Ahmedabad plane crash: New CCTV footage shows smoke trailing from Air India flight AI171 moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad, before it crashed into a hospital complex.
Ahmedabad plane crash: A newly surfaced CCTV footage has captured the chilling final moments of Air India’s Ahmedabad-London flight AI171 as it took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, seen lifting off in the video, appears to trail smoke just seconds after leaving the tarmac — a haunting indicator of the catastrophe that followed.
Just minutes after takeoff, the plane crashed into the City Civil Hospital and BJ Medical College complex, erupting into a fireball and killing several passengers and crew on board, according to initial assessments. According to officials out of the 242 people onboard, so far only one passenger appears to have survived the air disaster.
The Final Moments: What CCTV Footage Reveals
The newly recovered CCTV clip from an airport surveillance camera shows the Dreamliner accelerating down Runway 23 and lifting off at approximately 1:39 pm IST. Barely airborne, the aircraft appears to emit smoke — a development experts say could point to a catastrophic technical failure.
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The plane, according to ATC officials, climbed only 600 to 800 feet before losing altitude rapidly and disappearing from radar. The pilot managed to send a distress ‘Mayday’ call, but lost all communication soon after.
Crash Site: Hospital Campus Turned Into Inferno
The aircraft slammed into the residential quarters of the BJ Medical College and adjoining City Civil Hospital, reducing buildings to rubble and causing massive fires that spread across the campus. Eyewitnesses described an inferno — with buildings scorched, cars incinerated, and human remains charred beyond recognition.
One section of the fuselage, including the nose of the plane, reportedly crashed through the dining area of a nurses’ hostel. Unconfirmed reports suggest as many as 25 people on the ground may also have been killed.
Victims on Board: 169 Indians, 53 British, Former CM Also Among Them
Air India confirmed that of the 230 passengers, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian. The remaining 12 comprised two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those killed in the plane crash, a detail that has sent shockwaves through the political corridors of the country.
The ill-fated aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a veteran with 8,200 flying hours, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar with over 1,100 hours of experience. The flight was bound for London’s Gatwick Airport and had taken off from Ahmedabad’s Runway 23, a routine departure point.
Nation and World React: ‘Heartbreaking Beyond Words’
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “stunned and saddened” by the tragedy. “In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
President Droupadi Murmu, UK’s King Charles III, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also issued heartfelt condolences. King Charles said he and Queen Camilla were “desperately shocked,” calling it “an appallingly tragic incident across so many nations.”
Search for Black Boxes, Cause Still Unclear
Search teams are scouring the wreckage for the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder — commonly referred to as the ‘black boxes’. These will be critical to piecing together the technical circumstances behind the crash.
Officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that all possibilities — including mechanical failure, bird strike, or engine fire — are being investigated.
This is the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, an aircraft touted for its cutting-edge design and fuel efficiency. The crash also marks India’s deadliest air disaster since 2020, when an Air India Express flight crash-landed in Kozhikode, killing 21.
Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran expressed his “profound sorrow” and said that an emergency response centre has been activated. “We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams,” he said.
Boeing also released a statement saying it was in touch with Air India and ready to provide technical assistance to the investigation.
