On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and headed for London’s Gatwick. Mere seconds into the flight, at around 625 ft, the cockpit voice recorder captured a chilling exchange between the crew and air traffic control. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a veteran with over 8,200 flight hours, made a desperate “Mayday” call. He reported experiencing “no thrust, losing power, unable to lift.” Seconds later, the aircraft vanished from radar and crashed into a hostel building at BJ Medical College, engulfed in flames.
That haunting plea from the cockpit is now commanding global attention; investigators hope the black box will shed light on the sudden dip in thrust that doomed the flight.
On June 13, authorities announced the recovery of one of two black boxes, the flight data recorder. These devices, built to endure dramatic crashes, are key to deciphering what went wrong in the critical moments after takeoff.
Investigators expect cockpit voice logs to reveal exactly how quickly power failed, which alarms sounded, and how the crew responded, all crucial for understanding this staggering failure.
The crash killed 241 of the 242 souls aboard, plus at least 28 people on the ground; more than 60 suffered injuries. The plane struck the hostel at BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar, a densely populated area. The conflagration ignited a massive fireball that rocked nearby buildings.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site on June 13, meeting rescue teams and families of victims. He described the incident as “heart‑breaking beyond words,” while India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation launched a formal investigation.
Astoundingly, 40‑year‑old British‑Indian national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the only survivor, seated at 11A near an emergency exit. He recalled a “loud noise” about 30 seconds post‑takeoff before the plane slammed down. Disoriented yet alive, he emerged from the wreckage among lifeless bodies and debris.
Ramesh was rushed to Civil Hospital Asarwa with bruises, cuts, and minor burns. Tests confirmed he sustained no life‑threatening injuries. His survival, especially sitting near a structurally crucial wing spar, has been described as “incredibly surprising” by aviation analysts.
Aviation experts point to several possible causes: engine failure from a bird strike, mechanical fault, improper flap or gear settings, or even sabotage. Video footage appears to show the landing gear still deployed, an abnormality that defies standard takeoff procedure.
With the aircraft only 11 years old and prone to bird‑strike risk at Ahmedabad airport, known to attract flocks during warm weather, engine ingestion of birds is under scrutiny.
Other theories include fuel contamination or deliberate sabotage, politically motivated, given Gujarat tensions, but officials caution that it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions.
This is the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its introduction in 2011. Boeing officials and the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, and the FAA are assisting the probe.
In a statement, Boeing stressed it’s deploying experts to India to help, while Air India chair Natarajan Chandrasekaran expressed sorrow and the airline pledged compensation and support to victims’ families.
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