Air India Flight 171

Air India Flight 171 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, to London Gatwick Airport in England. On 12 June 2025, just 32 seconds after takeoff, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating the flight crashed into a hostel block of B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad. Only one passenger survived out of the 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board.

The crash caused severe damage to several college buildings and resulted in 19 deaths and 67 serious injuries on the ground. This tragic event marked the first fatal accident and hull loss involving a Boeing 787 since the aircraft entered service in 2011. It was also the deadliest aviation incident in the 2020s, surpassing Jeju Air Flight 2216.

According to a preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the crash was caused by a loss of thrust in both engines after their fuel control switches were moved from RUN to CUTOFF shortly after takeoff. The investigation into the actions of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal is ongoing, and the final report has not yet been released. This accident remains a significant event in the history of Air India and civil aviation in India.

Background

Aircraft and route

The plane involved in the crash was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. It was delivered to Air India in January 2014. The flight operated by Air India began flying to Gatwick Airport in 2023, with 12 departures each week, including five from Ahmedabad.

Passengers and crew

Flight 171 carried 230 passengers and 12 crew members. There were 169 passengers from India, 53 from Britain, 7 from Portugal, and 1 from Canada. The flight was commanded by a captain with over 15,600 flight hours and a first officer with around 3,400 flight hours.

Fuel control switches

The Boeing 787 has special switches that can stop fuel to an engine. These are usually only used on the ground or in emergencies, like an engine fire. They have safety locks to prevent them from being moved by accident.

Rescue and relief operation

The first call to the fire and emergency control room came at 13:45 IST. Firefighters from Naroda were sent right away, and soon more than 300 firefighters with 60 fire vehicles and 20 water bowsers arrived to help. Ambulances rushed to the scene, and roads were closed to let rescue teams work.

Many groups joined the rescue effort, including the Central Industrial Security Force, the Indian Army, the Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the National Disaster Response Force, and the Western Railways. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation sent many vehicles and workers to clear the area and prepare hospitals for any needs. Flights at the airport stopped for a short time but started again later.

Casualties

Unfortunately, nearly everyone on the Air India Flight 171 did not survive the crash. Only one passenger lived through the accident. Many people on the ground were also hurt, and some were seriously injured.

The only person who survived was Viswash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen. He was seated near an emergency exit, which helped him escape when part of the plane broke away. He had some minor injuries but recovered after a few days in the hospital.

Investigation

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau led the investigation of the crash. Teams from the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch, the United States National Transportation Safety Board, and the US Federal Aviation Administration helped with the inquiry. Engineers from GE Aerospace, the engine manufacturer, also joined to examine data from the airplane.

Investigators recovered the aircraft's flight recorders and began analyzing the information. The preliminary report showed that shortly after takeoff, both engines stopped working when fuel control switches moved unexpectedly. Pilots tried to restart them, and one engine began to relight before the aircraft crashed just 32 seconds after leaving the runway. The report mentioned a past warning from the FAA about similar fuel switches on other Boeing planes, but it did not find any mechanical problems or suggest safety changes at that time.

Responses

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and the hospital, meeting the lone survivor and those injured on the ground. Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with the Gujarat chief minister, Bhupendrabhai Patel, who organized immediate rescue and relief efforts.

UK prime minister Keir Starmer offered condolences, and the UK Foreign Office set up crisis teams in India and the UK. King Charles III requested that senior royals wear black armbands and observe a minute of silence in honor of the victims at the Trooping the Colour ceremony.

Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran expressed deep condolences and focused on supporting victims and their families. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson mobilized special teams for additional support and emphasized that investigations would take time.

Aftermath

After the crash, the Tata Group, which owns Air India, offered money to families of those who were lost and helped pay for medical costs for those hurt. The company also planned to help rebuild five college buildings that were damaged. More than 150 doctors living nearby were moved to safe places to stay.

Air India stopped 83 of its big plane flights for six weeks for safety checks and then slowly started flying again. The airline changed its flight numbers after the crash and planned new routes. By late 2025, it returned to its old route between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick Airport.

Boeing sent experts to help with the investigation, and its share price dropped but later recovered. Air India offered cash to families if they did not pursue legal action.