- HM Amit Shah speaks with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel
- Ahmedabad Airport shut till further notice after Air India plane crash
- Army Cantonment breaks its boundary wall to give access to the accident site for the rescue mission
NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, JUNE 12
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and Ahmedabad Police Commissioner following the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London, Gatwick, earlier on Thursday, was involved in a crash shortly after takeoff, outside the airport.
There was no immediate confirmation on casualties in the Ahmedabad plane crash incident.
While visuals first surfaced showing huge plumes of smoke billowing from the plane crash site, a video of the incident also was shared on social media later, showing the exact moment the aircraft crashed.
The flight was identified as Air India 171, which online flight trackers showed as a 1:10 pm service from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport in London. The plane was being flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar.
“Air India, B787 Dreamliner aircraft, Ahmedabad to London (Gatwick) airport, had crashed into a residential area (Meghani Nagar), taking off at 1:38 PM, and crashed 5 minutes after takeoff. Directorate of Airworthiness (DAW), Assistant Directors of Airworthiness (ADAW) and one Flight Operations Inspector (FOI) already in Ahmedabad for some other task. They are getting details,” the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.
As many as three NDRF teams, comprising 90 personnel, have been deployed to the crash site from Gandhinagar. Three additional teams are being moved from Vadodara, the NDRF added.
“There were 242 persons on board the aircraft consisting of 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew. The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar. And Captain Sumeet Sabharwal is a LTC with 8200 Hrs of experience. The copilot had 1100Hrs of flying experience. As per ATC, aircraft departed from Ahmadabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) 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. Aircraft immediately after departure from runway 23, fell on ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the DGCA said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army at Army Cantonment in Ahmedabad has broke open its boundary wall so that easy access to the site of crash could be achieved. At present from the civil area there is a narrow road available towards the crash site, says a Defence spokesman.
The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
Air India issued a statement after the crash, saying flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident.
“At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia),” Air India posted on X.
Initial ADS-B data shared by Flightradar24 from flight AI171 showed that the aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet) and then it started to descend with an vertical speed of -475 feet per minute.
“As a result [of the plane crash], Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, is currently not operational. All flight operations are temporarily suspended until further notice,” SVPIA spokesperson said.
“Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates before proceeding to the airport. We request your cooperation and patience as authorities manage this evolving situation. Further updates will be provided as soon as available,” the statement added.
