The Ahmedabad plane crash, which saw an Al-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 plummet shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad International Airport on June 12, 2025, Thursday, has been labelled one of India’s most tragic aviation disasters, claiming 241 of the 242 lives on board.

The aircraft, en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, has left authorities and experts scrambling for answers.

Saligram J Murlidhar, former Deputy Director of the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), described the incident as "one of the most unfortunate incidents in Indian recent history.” He highlighted the Boeing Dreamliner’s advanced safety and navigation systems, noting it is “almost foolproof," making the crash particularly perplexing, the media reported.

The flight, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, with 1,100 hours, took off from runway 23 at 13:39 IST (08:09 UTC).

Air Traffic Control reported a Mayday call shortly after departure, followed by radio silence. The aircraft crashed just outside the airport perimeter, erupting into a massive fireball with heavy black smoke.

Murlidhar suggested that fuel contamination could be a likely cause, explaining that contaminated fuel would cause both engines to malfunction similarly, resulting in reduced thrust and the aircraft’s inability to maintain its climb rate.

He noted that the plane, carrying over 35 tonnes of fuel for its transatlantic flight, likely intensified the fireball upon impact.

He also dismissed the possibility of a bird strike, stating that it was highly unlikely for both engines to be affected simultaneously by such an event.

Investigators are now prioritising the recovery of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).

Murlidhar explained that the FDR’s memory card must be retrieved, mounted on a functional unit, and its data downloaded for analysis. Synchronising this with CVR data will help uncover the root cause of the crash.

The passenger list included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. Only one survivor was reported by airline officials.

As the investigation into the Ahmedabad plane crash continues, fuel contamination remains a key focus, with the aviation community awaiting further findings to explain this devastating tragedy.

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