The Air India flight pilot issued a "mayday" signal before the plane carrying up to 244 people crashed just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India.
Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was headed for London’s Gatwick Airport when it went down in a residential area known as Meghani Nagar at 1:38PM local time on Thursday (June 12).
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the plane lost signal at 10:08AM local time, just 625 feet off the ground and less than a minute after takeoff.
The aircraft had 232 passengers and 12 crew members on board.
The aircraft crashed into a densely populated section of Ahmedabad, with eyewitnesses reporting wreckage embedded in buildings and massive plumes of black smoke rising from the crash site.
Reports from local media channels showed smoke from the crash site near the airport. In addition to this, social media was flooded with disturbing images showing chunks of fuselage and the tail of the aircraft wedged between shattered concrete and debris.
Aviation expert Julian Bray told Sky News that the pilot reportedly managed to issue a mayday signal, which is an internationally recognized distress alert indicating imminent danger and a need for immediate assistance.
This would mean the crew had realized something was wrong before the aircraft went down.
According to NDTV, the pilot had 8,200 hours of flying experience, while the co-pilot had logged 1,100 hours - together totaling nearly 10,000 hours in the air.
All flights from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad have now been suspended until further notice.
India’s Chief Minister of Gujarat responded to the tragedy swiftly, revealing that “immediate rescue and relief operations” were underway and that a “green corridor” had been set up to quickly transport the injured for treatment. "All necessary medical arrangements are made at the hospital on priority," he added.
Air India also released a statement on X (formerly Twitter), which read: “Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off."
"The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national, and 7 Portuguese nationals," they added.
Chairman of Air India, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, expressed his sorrow in a public statement: “With profound sorrow, I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.
"At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted."
"Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information. An emergency centre has been activated and support team have been set up for families seeking information," he added.
Gatwick confirmed the Air India flight's scheduled arrival time and the tragic turn of events on X: “We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25.”
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.