Ahmedabad plane crash: All about the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s tech, safety record, and troubled history

An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as flight AI171 to London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday. The aircraft had 242 people onboard, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The crash occurred near a residential area close to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, minutes after a reported “Mayday” distress call from the cockpit.

Among the 242 people onboard, there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese citizens. The crew included two pilots and ten other members. The full extent of casualties and injuries is still under investigation. Emergency services responded promptly to the scene as visuals showed fire and heavy smoke rising from the wreckage.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is a twin-engine, wide-body aircraft introduced in 2011. It was launched in 2004. It is designed for long-haul flights and typically seats between 242 and 290 passengers. Air India uses the aircraft on international routes, including to the UK, North America, and the Middle East. The 787-8 has a range of 13,530 km and is built with lightweight composite materials to improve fuel efficiency.

Before this disastrous incident, the Boeing 787-8 had no fatal crashes in over a decade of service. Over 1,000 units have been delivered globally, and the aircraft has carried more than one billion passengers. It is Boeing’s best-selling wide-body aircraft and known for efficiency and range. The particular aircraft which was involved in the Ahmedabad crash was the Dreamliner registered as VT-ANB, which entered service in December 2013. This plane is one of 27 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners in Air India’s fleet.

Despite its clean crash record, the Dreamliner has faced technical and manufacturing issues. In recent years, the fight has been marred with controversies including safety issues, poor manufacturing quality and faulty parts. In 2013, the entire fleet was grounded due to lithium-ion battery fires. Since 2019, Boeing has faced scrutiny for quality control problems, including fuselage gaps and foreign object debris. Deliveries were paused from 2021 to 2022 during FAA oversight.

Air India was the first airline to receive a 787-8 from Boeing’s South Carolina plant in 2012. The carrier now operates 27 Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Its wide-body fleet also includes A350s, B777s, and B787-9s. The 787-8 that crashed was the third Dreamliner delivered to Air India.