Rekha Kshtriya, a resident near the crash site of Air India Flight AI-171, recounted the terrifying moment the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12. The catastrophic crash, which left 241 dead and only one survivor, continues to haunt witnesses like her.
“We’re used to hearing loud noises here, but this one felt like our eardrums would burst,” she told ANI. “Furniture began shaking violently. It felt like a bomb blast or an earthquake. When we stepped outside, all we could see was wreckage, black smoke in the sky, and flames rising high. We couldn’t tell if it was a crash or a terror attack.”
Kshtriya and her family have lived in the area for over a decade, but nothing could have prepared them for the devastation they witnessed that afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Government of India has launched a full-scale investigation into the incident. A high-level multi-disciplinary committee has been formed to examine the root cause of the crash and to recommend measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the committee will review all relevant records — including black box data, air traffic control logs, maintenance records, and witness accounts. It will not replace ongoing formal investigations but will work to formulate new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for emergency response and aviation safety.
Headed by the Union Home Secretary, the panel includes representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Indian Air Force, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Intelligence Bureau, Gujarat state officials, disaster response authorities, and other technical experts. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three months.
The mandate includes assessing the emergency response during and after the crash, analyzing coordination between central and state agencies, conducting site inspections, and possibly collaborating with international aviation bodies, especially if foreign nationals or aircraft manufacturers are involved.
Air India Flight AI-171 was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad International Airport, making it one of India’s worst aviation disasters in recent memory.
