Air India Ahmedabad-London Plane With 242 On Board Crashes 5 Mins After Take Off

Captain Sumit Sabharwal Was Flying the Plane, 10 Cabin Crew Members Included,according to reports.

Among the 12 crew members on board the Air India flight were Captain Sumit Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder. It has been confirmed that Captain Sumit Sabharwal was operating the aircraft, assisted by First Officer Clive Kunder. Captain Sabharwal, an LTC (Line Training Captain), had 8,200 hours of flight experience, while the co-pilot had 1,100 hours of flight experience.

The Air India flight, traveling from Ahmedabad to the UK, had seven Portuguese citizens among the 242 passengers. The crashed aircraft was carrying 169 Indian, 53 British, and one Canadian citizen.

According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the plane took off from Runway 23 at 1:39 PM IST. The aircraft issued a MAYDAY call to ATC, but no further response was received. Immediately after takeoff from Runway 23, the plane crashed to the ground outside the airport perimeter. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the crash site shortly after the incident.

He further added, "As we receive more verified information, we will share further updates. An emergency center has been established, and a support team has been formed to provide information to families."

Meanwhile,following the accident, all roads to the crash site have been closed, and rescue and relief operations are underway. Additionally, approximately 1,200 hospital beds have been arranged for the injured.

Following the crash of the Air India flight bound for London, flight operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have been suspended.

The Air India plane, carrying 242 passengers, crashed on Thursday afternoon in the Meghani Nagar area near Ahmedabad airport.

An airport spokesperson stated, "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, is currently not operational. All flight operations have been suspended until further notice."