An Air India flight, AI171, has crashed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. According to the DGCA, the ill-fated flight had 242 people on board and was headed to London. Immediately after the incident, four NDRF teams were dispatched to the crash site.
Who Were the Pilots of Air India AI171?
Reports indicate that the aircraft was commanded by Captain Sumit Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar as his co-pilot. Both pilots had significant flying experience. Captain Sabharwal had over 8,200 flight hours under his belt, while First Officer Clive Kundar had logged around 1,100 hours of flying experience.
According to ATC, the aircraft took off from Runway 23 at approximately 1:30 PM. Just about a minute after takeoff, the plane crashed outside the airport perimeter. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the crash site, and it is believed that the aircraft hit a tree during the crash.
Also Read-: Air India Plane Crash: Boeing 787 Dreamliner Price and Past Controversies
As per initial reports, the aircraft experienced a malfunction shortly after takeoff. The plane’s altitude was too low for the pilots to take corrective action or send out a distress signal. Experts say that if the aircraft had reached a higher altitude before the malfunction, the pilots might have had a chance to attempt recovery—but unfortunately, that was not the case.
Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani Was Onboard
It is being reported that former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also on board the AI171 flight. Following the incident, the Civil Aviation Minister left for Gujarat. Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Gujarat CM to get a detailed update on the situation.
According to DGCA, among the passengers were 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian citizen. The remaining 169 passengers were Indian nationals.