Ahmedabad: Videos recorded by local people had initially suggested that Air India flight AI-171 crashed within a few minutes of taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.
However, a second video which went viral in the evening shows the London Gatwick-bound Dreamliner aircraft, carrying 242 people, coming down in less than a minute after take-off.
A video clip of CCTV footage from the airport runway seems to show what looks to be a perfect lift-off of the aircraft. But within 30 seconds, the plane suddenly loses altitude from just 625 feet above ground and bursts into flames, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
AI-171 took flight at 1.39 pm, and soon after the pilot sent out the distress ‘MAYDAY’ call. As officials at the air traffic control responded, they didn’t hear back from the pilot, and the plane crashed into a medical college hostel building less than a minute later.
LIVE CCTV VIDEO
CCTV footage of Ahmedabad-London Air India flight taking off #Ahmedabadplanecrash #london #planecrash #Ahmedabad #AirIndia @BBC_Olga_M @BBCWorld @AP @arabnews @CNN @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/Bw8NVKGBGQ— Vikas Makwana (@Vikasmakwana111) June 12, 2025
“#AI171 departed using the full length of Runway 23 at Ahmedabad. The aircraft backtracked to the end of the runway before beginning its take-off roll,” was all that Flightradar24 could track of the flight.
