Ahmedabad, Jun 12: A tragic aviation accident occurred on Thursday when an Air India Boeing 787 aircraft (VT-ANB), operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff.
According to an official statement by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the crash occurred just outside the airport perimeter.
The aircraft took off from runway 23 at 1:39 PM IST (0809 UTC) with 242 people onboard, including two pilots and ten cabin crew members. It was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain (LTC) with 8,200 flying hours, accompanied by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of flying experience.
DGCA stated that shortly after departure, the aircraft issued a “Mayday” call to Air Traffic Control (ATC). However, no further communication was received, and the aircraft reportedly lost altitude and crashed outside the airport boundary. Eyewitnesses and initial reports confirmed heavy black smoke rising from the crash site.
Further details, including the status of the passengers and crew, are awaited. Investigation teams have been dispatched, and a full-scale inquiry has been initiated by DGCA.
