A catastrophic plane crash in Ahmedabad, India has claimed the lives of more than 240 people after Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick, went down shortly after takeoff. In what was believed to be a total-loss disaster, one British survivor, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was miraculously found alive and is now recovering in hospital.
Ramesh, who was seated in 11A, sustained chest, eye, and foot injuries but survived the impact that killed the vast majority of the 244 people on board. Located in a residential neighborhood of Meghani, Gujarat, Ramesh was transported to a local hospital and later told reporters:
“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed… there were bodies all around me… I stood up and ran.”
His brother, also on the flight, remains missing. Ramesh had been visiting family in India and was returning to London, where he lives with his wife and child.
The Dreamliner, under the command of Captain Summeet Sabharwal, had just taken off from Ahmedabad Airport around 1:40 p.m. local time when it rapidly lost altitude. Experts believe the plane suffered a double engine failure, potentially from multiple bird strikes, or a stall during critical low-altitude climb.
Flight data shows the plane reached only 625 feet before descending and striking buildings—including accommodation for doctors at BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital. Emergency responders found charred fuselage, remnants of passengers, and burned-out residential structures at the site. Officials confirmed at least 204 bodies recovered, but the final toll is expected to rise.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the crash “heartbreaking beyond words” and ordered immediate support for rescue operations.
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British PM Keir Starmer called the scene “devastating” and dispatched a UK team to support the investigation.
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Foreign Minister David Lammy and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch are coordinating with Indian authorities.
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Boeing has acknowledged the incident, noting it is the first fatal crash involving a 787 Dreamliner.
Investigations are underway, with preliminary theories pointing to:
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Sudden engine failure, possibly caused by birds
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Stall after takeoff, based on high-nose-angle descent
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Deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), suggesting emergency power loss
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No signs of adverse weather; clear skies and calm winds were reported
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Experts note the aircraft was only 11 years old and in good mechanical condition
A joint inquiry between the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, and potentially the UK’s AAIB will investigate the crash. Aviation attorney Peter Neenan noted such complex investigations could take two or more years.
