NEW DELHI: What began as a routine takeoff for Air India flight AI-171 turned into a nightmare, captured in chilling clarity by an airport CCTV camera in Ahmedabad.At 1.39 pm, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner accelerated down runway 23 of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The CCTV footage showed the aircraft lifting off smoothly, carrying 242 passengers onboard — 169 Indians, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian national.But what followed was a scene of unimaginable horror.Seconds after liftoff, the Dreamliner failed to climb as expected. Instead of soaring, it skimmed forward – too low, too slow. For a moment, it held its course, flying level just above the cityscape. Then came the inevitable descent.In 30 seconds, the aircraft slammed into a doctors’ hostel of a medical college, located just beyond the airport perimeter in Meghaninagar locality. The impact was devastating. Flames erupted. Thick black smoke coiled into the sky. Glass and concrete rained down. A building meant to heal now became a scene of carnage.One survivor foundRescue teams rushed in, clawing through the mangled debris. From the wreckage, miraculously, one survivor was pulled out—found in seat 11A, bloodied but alive. He was immediately taken to a hospital.Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed the survival to ANI, cautioning that the full death toll was still being assessed. “We cannot say anything definitive yet. The aircraft crashed in a residential area. The numbers could rise,” he said.The crash also claimed lives on the ground, five people in the hostel were killed instantly.Final moments: A Mayday and then silenceAccording to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft sent out a Mayday call moments after departure but then fell silent. There was no further communication. The plane plummeted just beyond the runway, coming to a fiery end outside airport boundaries.The aircraft was being piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned commander with over 8,200 flight hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of flying experience.Air India confirmed the tragedy in an official statement, expressing deep regret and announcing a dedicated helpline (1800 5691 444) for families of the passengers. The airline pledged full cooperation with investigators.The Gujarat government has deployed three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, comprising 90 personnel, from Gandhinagar to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts.The Ahmedabad city police also issued a helpline number, 079-25620359, to provide emergency support and information.
