AHMEDABAD, India – The world’s biggest aviation accident in a decade claimed the lives of over 240 people Thursday when an Air India plane headed for London crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad, according to authorities.
Y News understands that there was just one person left alive when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers, slammed into a medical college dorm during lunch on its way to Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital.
The airline reported that the only survivor, a British national of Indian descent, is receiving medical attention in a hospital. Shortly after Flight AI171 took off, the man reported to Indian media that he had heard a huge noise.
Top state police officer Vidhi Chaudhary told Reuters, “We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed.”
According to her, the death toll was over 240, lowering the previous figure of 294 because it contained body parts that had been counted twice. The number of dead who had been on the plane or the ground was not immediately known.
Against this backdrop, Y News looks at some of the world’s worst air crashes in recent years preceding the Air India accident.
U.S.A
On January 30, 2025, an American Airlines plane collided with an army helicopter during landing at Ronald Reagan Airport. Tragically, the crash resulted in the deaths of over 60 people. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) initiated a three-day hearing to investigate the incident. The collision involved a Black Hawk helicopter.
South Korea
A South Korean passenger plane crashed, resulting in 179 fatalities out of 181 people on board. The crash is under investigation, with evidence suggesting a possible bird strike. The families of the deceased are calling for a more thorough investigation. Another incident involved a plane overrunning the runway at high speed, colliding with infrastructure.
Kazakhstan
An Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed near Aktau International Airport in Kazakhstan. The crash on Christmas Day of 2024 resulted in 38 fatalities. The cause of the crash is under investigation, with one report suggesting a hydraulic system failure contributed to the loss of control. Another report mentions that Azerbaijan’s president accused Russia of shooting down the flight, though the official cause remained undetermined.
Japan
On January 2, 2024, a Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350-900, flight 516, collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The JAL plane caught fire, but all 379 people aboard escaped. Some of the Coast Guard crew lost their lives in the incident. The cause of the collision is under investigation.
China
On March 21, 2022, a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-89P crashed in Teng County, Wuzhou, resulting in a high-speed impact. The investigation by China’s aviation regulator has not yet released an update. The provided search results do not mention the total number of fatalities, only the injuries.
Iran
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, a flight from Tehran to Kyiv, crashed shortly after takeoff near Tehran in January 2020. The crash resulted in the sentencing of Iranian armed forces personnel. The debris field spanned approximately 1,500 feet. The incident highlights the complexities of international aviation incidents and the subsequent legal proceedings.
Ethiopia
The Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed on March 10, 2019, near Bishoftu, shortly after takeoff. All 157 people on board were killed. The Aviation Safety Network has recorded 64 accidents/incidents for Ethiopian Airlines since 1965, with a total of 459 fatalities. Relatives of the victims have met with officials regarding the crash.
Indonesia
On October 29, 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff in Indonesia. The flight, which was carrying 181 passengers and 8 crew members, resulted in 189 fatalities. The crash led to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX and a series of investigations. The cause of the crash was attributed to a series of failures, including issues with the aircraft’s flight control system.
Malaysia
Malaysia Airlines has been involved in two major aviation incidents. Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 227 passengers and 12 crew members. The aircraft vanished from radar, and its whereabouts remain unknown. Additionally, Flight MH17 was shot down by Russian-backed forces while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.
