On June 12, 2025, a vibrant Ahmedabad evening turned to heartbreak when Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick, plummeted just 32 seconds after takeoff. The crash claimed 241 lives, leaving one miraculous survivor, and obliterated a medical college building, killing 34 people on the ground. India is reeling, families are grieving, and investigators are racing to uncover the cause of this devastating aviation disaster.
The wreckage at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport paints a haunting picture. The flight carried passengers with dreams—students heading abroad, families reuniting, professionals chasing opportunities. On the ground, medical students at GMERS Medical College were caught in the fiery aftermath. Grainy CCTV footage circulating on social media shows the plane’s rapid descent, a stark reminder of how quickly routine turned to catastrophe. The lone survivor, still unnamed, fights for recovery, embodying both hope and the weight of loss.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading a meticulous probe. Two black boxes, Extended Airborne Flight Recorders, were recovered from the debris-strewn hostel roof at the crash site. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is weighing whether to decode these devices in India or abroad, a decision tied to technical and security concerns. Experts estimate initial findings could emerge within days, revealing the plane’s final moments. A Mayday call reporting “no thrust and no lift” has sparked theories of a rare double engine failure. Aviation analyst Shawn Pruchnicki calls such failures “extraordinarily uncommon,” while aerospace scientist Mirza Faizan rules out bird strikes as a primary cause due to scant evidence. The black boxes hold the key to whether mechanical failure, human error, or an unforeseen factor triggered the tragedy.
Air India’s leadership, under CEO Campbell Wilson, has expressed profound remorse, stressing the aircraft’s rigorous maintenance, with its last major check in June 2023 and another planned for December 2025. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered enhanced safety inspections across Air India’s 33 Boeing 787s, with 26 already cleared. To prioritize safety, the airline scaled back widebody operations by 15% through mid-July, sparing the Ahmedabad-Gatwick route but disrupting other long-haul flights. Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran issued a public apology, vowing to support affected families. While the DGCA’s oversight found no glaring safety lapses, voices on platforms like X demand greater accountability, some drawing parallels to the 1985 Air India bombing, though no evidence suggests foul play here.
This crash, Air India’s first fatal widebody incident in over four decades, has shaken confidence in an airline once lauded for its safety. The human toll is staggering: rescue efforts, led with urgency as confirmed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have shifted to identifying victims through DNA testing due to the fire’s intensity. Stories of loss—a son returning from his father’s funeral, students with bright futures—have galvanized public empathy. As Air India offers rebooking or refunds, the focus remains on the investigation. The black box analysis will likely clarify whether systemic issues or an isolated failure caused this tragedy. For now, India mourns, holding onto hope that answers will pave the way for safer skies.