On June 12, tragedy struck just moments after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London, crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and at least five on the ground. The disaster, India’s deadliest in decades, has plunged the nation into mourning and reignited global scrutiny of Boeing’s record.

Probe begins amid mounting questions

Questions have mounted since over what caused the crash. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has recovered the black box, but the cockpit voice recorder is still missing.
Pilot error remains a possibility, but other clues have raised fresh concerns. Hours before the crash, a passenger named Akash Vatsa had flown on the same aircraft from Delhi to Ahmedabad. He noticed “odd vibrations” and recorded a video, intending to flag it to Air India, his account is now part of the investigation.
 

A missed flight that saved a life

British-Indian national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived, reportedly thrown clear due to his seat’s position near an emergency exit. In a stroke of luck that feels nothing short of a miracle, Bhoomi Chauhan from Bharuch, missed the doomed flight by 10 minutes due to heavy traffic.

“They wouldn’t let me board,” she recalled. “I was stunned when I heard the news. I thank god for saving me.”

Haunting coincidence in Father’s Day advertisement

The public was also spooked by a bizarre coincidence, a newspaper advert promoting a Father’s Day event at KidZania showed an Air India plane flying over cartoon buildings. The image mirrored the real crash scene so closely that many called it a chilling twist of fate.
 

Boeing faces global spotlight

The spotlight has naturally shifted to Boeing. Already reeling from past disasters involving the 737 Max, a mid-air panel blowout in 2024, and multiple whistleblower allegations, the crash adds another blow to the company's troubled reputation.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who took charge in 2024 to steady the ship, expressed grief and assured cooperation. Boeing’s shares dipped sharply after the news, deepening investor unease.

Tata group announce Rs 1 crore compensation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and met with the injured, calling the event “heartbreaking beyond words.” The Tata group, which owns Air India, has pledged Rs 1 crore in compensation to each victim’s family, promised medical care for the injured, and support for rebuilding efforts at the damaged hostel. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson urged the public to rely only on verified information, sharing a helpline for families seeking updates.

Nation mourn loss of lives

The airport, managed by the Adani Group, was temporarily closed and resumed operations by 4:04 pm. As the country grieves and investigators piece together the final moments of AI171, the crash has become more than a tragic accident, it is a moment of reckoning for aviation safety.