How the Air India Plane Crashed: Maps and Photos

By Samuel Granados ,  Pablo Robles and Daniel Wood

June 12, 2025

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An Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad, India, shortly after taking off for London Gatwick Airport on Thursday, the airline said.

New Delhi

INDIA

Ahmedabad

First recorded location, on

the runway at 1:30 p.m.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

International Airport

Last recorded location,

right after takeoff at 1:38 p.m.

About 1 mile

Plane tail

Damaged buildings

The plane crashed at the campus of a

local medical college shortly after takeoff.

North

320 feet

New Delhi

INDIA

Ahmedabad

First recorded location, on

the runway at 1:30 p.m.

Ahmedabad

Airport

Last recorded

location, right after

takeoff at 1:38 p.m.

About 1 mile

Plane tail

Damaged buildings

The plane crashed at the campus of a local medical college shortly after takeoff.

North

320 feet

New Delhi

INDIA

Ahmedabad

First recorded location, on

the runway at 1:30 p.m.

Sardar VallabhbhaI Patel

International Airport

Last recorded location,

right after takeoff at 1:38 p.m.

About 1 mile

Plane tail

Damaged buildings

The plane crashed at the campus of a

local medical college shortly after takeoff.

North

320 feet

New Delhi

INDIA

Ahmedabad

First recorded location, on

the runway at 1:30 p.m.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

International Airport

Last recorded

location, right after

takeoff at 1:38 p.m.

About 1 mile

Plane tail

Damaged buildings

The plane crashed at the campus of a

local medical college shortly after takeoff.

320 feet

North

Sources: Aerial image by Airbus via Google Earth; Flight data by Flightradar24

Note: All times shown are local.

Video of the incident shot from a nearby rooftop and verified by The New York Times shows the plane steadily descending. A large explosion follows.

Source: Newsflare, via Associated Press

The New York Times

Air India Flight 171 is seen taking

off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

International Airport.

Shortly after takeoff, the plane

begins to lose altitude, with

its nose pitched upward and

its landing gear extended.

Landing gear

remains deployed

The aircraft continues to descend

and then explodes, less

than a minute after takeoff.

Source: Newsflare, via Associated Press

The New York Times

The plane crashed into the campus of a medical college, killing at least five students, according to Minakshi Parikh, the college’s dean. It damaged multiple dormitories and a dining hall. The plane’s tail was lodged in the dining hall building, where many students had fled, some leaving their meals behind.

The plane crashed into a dining facility.

Several dormitories were damaged.

Ghoda Camp Rd.

Plane path

civil hospital

staff quarters

B.J. Medical College

and Civil hospital

Civil Hospital Rd.

500 feet

Several dormitories

were damaged.

The plane crashed

into a dining facility.

Plane path

500 feet

civil hospital

staff quarters

B.J. Medical College

and Civil hospital

The plane crashed into a dining facility.

Several dormitories were damaged.

Ghoda Camp Rd.

Plane path

civil hospital

staff quarters

B.J. Medical College

and Civil hospital

Civil Hospital Rd.

500 feet

Several dormitories

were damaged.

The plane crashed

into a dining facility.

Ghoda Camp Rd.

Plane path

civil hospital

staff quarters

B.J. Medical College

and Civil hospital

Civil Hospital Rd.

500 feet

Sources: Aerial image by Airbus via Google Earth. Photos by Reuters.

The plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. There have been no fatal crashes recorded for the aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

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