Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Revisiting India’s 10 Deadliest Aviat

On June 12, 2025, tragedy returned to Indian skies as Air India Flight AI 171, en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 230 passengers, 2 pilots, and 10 cabin crew members, slammed into a residential complex in Meghaninagar, an overcrowded neighborhood near the airport.

Thick, black smoke engulfed the crash site, visible as far away as Vastrapur, sending the city into panic. Emergency teams rushed to the scene within minutes—firefighters, police, and paramedics worked round-the-clock amid the burning wreckage and twisted fuselage. This catastrophic event is India’s first major air crash since 2020, reigniting debate around aviation safety standards, emergency preparedness, and a grim legacy of air disasters that have historically plagued Indian civil aviation.

Ahmedabad Plane Crash 2025: What We Know So Far

Flight: Air India AI 171
Aircraft Type: Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Route: Ahmedabad to London (Gatwick)
Crash Site: Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad
Onboard: 230 passengers, 2 pilots, 10 crew
Casualties: More that 130 feared dead, many critically injured

Initial investigations suggest that the aircraft lost altitude minutes into flight. Possible causes under scrutiny include mechanical failure, bird strike, and human error. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in collaboration with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and Air India, has launched a full-scale investigation.

This crash draws disturbing parallels with the 1988 Indian Airlines crash that also occurred in Ahmedabad, highlighting possible long-standing vulnerabilities in local weather systems, approach aids, and navigation protocols.

A History Written in Wreckage: India’s 10 Worst Air Disasters

India's aviation industry has seen multiple fatal incidents over the decades. Each crash not only claimed lives but also led to reviews and reforms. Here's a comprehensive look at India’s worst aviation disasters to date:

1. Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision (1996) – World's Deadliest Mid-Air Crash

Date: November 12, 1996
Location: Charkhi Dadri, Haryana
Fatalities: 349
Aircraft: Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76

In the worst mid-air collision in global aviation history, two jets collided due to altitude miscommunication and language barriers. The Kazakh crew, unable to comprehend the Indian air traffic controller’s English instructions, descended to 14,000 feet instead of maintaining 15,000. The incident led to sweeping changes in India's air traffic control protocols, including the mandatory installation of Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) on all commercial flights.

2. Air India Flight 855 Crash (1978) – Arabian Sea Tragedy

Date: January 1, 1978
Location: Arabian Sea, near Mumbai
Fatalities: 213
Aircraft: Boeing 747 “Emperor Ashoka”

This Mumbai-Dubai flight plunged into the sea just four minutes post-takeoff. The crash was attributed to instrument failure, spatial disorientation, and pilot error, compounded by the pilot’s reported history of alcohol abuse and diabetes, as per a UPI report from 1985. It stands as an early example of how human factors and poor oversight can converge into catastrophe.

3. Mangalore Air Crash (2010) – Tabletop Runway Disaster

Date: May 22, 2010
Location: Mangalore, Karnataka
Fatalities: 158
Aircraft: Air India Express Flight IX-812

A Dubai-Mangalore flight overshot the tabletop runway and fell into a gorge, erupting in flames. Only 8 people survived. Investigation reports revealed that the captain ignored multiple calls from his co-pilot and alerts from the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS). The crash exposed the high-risk nature of tabletop runways and pilot fatigue in Indian aviation.

4. Ahmedabad Air Crash (1988) – A Tragic Precursor

Date: October 19, 1988
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Fatalities: 133
Aircraft: Indian Airlines Flight IC113

In poor visibility, the flight crashed while attempting to land. Investigators found that the pilots deviated from standard procedures and failed to manage navigation aids. The incident remains one of India’s most horrific air disasters, now eerily mirrored by the 2025 crash in the same region.

5. Air India Mont Blanc Crash (1966) – Alpine Catastrophe

Date: January 24, 1966
Location: Mont Blanc, Alps (Europe)
Fatalities: 117
Aircraft: Air India Flight 101

Among the dead was Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha, the father of India’s nuclear program. The crash's cause remains inconclusive, though pilot error is suspected. The flight from Bombay to New York crashed near Mont Blanc summit, sparking numerous conspiracy theories and historical intrigue over the years.

Air India Mont Blanc Crash (1966)

6. Patna Plane Crash (2000) – Urban Ground Fatalities

Date: July 17, 2000
Location: Patna, Bihar
Fatalities: 60 (including 5 on ground)
Aircraft: Alliance Air Flight

The flight crashed during a go-around maneuver, landing into a densely populated residential area. Crew miscommunication, lack of proper training, and technical misjudgments were cited. The crash remains one of the deadliest in Bihar’s aviation history.

7. Kozhikode Crash (2020) – Repatriation Flight Tragedy

Date: August 7, 2020
Location: Kozhikode, Kerala
Fatalities: 21
Aircraft: Air India Express Flight IX-1344

Part of the Vande Bharat repatriation mission, this Dubai-Kozhikode flight skidded off the tabletop runway during heavy rain and low visibility, falling into a 30-foot gorge and breaking into two. Both pilots were killed, and over 100 passengers were injured. The crash prompted global scrutiny of India’s airport safety, especially concerning tabletop runways.

8. Aurangabad Crash (1993) – Vehicular Obstruction Disaster

Date: April 26, 1993
Location: Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Fatalities: 55
Aircraft: Indian Airlines Flight IC491

The plane hit a truck that had mistakenly entered the runway during takeoff, then crashed into electric wires and the ground. The mishap revealed serious lapses in airport security and ground movement control, prompting immediate safety reviews.

9. Bombay Crash (1976) – Early Indian Aviation Calamity

Date: October 12, 1976
Location: Mumbai (then Bombay)
Fatalities: 95
Aircraft: Indian Airlines Flight 171

Little is publicly known about the technical cause, but the crash marked one of the early fatalities in Indian aviation, eventually leading to tighter oversight in airline maintenance and pilot training.

10. Bangalore Air Crash (1990) – Descent Disaster

Date: February 14, 1990
Location: Bangalore (now Bengaluru), Karnataka
Fatalities: 92
Aircraft: Indian Airlines Flight IC605

The aircraft crashed short of the HAL Airport runway due to pilot error and premature descent, exposing the lack of adequate simulator training and leading to revisions in approach procedures for Airbus aircraft.

Time for Reform, Again

The 2025 Ahmedabad crash is a devastating reminder that India’s civil aviation journey—despite decades of growth—remains vulnerable to human error, infrastructure gaps, and emergency lapses. With India poised to become one of the world's largest aviation markets, ensuring safety, training, and preparedness must remain a national priority.

The crash investigation underway will reveal exact causes. But one thing is already clear: the echoes of past disasters still haunt present skies. And unless lessons are learned and implemented swiftly, history will continue repeating itself—at great human cost.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies