Air India flight AI171 crashes near Ahmedabad

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Air India flight AI171 crashes near Ahmedabad

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Airline Ratings | Airline Ratings

By Sky Industry News

Jun 13, 2025

The crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has drawn global attention. The aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad, resulting in significant loss of life and sparking intense investigation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai reported that 265 bodies have been recovered so far, indicating that at least 24 people were killed on the ground in addition to those on board. Only one survivor has been confirmed: Viswashkumar Ramesh, who was seated in seat 11A.

Authorities have recovered one of the aircraft’s two black boxes and are conducting DNA testing to confirm the identities of the deceased. Families overseas are being contacted for DNA samples.

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Speculation about grounding Boeing 787s has arisen; however, there is no current evidence requiring such action. Aviation analyst James Nixon commented on ABC Sydney that footage suggests "a pilot-induced crash" rather than a mechanical failure. AirlineRatings cautions against early speculation and highlights human error as a potential factor.

There were reports of electrical faults earlier that day on the same aircraft during its flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad. Passenger Akash Vatsa shared experiences of malfunctioning air conditioning and unresponsive in-cabin systems. Despite these issues, AirlineRatings advises waiting for official analysis before drawing conclusions.

In response to the crash, AirlineRatings downgraded Air India’s safety rating to 4 out of 7, with potential further reductions pending investigation results. If factors beyond control are identified—such as terrorism or manufacturing defects—the rating will be adjusted accordingly.