**Air India Flight 171 Crash: What Happened**
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 bound for London, crashed minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad, India. It carried 244 people; only one survived. The plane lost signal just after reaching 625 feet and issued a mayday before crashing into a hostel in Meghani Nagar. “We are ascertaining the details,” Air India said. Weather was clear, and no technical issues were reported before takeoff.
**The Lone Survivor**
British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, walked away alive. “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,” he told *Hindustan Times*. He lost his brother, Ajay, who was also on the flight. Injured, Vishwash stumbled through the debris until rescued.
**Pilot’s Final Act**
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal made a last-ditch mayday call—“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”—before the aircraft went silent. It was his final attempt to alert ATC of the emergency.
**Victims and Aftermath**
The crash killed 241 people, including students in the hostel. Families gathered at hospitals for news. “I got the news that the plane had crashed. So I came here,” said Poonam Patel, whose sister-in-law was aboard.
**Aviation Impact**
This marks the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787-8, a model with over 30 million flight hours globally.
