An Air India Boeing 787 carrrying 242 passengers and crew crashed into a hotel shortly after takeoff en route to London from Ahmedabad in India. Footage posted by the BBC show "scenes of devastation" with emergency workers searching for survivors on the ground. Local police say no-one aboard the jet appears to have survived.
Flight-tracking website Flight Radar, which earlier said the signal was lost seconds after take-off. Flight Radar says the Air India flight was scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad International Airport to London Gatwick Airport at 09:50 local time. Its scheduled arrival time was 18:25 local time. The signal was lost at 10:08 local time at 625 feet, less than a minute after take-off.
The Moment an Air India Flight Crashed Near Ahmedabad Airport by The Indian Express on YouTube.
Air India reports that 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese and one Canadian were aboard the jet. It is the first serious crash of a 787, also known as the Dreamliner, and the first to incur fatalities.
The New York Times reports that the crash is "renewing scrutiny of the company's safety record," but quotes no source other than Boeing ("We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information") and doesn't say by whom.
The accident happened just weeks after the company cut a deal with the U.S. government to avoid taking criminal responsibility for a pair of deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019.
Previously:
• After fatal crash, Boeing reverses sales policy that locked out some safety features unless airlines paid for an upgrade
• Boeing withdraws application for safety exemption for 737 MAX 7
• Boeing lobbied to weaken safety regulations
• Boeing 737 MAX fleet grounded after mid-air blowout
