Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad: Everything we know

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad: Everything we know

Air India flight AI 171—headed from Ahmedabad to Gatwick airport in London—crashed moments after take-off around 1:30 pm. No one knows why. But you can see it taking off—and crashing right after below:

Here is a clearer angle of the crash:

And here’s a map illustrating how close the crash site is to the airport:

Flight's final moments: The final moments, as tracked by Flightradar24, were chillingly brief:

13:30 local time (08:00 GMT / 09:00 BST): Aircraft recorded on the ground (0 knots)

13:34 local time: Still on the ground, but speed picking up to 10 knots (11.5mph / 18.5km/h)

13:38 local time: Sudden climb to 625ft (190m) and 174 knots. Signal was then lost

The crash site: The plane plowed into a dining hall of a medical college hostel next door to the airport. At least four students are confirmed dead—many others have been rushed to the hospital. You can see the tail of the plane: “The plane’s back part is stuck in the dining hall, and the front hit the residential building”:

The casualty count: The flight was carrying 242 people—including twelve crew members. Those on board included 169 Indians—including former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani—53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian. Add in victims who were eating at the dining hall, and the total death count is 269 as of now.

The sole survivor: By sheer miracle, one person—sitting in seat 11A—survived the crash. The 40-year-old British national—Vishwash Kumar Ramesh—was returning home with his brother who did not survive. According to the police, Ramesh was seated next to the emergency exit—and jumped out. He suffered ‘impact injuries’ to his chest, eyes and feet—but was able to stagger out of the debris to an ambulance nearby:

When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.

And below is an unverified clip of him walking after the crash:

And here he is at the hospital—where he received a visit from Home Minister Amit Shah:

The cruelest bit: Newswire IANS tweeted out the entire passenger manifest at 3:04 pm. Long before the vast majority of family members even knew of their loss. Making it even worse: the list included passport numbers. It has since been deleted.

OTOH: The newspaper Mid-Day can hardly be blamed for carrying this unfortunate front page ad—published hours before the crash:

About the plane: Yes, this plane too was a Boeing—whose aircraft have been involved in a number of catastrophic crashes—and midair mishaps (explained at great length in this Big Story). The airline had just about recovered from years of federal investigations and bad PR.

This particular craft was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner—and is 12 years old. It was among 36 Dreamliners owned by Air India—usually operated on long-haul international routes. This is the first ever fatal crash to involve the Dreamliner—which was launched 14 years ago. It recently celebrated the milestone of carrying one billion passengers. There are 1,175 Dreamliners—which have flown nearly five million flights covering more than 30 million flight hours.

But, but, but: There have been a number of concerns about the Dreamliner—despite its pristine record:

Other whistle-blowers have also raised concerns about the South Carolina factory where the Dreamliner is assembled. Among them was John Barnett, a former quality manager with almost three decades of experience at Boeing, who went public with his concerns in 2019. He and other people who had worked at the factory highlighted shoddy practices, including the improper routing of wires and manufacturing tools and debris left inside planes.

A grim footnote: Barnett later killed himself after accusing Boeing of retaliating against him. The company recently settled a lawsuit with his family.

List of probable causes: We will not know what happened until the black box data has been examined. However, as always, there are theories. Aerospace engineering expert Abhay Pashilkar points to the weight of the plane:

A plausible scenario was the plane being overloaded, he explained. This meant an incorrect estimate of the combined weight of the loaded airplane and the quantity of available fuel. This along with the external temperature determines the speed at which the plane must attain to keep rising and a misjudgment on that can cause the plane to stall and drop.

Other theories shared with BBC News include:

Rare double engine failure: "There would have been no time for [the pilot] to react if he lost both engines.”
Bird strike—since Ahmedabad airport is “notorious for birds”.
Closed plane flaps—which were not extended during take-off.

Remembering the dead: We leave you with this achingly poignant video—posted by a gay couple from Britain—Jamie Meek and Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek—right before they boarded the flight:

Reading list: BBC News has the most detailed report on the theories about the crash. New York Times and The Telegraph are best on the Dreamliner. The Hindu has more on the survivor—while The Telegraph has his account. Indian Express reports on the crew and some of the passengers who died on board.

Weaponising festivals: Twist on a communal tactic

The context: Hindutva groups—with the support of local governments—have long used festivals to target Muslims. For example, religious rallies during Hindu festivals usually end in attacks on mosques—or meat sellers. Prayers and food stalls during Ramzan or Eid are restricted—OTOH Muslims are told to stay home during Holi. Uttar Pradesh has now moved to banning Muslim festivals outright—even as it amps up Hindu celebrations.

What happened first: Last month, the government canceled the centuries-old Jeth Mela that was held every year at the shrine of Saiyad Salar Masud Ghazi. He is an 11th-century Sufi figure revered by both Muslims and Hindus. However, Yogi-ji has taken exception to Ghazi’s family ties—he is believed to be a nephew of Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud of Ghazni. The excuse for canceling the fair: Operation Sindoor.

What happened now: The very same Yogi Adityanath has told officials to organise a mela in Chittaura in honour of Suheldev. His claim to fame: The king of Shravasti is famous for killing Ghazi. The location: Just 18 minutes from Bahraich, the location of the Jeth Mela. So let’s review: a new mela for a king rarely remembered; no mela for a Sufi saint revered for centuries—and attended by more Hindus than Muslims.

Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu: A rightwing Hindu group wants to organise an 11-day conference of Lord Murugan devotees in Madurai. The BJP is furious at the Stalin government for trying to restrict it to three days.

Why this matters: Some Indians are losing their fundamental right to the freedom of religion—specifically the “freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion.” The Telegraph and The Wire have more on the banning of Jeth Mela in Bahraich. Indian Express looks at the Muruga Bakthargalin Aanmeega Maanadu in Tamil Nadu.

The Club World Cup is here: Does anyone care?

The what: On Sunday, 32 football clubs will duke it out in the Club World Cup. This year’s championship is a grand revamp of a far more modest tournament—whose previous editions were held every year and involved just seven clubs. The new version will be staged once in four years—like the flagship World Cup you know and love.

The venue: The tournament will be staged in 12 stadiums across 11 US cities, mostly along the East coast. Check out the complete schedule here.

Where to watch: Games will be free to watch on the streaming app DAZN—which shelled out $1 billion for the global streaming rights thanks to an injection of Saudi money. So Indian fans can tune in as well.

The favourites: are Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and PSG—five of the dozen European clubs in the mix. All have won the Champions League in recent years. For a major upset, look to the 20 non-European clubs—including Lionel Messi’s team Inter Miami.

The big prize: As part of its push to add prestige to the Club World Cup, FIFA is doling out $1 billion to the participating clubs—of which $425 million is performance-based. The champion stands to earn as much as $125 million.

The big problem: The clubs and players may be happy to put on a grand show for the moolah. But FIFA is losing a far bigger battle—getting fans to show up:

So far, things are not going well on that front. Falling prices on Ticketmaster bode ill for the competition. Just days before the games were due to begin, FIFA slashed prices for the opening match: MLS club Inter Miami against Egypt’s Al-Ahly. Reports suggest that less than a third of tickets at the 65,000-seat venue for the opener, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, had sold — despite the likely presence of soccer superstar Lionel Messi.

Killing the joy: Border Patrol and ICE—who are handling stadium security—proudly “suited and booted” for the occasion. That’s what their tweet claimed—until FIFA made them delete it. A big chunk of the diehard soccer fans in the US are Hispanic or Latino—and they are cancelling watch parties in order to avoid potential ICE raids.

Reminder: the US is also co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup—which may become collateral damage for Trump’s anti-immigration carnage. And yet, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has been cosying up to Trump.

The big picture: Infantino wants the Club World Cup to supersede the Champions League in the years to come. It is part of a broader power struggle with football’s governing body in Europe—UEFA—which wants to host a 48-team Club World Cup across Europe for the 2029 edition. FWIW, this Club World Cup looks dead on arrival less than 48 hours before a ball is kicked.

Reading list: The Guardian has the best tournament preview and analysis of the Saudi money behind DAZN backing the tournament. The Conversation offers a good summary of the lukewarm fan response and the FIFA-UEFA power struggle. New York Times reports on fan anxieties over ICE raids during the tournament, and The Independent breaks down how Infantino embraced Trump and the Club World Cup as a political football.

what caught our eye

business & tech

ChatGPT is the fastest-growing platform in history. Axios looks at OpenAI’s bid to dethrone Google as the default search engine.
But, as more users ditch Google for ChatGPT, a new breed of AI bots is out scouring the web—scraping pages and speed-reading content like never before.
Disney and NBCUniversal are taking Midjourney to court—accusing the AI company of copyright infringement in a joint lawsuit filed this week.
Quartz has a good read on how AI-fuelled apps are turning your wardrobe into a smart, synced style hub—knowing your size, calendar, and crop-top cravings before you do.

sports & entertainment

Mani Ratnam’s 'Thug Life' crashed at the box office on day 7—marking his first flop in a decade and Kamal Haasan’s worst single day haul yet.
WTA players can now freeze their rankings while freezing their eggs—with new rules backing fertility treatments alongside existing maternity support.
Apple’s new ‘F1: The Movie’ trailer starring Brad Pitt comes with iPhone vibrations—though the so-called ‘haptic’ thrills barely register.
The World Test Championship final remains finely poised after a rollercoaster day two. Australia are on 144-8 in their second innings with a lead of 218—earlier, captain Pat Cummins took 6 wickets to dismiss South Africa for just 138.
Wimbledon’s upping the stakes—this year’s singles champs will take home a record £3 million each, marking an 11.1% bump amid players’ growing demands for a bigger cut.

health & environment

Attention, dog owners! A new study has found these breeds are more likely to experience diarrhea serious enough for a vet visit: the Maltese, Miniature Poodle, Cavapoo, German Shepherd, and Yorkshire Terrier.
Associated Press has answers to the question every dog parent dreads: Should you let pets sleep next to you?
A new study sounds an alarm on the surprising and concerning surge in a forgotten cancer among youngsters: appendix cancer.
That daily cookie with your “balanced” lunch? A new study says it could inflame your gut and quietly nudge you toward obesity—even if the rest of your meals look clean.

meanwhile, in the world

In an unprecedented and continuing development, Israel has launched a wave of strikes on Iran’s military and nuclear sites—Netanyahu says the offensive will go on “as long as necessary.” You can follow Al Zareea’s live blog for more coverage.
Al Jazeera also has a good read on Trump’s big birthday bash-military parade in DC—raising eyebrows amid protest crackdowns in LA.
OTOH, progressive groups are staging hundreds of ‘No Kings’ rallies to counter Trump’s military parade with a show of defiance.
Russia’s crackdown on dissent rolls on—Navalny ally Leonid Volkov gets 18 years in absentia, while another Opposition figure is placed under house arrest.
A federal judge has blocked Trump from detaining Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil—calling it a violation of free speech.
Another judge has slapped down Trump’s move to deploy the National Guard in LA—calling it illegal and ordering it back under state control.
In a mass protest, Fulbright board members appointed by Biden have resigned—accusing the Trump administration of politicizing the prestigious scholarship program.
Pope Leo XIV makes his first Chinese bishop pick under the Vatican’s 2018 deal with Beijing—keeping alive one of Francis’ most divisive legacies.

meanwhile, in India

The News Minute has the deets on why Andhra’s blocking Karnataka’s Totapuri mangoes at the border.
Maheshtala burned for five hours just steps from a police station—exposing a complete collapse of intelligence and crisis response ahead of Bengal’s tense election season.

Four things to see

One: Alex Padilla—the first Latino Senator elected from California—was forcibly removed from a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles. The reason: he tried to question her about the immigration raids. You can see the viral video below. After the incident, Noem said the US Secret Service “thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately.” Coz all Latinos look alike, people! (NBC News)

Two: This collection of bandhani-inspired patterns on hoodies, cropped tees, tanks etc marks Nike’s first ever collab with an Indian designer label—NorBlack NorWhite. Ofc, we have a bizarre cricket theme—because India, dude!

Ofc, we have a sari in the mix—because India, dude! (CNN)

Three: Andy Serkis’ long-awaited animated take on George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ finally premiered at the Annecy Animation Film Festival this week. Over a decade in the making, the film reimagines Orwell’s classic—complete with a despotic pig (voiced by Seth Rogen), a billionaire agro-villain (Glenn Close), and a Gen Z pig caught in the moral crossfire (Gaten Matarazzo). Catch the exclusive first look below. Heads-up: as per early reviews, the film isn't any good. Hollywood Reporter also has an interview with Serkis taken at the film festival screening.

Four: The Grammy-winning pop star’s new album ‘Man’s Best Friend’ drops on August 29—but it is mostly making waves for its album cover—which shows her kneeling like a dog as a man pulls her by the hair. Not a woman’s best friend, then. (Marie Claire)