Details of the deadly London-bound Boeing jet crash in India: summary

What we know

• An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Flight AI171, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday, June 12, killing over 200 people.

• Flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew (169 Indians, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese, 1 Canadian), crashed into Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar residential area at 1:38 p.m. local time, five minutes after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
• The plane, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 hours) and First Officer Clive Kunder (1,100 hours), issued a mayday call before losing contact.
• At least 204 bodies were recovered, including passengers and residents, with 41 injured, including 50 medical students, where the plane’s tail crashed. One survivor, British-Indian, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, reported a loud noise 30 seconds after take-off.
• The 11-year-old Boeing 787-8 (VT-ANB), delivered in 2014, reached 625 feet before a slow descent with extended landing gear, exploding on impact.
• India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) leads the probe, with U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch assisting due to the Boeing aircraft and British victims

What they said

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad is heartbreaking beyond words. My thoughts are with everyone affected”, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his part said, “The scenes of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing are devastating. Boeing also released a statement saying, “We are in contact with Air India and stand ready to support them”.