Hundreds Feared Lost — Boeing 787 Nightmare

Airplane taking off from runway in urban area

204 bodies recovered from the first-ever Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash as Air India Flight AI 171 plunges into a residential area near Ahmedabad airport, leaving no survivors among the 242 passengers and crew aboard.

Key Takeaways

  • An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, marking the first crash of this aircraft model in commercial service.
  • The flight, bound for London Gatwick with 242 people onboard (including 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian), issued a mayday call before crashing.
  • Police confirmed 204 bodies have been recovered, with officials stating there appear to be no survivors.
  • The crash occurred in Meghani Nagar, a residential area that includes a doctors’ hostel, potentially causing additional ground casualties.
  • Boeing shares plummeted nearly 9% in pre-market trading as the FAA and NTSB join Indian authorities in the investigation.

Fatal Crash Shocks India and Aviation Industry

The crash of Air India Flight AI 171 on June 12, 2025, has sent shockwaves through India and the global aviation community. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, crashing into a residential area called Meghani Nagar. The disaster marks the first crash of Boeing’s flagship Dreamliner aircraft, which until now had maintained a perfect safety record since entering commercial service in 2011. Search and rescue teams, including firefighters and the Indian army, rapidly deployed to the scene where towering smoke and flames were visible from miles away.

“With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” said Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran in an official statement.

Investigation Focuses on Final Moments

Aviation investigators are scrutinizing the final moments of Flight AI 171. According to air traffic control reports, the aircraft issued a mayday call shortly after departure but failed to respond to subsequent communications. Eyewitness video showed the plane descending with its nose up before a massive fireball erupted upon impact. Aviation consultant John M. Cox noted that the aircraft’s nose position but lack of climb will be a key focus of the investigation. The Boeing 787’s extensive flight data monitoring systems, which continuously record thousands of parameters, should provide crucial information to determine what went wrong.

“At this point, it’s very, very, very early; we don’t know a whole lot,” said John M. Cox, aviation consultant and former airline pilot, regarding the unusual flight attitude observed in videos of the aircraft’s final moments.

Boeing, already facing intense scrutiny over its manufacturing and safety processes in recent years, saw its stock plummet nearly 9% in pre-market trading following news of the crash. The company issued a brief statement saying it was “working to gather more information” about the incident. The timing is particularly devastating for Boeing, coming just days before the Paris Air Show, one of the aviation industry’s most significant events. The FAA and NTSB have offered technical assistance to Indian authorities leading the investigation.

Human Toll and Response

The crash has exacted a devastating human toll, with passengers from multiple nations among the victims. Ahmedabad’s city police commissioner, G.S. Malik, delivered the grim news that “It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash.” Emergency services have recovered 204 bodies thus far, with 70-80% of the crash site cleared. The disaster site included a doctors’ hostel, raising concerns about additional casualties on the ground. Rescue teams continue to work through the wreckage in what has become India’s worst aviation disaster since the 2020 Air India Express crash in Kerala.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his statement following the disaster.

Leaders from around the world have expressed condolences, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III, as many British nationals were among the passengers. India’s Civil Aviation Minister announced that rescue teams have been mobilized to provide aid and relief to victims’ families. This tragedy marks India’s most severe air disaster in recent years and comes as a profound shock to a nation that has been working to expand and modernize its aviation sector. The coming days will be critical as investigators work to understand what caused this catastrophic failure of a previously reliable aircraft model.

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