Published: June 12, 2025 10:43 am
Author: RT
Flight 171 was seen tilting at a steep angle and failing to gain altitude
Footage has emerged online showing the final moments of Air India Flight 171 before it crashed in an urban area shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, western India. The exact number of casualties is currently unknown, although the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had 242 people on board at the time of the incident.
In the clip, the aircraft is seen flying at a low altitude with its nose tilted sharply upward and landing gear deployed. Despite this, the plane slowly descends and crashes in a residential area. Moments later, a fireball erupts and black smoke rises into the sky.
Another video filmed at the crash site shows smoldering debris with a large crowd gathered nearby.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was operating a scheduled flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. According to Air India, there were 169 Indian, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian national on board. It added that all the injured are being transported to the nearest hospitals.
Air India Flight AI 171 (Boeing 787 Dreamliner) from Ahmedabad to London carrying 242 passengers has crashed into Meghaninagar IGP Complex. Fire fighters at the spot and rescue ops underway. Devastating. Prayers🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/yNVb7gdna6
— Darshan Pathak (@darshanpathak) June 12, 2025
Media reports have provided different casualty estimates, all in the dozens. The cause of the crash is unclear.
READ MORE: UK-bound Air India plane crashes with 242 people on board: Live Updates
Boeing, one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, has faced mounting scrutiny in recent years due to a series of safety and quality control issues. Most notably, the Boeing 737 MAX was grounded globally between 2019 and 2020 following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.
While the Boeing 787 has not faced as much public scrutiny as the Boeing 737 MAX, it has had issues related to lithium-ion batteries and general production quality control.
