This is the model of the aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
Hundreds feared dead after Air India Dreamliner crash. British man survives as experts probe potential mechanical failure.
Tragedy struck shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, India, when a London-bound Air India jet crashed into a doctor’s hostel, killing nearly everyone on board and more people on the ground.
Air India crash: are there any survivors?
The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was carrying 242 passengers and crew. So far, just one survivor - a British national, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh - has been found alive and is currently hospitalized, according to Indian media reports.
What caused the Air India crash?
While the cause of the crash remains under investigation, early analysis suggests a possible mechanical issue during takeoff. Aviation experts reviewing footage say the plane’s wing flaps may not have been properly deployed - a critical factor in gaining lift.
“It’s hard to be sure just from the video,” aviation analyst Terry Tozer told the BBC, “but it doesn’t look as if the flaps are extended. That alone could explain the failure to take off correctly.”
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner technical details
The plane involved was an 11-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a model widely used in long-haul travel. Since its commercial debut in 2011, the Dreamliner has flown more than a billion passengers and is considered the world’s best-selling widebody aircraft.
This particular plane had been in Air India’s fleet since early 2014 and had logged over 41,000 hours of flight time, including nearly 8,000 takeoffs and landings, according to data from aviation analytics firm Corium.
The 787-8 typically seats 248 passengers, six fewer than were aboard the ill-fated flight. Boeing also produces larger variants: the 787-9 and 787-10, which can carry up to 296 and 336 passengers respectively.
Boeing crash controversies
This is the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 since its introduction. However, the aircraft has been subject to multiple safety investigations over the years.
Boeing has faced renewed scrutiny in recent years, particularly following the crashes of two 737 MAX 8 planes in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2018 and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2019, disasters that killed 346 people.
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