Air India flight 171 carrying 53 British people among its 242 passengers had just taken off from Ahmedabad in western India, and was due to arrive in the UK at London Gatwick Airport this evening
The Air India passenger jet that crashed on its way from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick lost signal just seconds after take-off, new data reveals.
Air India flight AI171, which was carrying 242 people – including 53 Brits – crashed in a fireball just outside Ahmedabad Airport in western India, less than a minute after its departure.
According to FlightRadar24, the last signal received from the doomed aircraft was just seconds after it had taken off.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registration VT-ANB, was en route to London Gatwick and was due to arrive at 18:25 this evening. “The signal from the aircraft was lost at 10:08 local time at 625 feet, less than a minute after take off,” the flight tracking site tweeted.
READ MORE: Air India Flight 171 UPDATES as Gatwick-bound plane crashes with 244 on board
Gatwick has also tweeted to confirm it was expecting the flight to arrive in the UK this evening, writing: “We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25.”
Footage caught by witnesses appears to show the white and orange plane descending with its nose pointing upwards, before it flies beyond the line of sight. Seconds later, a crash can be heard before a huge fireball balloons up, along with thick black smoke.
The wreckage can be seen beyond a line of broken trees, with flames visible in the body of the plane. There are fears for all the passengers and crew onboard, as well as residents living in the densely populated Menghani area of Ahmedabad directly under its flight path.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told The Associated Press that the flight crashed into Meghani Nagar minutes after taking off.
There were 232 passengers and 12 crew members onboard and emergency teams have been activated at the airport, he said.
Numbers of casualties have not yet been confirmed. At least two dozen ambulances have raced to the scene to treat survivors, while firefighters are tackling the blaze – the fire from the crash is visible for many miles around, locals say.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Air India, confirmed the sad news in a statement. “With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today,” he wrote.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.
“We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted. Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information. An emergency centre has been activated and support team have been set up for families seeking information. – N. Chandrasekaran Chairman, Air India.”
More to follow.