An Air India flight, AI171, en route from Ahmedabad to London, was involved in a serious accident today. The aircraft took off from Runway 23 at Ahmedabad Airport at 1:17 PM but crashed near the BJ Medical College campus in the Meghani Nagar area shortly after takeoff. The incident has sent shockwaves across the nation. Following this, the Indigo flight scheduled to depart from Raipur Airport for Ahmedabad has been cancelled until further notice.
The Director of Raipur Airport confirmed the cancellation of the flight to Ahmedabad. The Indigo flight, which typically operates from Raipur to Ahmedabad, has been grounded until further instructions are issued.
According to eyewitnesses, the rear of the aircraft struck a tree during takeoff, causing it to lose balance and crash into a residential area. A large plume of black smoke was seen rising from the crash site, leading to widespread panic in the area.
The aircraft carried a total of 242 people, including 2 pilots, 10 cabin crew members, and 230 passengers. Sources indicate that Captain Sumit Sabharwal, with 8200 hours of flying experience, was in command of the aircraft. Co-pilot Clive Kunder had 1100 hours of experience. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the passengers on this flight.
