sheer tragedy and stated that even though her family was accustomed to loud noises, the sound of the crash felt like their eardrums would burst.
Kshtriya further stated that all furniture in their house had started shaking violently. "I have been staying here since the last 13-14 years... that day around 1:30 p.m. we had heard a loud noise. Although we are accustomed to hearing loud noises, this time the noise felt like our eardrums would burst. It seemed like an earthquake. We had just sat down to have lunch and the furniture in our house had started shaking violently. For a second, it felt like a bomb blast happened.... Then when we went outside, we saw a plan had crashed. We saw broken pieces of aircraft everywhere... it was difficult to understand whether it was a plane crash or a terrorist attack or something else. The whole sky was filled with black smoke... High flames were rising everywhere..." Kshtriya told ANI. - 14 Jun 2025 11:10 AM ISTIndian Americans mourn victims of Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad
Shock, grief and disbelief rippled through Indian-American communities across the United States as news broke of the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. The sudden loss of so many lives, including young medical students and families, has left hearts broken and prayers pouring in from coast to coast.For many in the diaspora, the tragedy is not just a distant headline -- it is personal. Ahmedabad, a city they call home or know through family and friends, has been struck by a sorrow that transcends oceans. The anguish of losing loved ones in such a catastrophic accident resonates deeply within their hearts, stirring memories, tears and a collective sense of mourning. - 14 Jun 2025 10:46 AM ISTPolice personnel outside DNA sample ward at a hospital, where victims of the Air India plane crash were admitted, in Ahmedabad - PTI
- 14 Jun 2025 10:43 AM ISTKing Charles to lead moment's silence for Ahmedabad plane-crash victims
Britain's King Charles III will on Saturday lead a moment's silence in memory of the Ahmedabad-London Air India plane-crash victims after making amendments to his annual Trooping the Colour birthday parade.Buckingham Palace said the 76-year-old monarch wanted the alterations "as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy". It will also see members of the royal family wear black armbands as a mark of respect to the 241 passengers and crew who lost their lives in Thursday's London-bound plane crash in Ahmedabad. - 14 Jun 2025 10:41 AM ISTSurvivor of 1993 Indian Airlines crash remembers tragedy
As the crash of the Air India flight in Ahmedabad has shocked the country, a resident of Parbhani in Maharashtra recalled another aircraft accident that took place 32 years ago and claimed 55 lives.
Vasant Shinde, a former municipal council president of Parbhani, told a news channel that he survived the tragedy only because he was sitting near the cockpit and not in the rear part where the fuel tank was located. He was on board the ill-fated Indian Airlines plane that took off from Chikalthana airport in Aurangabad district (now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) on April 26, 1993.
