Two days after Air India Flight AI171 crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, claiming 241 lives, investigators are starting to uncover potential causes of the tragedy. At a first press briefing after the tragic incident, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that the aircraft’s black box had been recovered and is now being decoded. Officials hope it will provide crucial data to explain how a routine flight to London’s Gatwick airport turned deadly within minutes.
Air India Flight AI171 departed Ahmedabad at 1:38 PM on June 12, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Moments after takeoff, the aircraft rapidly lost altitude.
#WATCH | Delhi: #AhmedabadPlaneCrash | Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu says, “To further investigate the incident and to look into all the theories and other information that is going around this incident, we felt it would be much better to have another… pic.twitter.com/gObuHia5Cq
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2025
During a press conference on June 14, 2025, Aviation Ministry Secretary SK Sinha stated that authorities were informed of the Air India Flight AI171 crash “around 2 PM,” approximately 20 minutes after the incident occurred.
“The plane took off at 1.39 pm and, within a few seconds, after reaching a height of about 650 feet, it started sinking, i.e., it started losing height. The pilot informed Ahmedabad ATC that it was a ‘mayday’, i.e., a full emergency. When ATC tried to contact, it did not receive a response.”
Moments later, the plane crashed approximately 2 kilometres from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Amid speculation about the Air India Flight AI171’s readiness and potential mechanical, electronic, or technical issues, the Aviation Ministry clarified that the aircraft had safely completed the Paris-Delhi-Ahmedabad route “without any incident” prior to the crash.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, addressing the first press conference on the tragedy, extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
#WATCH | Delhi: #AhmedabadPlaneCrash | Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu says “The last two days have been, very difficult. The accident that happened near Ahmedabad airport shook the entire nation. My deepest condolences to all the families who have lost… pic.twitter.com/hiSTI4L4gX
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2025
“The past two days have been extremely difficult for everyone involved. I lost my father in a road accident, so I can understand, to some extent, the pain these families are going through,” he said.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken charge of the investigation, with its Director General arriving at the site soon after the crash. Naidu said the investigation is being treated with “utmost seriousness” and that a detailed report will be shared once available.
The black box, retrieved from the wreckage of Air India Flight AI171 at around 5 PM on June 13, 2025, is anticipated to shed light on the final moments, revealing potential system failures, technical malfunctions, or other emergency causes. For now, the crash’s cause remains undetermined.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday ordered enhanced safety inspection on Boeing 787-8/9 fleet of Air India, following the deadly crash.
“As a preventive measure DGCA hereby directs M/s Air India to carryout following additional maintenance actions on 8787-8/9 aircrafts equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect in coordination with the concerned regional DGCA offices,” said the official statement of DGCA.
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