13 Air India Crashes, 1,200+ Deaths: The One Deadly Mistake Found In Every Tragedy
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The Air India crash on June 12 joins a grim chronicle of deadly air crashes over the past five decades - each one a brutal reminder that the skies have not always been safe
The Air India plane crash that took place on June 12, 2025, in the skies over Ahmedabad has once again thrown the aviation safety protocols into serious question. Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner headed for London, crashed into a densely populated residential area just minutes after takeoff, killing 241 people on board and 38 on the ground. Only one passenger survived.
The sheer scale of the devastation has reignited public outrage and raised old, haunting questions; Was it a sudden technical failure or human error? Or is there a deeper, systemic rot in the aviation safety net?
While the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is yet to release its final report, preliminary signals hint at a technical fault. Experts from the US and UK have joined the investigation, with the recovered black box offering critical data. But this tragedy is not an isolated incident. Rather, it joins a grim chronicle of deadly air crashes over the past five decades – each one a brutal reminder that the skies have not always been safe.
Here is a look back at some of the darkest air disasters involving Air India and its subsidiaries, each peeling back the layers of misjudgment, mechanical failure, and institutional apathy:
1. Ahmedabad | June 12, 2025: Crash Into Medical Building, 279 Dead
Flight AI-171 had barely lifted off before it plunged into a crowded neighbourhood. The crash not only incinerated all but one passenger but also claimed dozens of lives on the ground. Investigations are ongoing, but early signs point to possible technical malfunction.
2. Kozhikode | August 7, 2020: Runway Overrun, 21 Dead
3. Mangalore | May 22, 2010: Overshot Runway, 158 Dead
Flight IX-812 from Dubai failed to stop on Mangalore's precarious tabletop runway. Investigators revealed the captain ignored repeated warnings from the co-pilot to abort the landing. Fatigue and misjudgment were central to the disaster.
4. Patna | July 17, 2000: Crash Into A Slum, 60 Dead
Alliance Air Flight 7412 stalled midair during landing and crashed into a residential colony. The pilot had taken an incorrect approach. Investigators blamed poor training and the dangerous proximity of dense population zones near the airport.
5. Aurangabad | April 26, 1993: Collision With Truck On Runway, 55 Dead
Indian Airlines Flight 491 hit a truck that was inexplicably on the runway during takeoff. The fatal lapse in ground traffic management shocked aviation regulators. This incident spotlighted the chaos that can exist beyond the cockpit.
6. Imphal | August 16, 1991: Crash During Descent, 69 Dead
Indian Airlines Flight 257 crashed into a hill as it prepared to land. The pilot had miscalculated altitude in poor visibility. A tragic case of overconfidence and flawed judgment.
7. Bangalore | February 14, 1990: Premature Landing, 92 Dead
Flight 605, an Airbus A320, hit the ground short of the runway while approaching HAL Airport. The cause was alleged unfamiliarity with the cockpit layout of the newly inducted Airbus, leading to a botched landing.
8. Ahmedabad | October 19, 1988: Descent Into Trees, 133 Dead
Indian Airlines Flight 113 collided with trees during its final approach in low visibility. Pilot miscalculation, along with failure of the air traffic control to provide accurate weather updates, sealed the fate of almost everyone onboard.
9. Mumbai | June 21, 1982: Crash During Storm, 17 Dead
Flight 403 crashed while landing during a monsoon deluge at Sahar Airport. Pilots struggled with visibility, and the aircraft veered off the runway.
10. Mumbai | January 1, 1978: Into The Arabian Sea, 213 Dead
Flight 855, a Boeing 747, nosedived into the sea shortly after takeoff. Investigators said the captain was misled by faulty instruments and became spatially disoriented. It remains one of the worst aviation disasters in history.
11. Mumbai | October 12, 1976: Engine Fire Mid-Air, 95 Dead
Indian Airlines Flight 171 was engulfed in flames shortly after takeoff. The fire started due to a malfunction in the fuel system and rapidly spread, leaving no survivors.
12. Delhi | May 31, 1973: Crash into Power Lines, 48 Dead
Flight 440 crashed into electrical wires near Palam Airport. Pilots made a risky approach during a thunderstorm and visibility was near zero. Another case of poor weather judgment and lack of updated landing protocols.
13. Meghamalai | December 9, 1971: Crash Into Hills, 31 Dead
An Indian Airlines Avro HS-748 failed to navigate through dense fog and crashed into the mountains of Meghamalai. Navigational missteps in treacherous weather proved fatal.
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From cockpit miscalculations to poorly managed runways and inadequate infrastructure, the thread running through all these tragedies is disturbingly consistent. Each plane crash has brought with it a fresh wave of grief, investigations, and promises of reform; yet fundamental flaws persist.
What makes the June 2025 Ahmedabad plane crash particularly painful is not just the scale of loss, but the deja vu of it all.
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
June 17, 2025, 16:25 IST
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Air accident probe teams begin dissecting AI 171 wreckage
Ahmedabad: The investigation team comprising four agencies, including three international bodies, has cordoned off the AI 171 crash site at Atulyam Complex in Meghaninagar. They are racing against time as monsoon showers pose a challenge for critical evidence collection since morning. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The investigators deployed advanced documentation techniques to preserve every fragment of the plane wreckage. "Each significant piece will be photographed and videographed before removal or being shifted, following international aviation accident protocols," said a senior official at the crash site. "Investigators implement grid systems to accurately map the wreckage distribution and debris field. The pattern of debris is crucial for indicating the angle of impact and reconstructing the aircraft's flight path," explained a senior official at the crash site. The painstaking evidence collection process usually involves cataloguing electronic equipment, mechanical components, hydraulic systems, engine fragments, and flight control avionics—all of which need to be sealed in moisture-proof containers to prevent contamination. "The purpose is to examine fractures and stresses or material failure," the official added. Security remains tight at the site. "Fire services, police, and municipal officials and personnel are at a distance, while the air accident experts are at work. The wreckage has been covered, and a few labourers are assisting them. Even officers are not allowed to take their mobiles or any recording devices," the site official revealed. The investigation is spearheaded by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), working alongside the United States' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), underscoring the international significance of the probe. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Beyond physical evidence, investigators are compiling extensive data sets, including eyewitness testimonies, aircraft maintenance records, crew training logs, and operational history, to identify potential technical issues or procedural deviations that may have contributed to the accident, explained a senior police official.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
'You will be missed': Air India gives ‘final salute' to Captain Sabharwal who died in Ahmedabad plane crash
Air India Plane Crash: Air India, on Tuesday bid an emotional farewell to Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who lost his life in the deadly plane crash in Ahmedabad, along with 240 others on Thursday, June 12. Giving a 'final salute' to Captain Sabharwal, and honouring him as an 'exceptional aviator", Air India posted on X: 'RIP Captain. You will be missed.' The 'exceptional aviator's was laid to rest today, June 17. His funeral was attended by Air India COO, Tata Group's HR Head and Communications Head, Air India shared on X. Hailed as a 'hero' by locals – Captain Sabharwal — who was in the cockpit of the ill-fated AI-I71 flight, reportedly managed to divert the aircraft at the last second to prevent crashing into any apartment block, saving many lives. On June 12 – the 'darkest day in Tata Group's history,' plumes of black smoke filled the skies in Ahmedabad's Mehnaninagar after flight AI171 smashed into BJ Medical College Hostel's Mess, killing 241 people on board, and others on ground. The death toll climbed to 270, including MBBS students, a PG resident doctor, who were having lunch in the mess when the London Gatwick bound plane lost height and turned into a 'fire-ball' – crashing into the hostel. Mumbai, Jun 17 (ANI): Father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, Pushkaraj, pays last respect with teary eyes to his son who piloted the ill-fated Air India plane in Ahmedabad that crashed soon after takeoff, outside their residence at Powai in Mumbai on Tuesday. (ANI Video Grab) Bodies were charred, requiring forensic teams to carry out DNA tests to identify them and hand over to the kin. Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Superintendent Rakesh Joshi said that as of today evening, a total of 163 DNA samples have been matched Only one person – seated at 11A during the time of the crash — Ramesh Vishwas Kumar, miraculously survived. Even in the face of the deadly crash, the late captain of the Boeing Dreamliner is remembered by locals as a 'hero.' Mumbai, India - June 17, 2025: Relatives and neighbors gather outside the Powai residence as the body of captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who died in the ill-fated Air India flight, arrives home on Tuesday morning in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) All 18 families residing in the three-story building beneath the flight path are certain that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal saved their lives. His Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which was heading straight toward their homes, got diverted as skillful handling of the emergency averted the disaster at that place, reported The Sun. Aged 54-years-old, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the son of an officer from India's civil aviation authority. The deceased captain was a seasoned pilot with 8,200 hours of flight experience and also the primary caregiver for his father — currently in his 80s — whom he called just prior to the takeoff.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
37 years after 133 lives were lost, families of 1988 Ahmedabad air tragedy victims still await "fair compensation"
The deadly crash of Air India Flight 171 has reopened old wounds for several families in Ahmedabad still fighting for justice nearly 37 years after the 1988 Indian Airlines crash in the city. The Indian Airlines Flight 113, flying from Bombay to Ahmedabad, crashed on October 19, 1988, killing 133 of the 135 people on board. Each family was offered a compensation of Rs 2 lakh. But about 20 families are still locked in a legal battle, saying the amount was unfair and too low, as per a TOI report. As quoted by TOI, Pankesh Patel, secretary of the Air Crash Claimants' Association, said, 'We are around 20 families still fighting in court. We believe the compensation should be based on the income and age of the victims. So after the High Court order, we moved the Supreme Court in 2010.'Back in 2003, the sessions court had ordered Indian Airlines and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to pay six percent interest on the compensation. This was later raised to nine percent by the Gujarat High Court in 2009. But families are still demanding Patel, now 74, lost her husband Sharad Patel, a finance director with a German firm. 'My sons were in Class 5 and 3 at the time. I raised them with help from my family. They're now settled in Canada. But yes, the compensation announced after the AI 171 crash is better than what we were offered,' she said. Reetaben Shah, also 74, lost her husband Sunil Shah, an IIM-Ahmedabad graduate. 'Our daughter was 12 years old then. We rejected the Rs 2 lakh and filed a case. We've now taken it to the Supreme Court,' she Patel, who was 26 at the time of the tragedy, lost his father Ranjitbhai Patel. 'He was earning around Rs 1.25 lakh per year. It's been 37 years since our legal fight began. We're still waiting for justice.'The families built a memorial at the Kotarpur crash site, a marble replica of an aircraft. 'We visit it every year on October 19,' said with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, they also developed a memorial garden called Shantivan at the site, planting 133 trees, one for each life lost.
