New Delhi: In its first official briefing since the devastating Air India plane crash on June 12, the Ministry of Civil Aviation revealed that the aircraft’s captain had issued a distress call—‘Mayday’—just seconds after takeoff. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into a medical college hostel complex in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area, killing 241 of the 242 people on board.
At a press conference on Saturday, Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the flight had just departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 pm when trouble struck.
“At 1:39 pm, the pilot informed Ahmedabad ATC that it was a Mayday, i.e., full emergency. According to ATC, when it tried to contact the plane, it did not receive any response. Exactly after 1 minute, this plane crashed in Meghaninagar, which is located at a distance of about 2 km from the airport,” Sinha said, as quoted by ANI.
The captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned Line Training Captain with over 8,200 flying hours, made the Mayday call moments before the aircraft lost altitude and crashed.
The ministry confirmed that prior to this, the aircraft had successfully completed its Paris–Delhi–Ahmedabad sector without any issues.
“Due to the accident, the runway was closed at 2:30 pm and after completing all the protocols, the runway of Ahmedabad was opened for limited flights from 5 pm,” added Sinha.
Crash Overview:
- Flight: Air India AI 171
- Aircraft: Boeing 787 Dreamliner
- Route: Paris – Delhi – Ahmedabad – London
- Passengers and Crew: 242
- Fatalities: 241 onboard, over 20 on the ground
- Survivor: 1 British national of Indian origin
- Crash Site: Medical hostel complex, Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad
The aircraft plummeted just 2 km from the runway after issuing the Mayday call, sparking a massive blaze and killing several residents of the building it struck.
Black Box Recovered
On Friday, investigators recovered the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR)—commonly known as the black box—from the rooftop of the medical college hostel. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu stated that the device is critical in uncovering the moments leading up to the crash.
“The black box will provide in-depth insight into what happened moments before the plane crash,” he said.