Air India Flight AI-171 Crashes After Mayday Call Post Takeoff From Ahmedabad: DGCA

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India under registration VT‑ANB, operating flight AI‑171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12, 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported on Thursday. 

According to the DGCA’s preliminary statement, the aircraft departed Runway 23 at 13:39 IST (08:09 UTC) under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar. “M/s Air India B787 Aircraft VT‑ANB … has crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad,” the DGCA noted. There were 242 persons on board, including two pilots and ten cabin crew.

Captain Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain (LTC) with 8,200 flight hours, was flying alongside First Officer Kundar, who had accrued 1,100 hours of experience. “The aircraft gave a MAYDAY call to ATC, but thereafter no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC,” the DGCA said, highlighting that all efforts to re-establish communication failed.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing the Dreamliner fall just outside the airport perimeter, followed by heavy black smoke rising from the crash site. Emergency services were dispatched immediately to the scene.

“As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST from runway 23. It gave a MAYDAY call to ATC, but thereafter no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC. The aircraft immediately after departure … fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” DGCA said in the statement. 

Investigators from the DGCA, in coordination with Air India and airport authorities, have reached the site to secure evidence and begin a full inquiry into the cause of the accident. Wreckage recovery and flight-data recorder retrieval are underway.

The DGCA has assured that it will issue further updates as more information becomes available and has urged members of the public to avoid speculation until the final investigation report is published.

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