‘Ultimate test’: A first responder’s account of Ahmedabad AI crash

NEw new delhi: even out as the domain awaits the last findings on the send India flight AI-171 crash that claimed 260 lives on June 12 last year, a senior officer has penned a first-hand account of the tragedy and its chaotic aftermath.In “Sentinel 2026”, the annual journal of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Chief Airport Security Officer (CASO) at Ahmedabad airport and a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) rank officer -- Apoorv Pandey -- recounted how events unfolded in the crucial minutes after the London-bound aircraft went down just seconds after take-off.Nearly a year after the crash, Pandey details how the airport’s CISF unit became the immediate first responder, mobilising over 200 personnel within 12 minutes, rescuing over 50 people, and transferring the injured to hospitals. His account also highlighted the extraordinary, makeshift measures adopted by the force amid the chaos, including using sarees and broken wires for crowd control, even as the airport simultaneously went into a full-scale terror alert.On June 12, 2025, the Air India flight AI 171, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and bound for London Gatwick, crashed into a medical college hostel complex shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft caught fire on impact. Of the 242 people on board, 241 died, along with 19 people on the ground. Earlier this month, Union civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu said that the investigation into the Air India Flight AI-171 crash is in its final stage, with the report “expected within a month”.First responders, lifesaversDescribing the incident as the “most devastating disaster” faced by Indian aviation in recent memory, Pandey writes in a chapter -- “Rapid 12 minute mobilisation during AI 171 crash - CISF’s Professional Competency”-- that the crash occurred at 1.39 pm, and the “leadership displayed by CISF” during the crisis reflected its rigorous training and institutional preparedness. He added that, upon receiving the alert, Pandey and the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Ahmedabad airport rushed to the site, becoming “amongst the first to reach”.He writes that he directed the control room to swiftly mobilise “A - shift” personnel (of CISF) to the incident site, who were getting off from their duty, resulting in a 180-member contingent reaching the crash site in no time. “Further, in a short time, a team led by senior CISF officers, supported by additional off-duty personnel, reached the site, arriving by their personal vehicles. In all, 230 CISF personnel were at the crash site. All gazetted officers, except those on operational duty, were also directed to report to the crash site and were asked to lead teams and personnel there,” he adds.“This rapid deployment made CISF the first responders alongside the Airport Fire tender team, which reached the site through the airport crash gate,” the CASO, who is generally in-charge of all airport security related matters, writes.This rapid deployment positioned the CISF as first responders alongside the Airport Fire Tender team, which accessed the site through the airport crash gate. Many of the personnel were disaster management (DM) trained. They immediately secured the area, formed cordons, and collaborated with the fire crew to douse intense flames using basic firefighting techniques to support the single fire tender on scene.“Simultaneously, other teams initiated search-and-rescue operations in nearby collapsed structures. Teams also helped evacuate residents from adjacent burning structures and facilitated the transfer of victims to hospitals. The CISF’s quick action was instrumental in saving many lives,” he writes.“During this critical ‘initial golden hour’, CISF personnel, along with the locals, successfully rescued more than 50 individuals from the crash site,” he adds.Sarees, broken wires and crowd controlManaging the surging crowd proved to be one of the steepest challenges. Pandey recalls that, by 2 pm, an additional 50 CISF personnel, including off-duty and ministerial staff, arrived to manage the thousands of onlookers drawn by the “horrific nature” of the incident. The personnel “advised cautious movement alongside firemen and relief workers to avoid secondary explosions, which could occur in such circumstances”.Recalling an unusual but highly effective improvisation by the force’s female personnel, he adds: “One team of female personnel ingeniously used clothes like sarees and broken wires to create a temporary rope, diverting the crowd and clearing access roads for emergency services such as fire brigades, ambulances and medical teams.”Beyond crowd control, the CISF provided “invaluable assistance” to the fire department by pulling trapped residents from burning buildings and carrying both the injured and the deceased to arriving ambulances.Pandey recounts how the CISF personnel “acted with presence of mind, dedication” to carry out rescue efforts in a hazardous area, filled with “scattered oil, live electrical wires and corrosive elements”.“The environment was chaotic and extremely dangerous. There was dust, soot and smoke everywhere. Fire and sparks were flaring in many places. There were shouts and screams of the petrified relatives at the resident doctor’s hostel. Dead bodies, some charred beyond recognition, were strewn everywhere. Parts of the aircraft were lying in bits and pieces, with the tail portion stuck in the upper story of the hostel building. The luggage of the passengers was also strewn around the place”, he writes, adding that CISF team members overcame this unnerving scenario and plunged themselves into action.Airport on terror alertWhile rescue operations raged at the crash site, a second crisis was unfolding at the Ahmedabad airport as distraught relatives and visitors began to congregate.The CISF, in coordination with the Adani airport management, quickly set up a dedicated space for grieving families. Simultaneously, extra manpower was deployed at duty posts, gates, and access control points. Because the cause of the crash was unknown at the time, authorities could not rule out sabotage or terrorism.“The threat of a possible coordinated attack by terrorists at multiple places could not have been ruled out,” Pandey writes.To reinforce airport security, additional personnel were brought in from neighbouring CISF units, including those posted at ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) Ahmedabad, SAC (Space Applications Centre) Ahmedabad and ONGC Mehsana.Throughout the crisis, Pandey adds, the CISF leadership maintained real-time communication with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The unit’s discipline and swift response were later formally recognised by the district administration, state police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Gujarat Fire and Emergency Services.Crucial lessons to be learntPandey emphasises that the AI-171 tragedy provides critical takeaways for city administrations and airport security agencies alike. A “comprehensive set of SOPs can be developed, covering distinct contingency scenarios, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders”. Subsequently, all SOPs should be rehearsed regularly, improvements in response analysed, and lessons learnt assimilated.“Critical rescue, firefighting, and communication equipment need to be upgraded and modernised for accidents of such magnitude. Regular mock drills, simulation exercises and joint workshops drills between agencies should be made a mandatory routine part of airport operations. These activities should focus on improving medical response, fire safety, and overall disaster management at airports,” he adds.Recalling how the crash an ultimate “test of emergency readiness for Ahmedabad”, Pandey concludes that the CISF’s swift 12-minute mobilisation and seamless inter-agency cooperation served as a sober testament to how operational preparedness directly translates into saving human lives.“In a moment of national tragedy, the CISF proved that effective leadership during emergencies is born out of preparation, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to duty. The CISF’s rapid 12-minute mobilisation, disciplined crowd control hands-on firefighting support and effective coordination with fire, medical and civil agencies highlighted two clear imperatives: the value of discipline, well-rehearsed first responders positioned close to high-risk infrastructure and the lifesaving impact of swill inter-agency cooperation in urban disaster response. The CISF’s response in this incident stands as a sober testimonial of the operational preparedness, translating directly into lifesaving.”