The Air India Flight 171 disaster in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, unfolded with shocking speed, leaving behind a trail of devastation and unanswered questions. Here's a minute-by-minute breakdown of what is currently known, pieced together from initial reports and investigations:
1:38 PM Local Time: Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, commences its takeoff roll from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft, bound for London Gatwick, carries 230 passengers and 12 crew members, along with a substantial load of approximately 100 tonnes of fuel for the long journey. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and Co-pilot Clive Kundar, highly experienced pilots with over 9,000 combined flying hours, are at the controls.
Minute 1 (1:39 PM): A mere minute after lifting off the runway, at an altitude of only 625 feet (approximately 190 meters), Flight AI171 disappears from radar. Simultaneously, the pilots transmit a "Mayday" call, signaling an emergency. This suggests the pilots recognized a critical issue almost immediately after becoming airborne. The nature of the emergency remains unknown at this point. The sole survivor later reports hearing a loud bang as the plane struggled to gain altitude.
Minute 2: With no further communication from the flight deck, the aircraft begins a steep descent, plummeting towards the ground at a vertical speed of approximately 475 feet per minute. Eyewitness accounts and initial reports indicate the plane crashes into a residential area near the airport, impacting a densely populated neighborhood that includes a medical college hostel.
Minute 3: The impact triggers a massive explosion, creating a large ball of fire and smoke that engulfs the crash site. The force of the crash and subsequent explosion causes extensive damage to buildings in the vicinity, including the medical college hostel, where many students were present during lunchtime.
Minute 4: Emergency services are immediately alerted, and rescue teams rush to the scene. The scale of the disaster quickly becomes apparent as first responders encounter widespread devastation and numerous casualties.
Minute 5 and Beyond: Rescue efforts commence amidst the chaos, with emergency workers struggling to reach survivors and recover bodies from the wreckage. The focus shifts to containing the fire, managing the injured, and securing the crash site for investigation.
The aftermath of the crash reveals a scene of unimaginable horror. Of the 242 people on board, 241 are confirmed dead. A British national of Indian origin, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is pulled alive from the wreckage and rushed to a local hospital, the sole survivor of the tragedy. Casualties are also reported on the ground, with many residents injured or killed by the impact and subsequent explosion. The crash site is a scene of utter devastation, with charred remains and debris scattered across a wide area.
The investigation into the cause of the Air India Flight 171 disaster is now underway. Investigators will focus on retrieving and analyzing the aircraft's black boxes – the flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) – to understand what went wrong in those crucial final moments. The FDR records flight parameters such as altitude, speed, engine settings, and cabin pressure, while the CVR captures conversations between the pilots, radio communications, and ambient sounds in the cockpit. The mayday call made by the pilots will be of particular interest, as it may provide clues about the nature of the emergency they were facing. Investigators will also examine the wreckage for any signs of mechanical failure, structural damage, or other potential contributing factors.
