On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner (registration VT‑ANB), departed from Ahmedabad Airport, bound for London Gatwick. Just 30 seconds after takeoff at 13:38 IST, the aircraft issued a Mayday call and crashed into a hostel block at B. J. Medical College in Meghani Nagar, Ahmedabad
🧾 Human Toll
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Occupants: 230 passengers and 12 crew.
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Fatalities: 241 onboard, over 33 on the ground — total deaths around 274+ apnews.com+5en.wikipedia.org+5politico.com+5.
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Survivor: Sole survivor is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, currently hospitalized theguardian.com+4businessinsider.com+4nypost.com+4.
⚠ Flight & Crash Details
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The Dreamliner reached about 625–650 ft before control was lost reddit.com+14theguardian.com+14businessinsider.com+14.
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The aircraft crashed mere 2 km from the runway, striking a hostel, causing a massive fire and structural damage financialexpress.com+15theguardian.com+15timesofindia.indiatimes.com+15.
🛠 Investigations & Possible Causes
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Two black boxes (flight and cockpit voice recorders) have been recovered bbc.com+6politico.com+6theguardian.com+6.
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A joint investigation is underway by Indian, UK, US authorities, Boeing, and GE Aerospace apnews.com+15theguardian.com+15theguardian.com+15.
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Early expert analysis points to cockpit misconfiguration—possibly flaps retraction instead of gear retraction—leading to loss of lift news.com.au.
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Engine failure, flap or landing gear issues, runway usage, and pilot error are also under scrutiny .
🏛 Industry Fallout
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This marks the first fatal hull loss of a Boeing 787 since its introduction in 2011 apnews.com+3en.wikipedia.org+3businessinsider.com+3.
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India has grounded additional Air India 787s pending inspections reddit.com+5en.wikipedia.org+5bbc.com+5.
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Scrutiny is intensifying over India’s aviation infrastructure, pilot training, and airline safety culture .
🕊 What Comes Next?
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Preliminary findings expected within 3 months after deep forensic analysis .
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Families are participating in DNA identification efforts, which are moving slowly due to the severity of injuries businessinsider.com+3theguardian.com+3livemint.com+3.
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Authorities are reviewing and enhancing safety protocols for the entire Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet in India en.wikipedia.org+15cadenaser.com+15theguardian.com+15.
🧭 Final Thoughts
The crash of Flight 171 is a harrowing moment in Indian aviation, marking the first fatal incident involving a Boeing 787 and testing the industry’s safety resilience. While causes remain under investigation, early signs point to a tragic sequence of cockpit or takeoff missteps. The aviation sector—and global regulators—will be watching closely as findings emerge. For all travelers and professionals, this underscores how thin the margin is in high-stakes aviation.