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Air India Passenger Jet with 242 on Board Crashes Near Ahmedabad Airport. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired June 12, 2025 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND U.S. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm Erica Hill, joining you from New York as we continue to follow the breaking news

on the tragic plane crash in Western India.

The update from the head of police in the city of Ahmedabad telling the Associated Press there did not appear to be any survivors among the 242

people who were on board that Air India jet; 230 passengers, 12 crew members.

It, of course, crashed shortly after takeoff earlier today. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was initially bound for London's Gatwick Airport.

Our affiliate in India, CNN-News 18, also reporting more than 200 bodies have been received at a nearby hospital for a postmortem, also noting that

the plane had crashed into a medical school, into the canteen building, that the dining hall, essentially, of this medical school.

We know there are dozens of injuries reported on the ground. There is also video that was captured from the ground, shared on social media of the

moments just before that crash. I do want to warn you, you may find some of these images disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILL (voice-over): Offering though a look at this plane in those final moments as it appears to descend in a fairly level manner and then

disappears out of view. The next image, of course, will show this massive fireball.

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HILL: Joining us now is CNN's safety analyst, David Soucie.

David, good to have you with us. As we look at that heart-wrenching image, of course, that massive fireball, we're talking about a flight that was

embarking on a more than nine-hour journey filled with fuel. Again, 242 souls on board.

Based on what we know in this moment, where would the investigation stand?

I know a number of officials are making their way to India, of course, from various agencies and companies.

But where would things stand in this moment now, just a few hours after the tragedy?

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: Well, it is tragic. And just after this, the first thing which they've already done is try to identify any survivors

and get them away from the scene.

Second thing is to then try to identify the passengers that did die in the in the accident. But the directorate general of India by treaty is supposed

to be the investigator in charge. So they will start and they'll coordinate everybody that needs to be there.

They've got the NTSB coming. You would have Boeing there. The engine manufacturers will be there. Any other major avionics companies will be

there as well. So it is really quite an investigation and will involve literally hundreds of investigators.

So that's the part right now that's happening, other than the emergency vehicles and trying to contain fires and deal with the dead.

HILL: And David, stay with me. We are just getting some initial comments in from the CEO of Air India, Campbell Wilson, who just released a video in

its entirety on social media on X. I want to play that now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL WILSON, CEO, AIR INDIA: Good afternoon. I am Campbell Wilson, the CEO of Air India. I want to brief you on a serious incident that involved

an Air India aircraft a short while ago.

But first and most importantly, I would like to express our deep sorrow about this event. This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India and

our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones.

[10:20:00]

I know that there are many questions and at this stage I will not be able to answer all of them. But I do want to share the information we have at

this time.

Air India flight AI 171, operated with a Boeing 787-8 aircraft traveling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, has been involved in an accident after

takeoff. Flight AI 171 was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board.

Of the passengers, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals. There are seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national. The injured

passengers have been taken by local authorities to the nearest hospitals.

We are actively working with the authorities on all emergency response efforts. A special team of caregivers from Air India is on their way to

Ahmedabad to provide additional support. The investigations will take time. But anything we can do now, we are doing.

We know that many people are concerned for the welfare of their loved ones. We have set up a special helpline that friends and family can reach us at.

The number is 1-(800) 569-1444. That is 1-(800) 569-1444.

We understand that people are eager for information. Please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can.

But anything we report must be accurate and not speculative. We owe that to everyone involved.

For now, our teams are working around the clock to support passengers, crew and their families, as well as investigators however we can. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: And so those comments there from the CEO of Air India. Campbell Wilson, talking about, of course, what they do know and what is next in

this investigation. I want to stay with this. I believe David Soucie is still with us.

David, are you still there?

You know, as we do move into to -- two parts to what's happening here, right?

As you and I were both noting, there is the immediate tragedy for the families of those 242 people who were on board, in addition to anybody who

may have been affected on the ground.

We know this is a fairly dense area. We also know there's a medical college in the area. We saw the images and we have them, of a portion of the tail

of the plane, which apparently struck this building, this dining hall for the medical college.

And we do know a number of people have been taken, not just bodies that were brought, of course, to the hospital but have been taken with injuries

to the hospital. There is dealing with that portion of it.

And then there is securing the area as well for the investigation, which needs to take place. It does look like from the images that we've seen from

the ground, they were able to extinguish that fire fairly quickly, which is no small feat, and to secure the area. Walk us through how important that

will be, as they do try to piece together what happened.

SOUCIE: Well, something that struck me about what the CEO said is he said that passengers were taken, the injured passengers were taken to the

hospital. Previous reports said that there were no survivors, so that may be a good sign in that there may have been some survivors.

And looking at the tail -- and the tail section is not engulfed in flames. So it's possible that some people from the tail did survive the accident,

which would be an incredible miracle and wonderful. But until we confirm that, I don't know.

But the next steps of these investigations --

(CROSSTALK)

HILL: David, can I -- can I stop you for one second, though, because I agree with you. I do think it is important to point that out.

First of all, miraculous if anyone was able to survive. Also the fact that they would be able to share their own account of what happened in less than

a minute, right. But those few seconds that they were in the air before that crash, their account is also going to be key.

SOUCIE: Yes, it is absolutely going to be key. One of the things, though, the most important piece that I'm getting from this, is the video of the

aircraft and how it is configured.

It appears that the landing gear is still down and the flaps don't appear to be down. Both of those things would have normally been in that

configuration at that altitude. So there's a lot to learn about what's going on here.

But it seems that the aircraft just was not able to maintain the lift and to get into a sustainable climb. And so that gives us a lot of clues as to

what's going on.

But as far as on the ground right now, the fact that that fire was put out so quickly when there was so much fuel involved, it was pretty much full of

fuel for this nine-hour flight. So the fact that that was fuel was dispersed and then extinguished is really quite a feat that that happened

that quickly.

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HILL: Yes. Certainly important. And to limit further damage and, you know, further victims on the ground. David, stay with me. I also want to bring in

my colleagues, who are covering this for us from London.

We have Nada Bashir, who is standing by at London's Gatwick Airport, and also Salma Abdelaziz, joining us from London as well, who's been following

this, frankly, since the early moments of this crash.

In terms of what we just heard from the CEO, Salma, important comments for the families, right?

Especially on the heels of a local police chief saying he was doubtful anyone could have survived.

But as David and I were just talking about the fact that Campbell Wilson is talking about, you know, passengers being brought to the hospital, that is

an important moment for anyone wondering, in fact, you know, what did happen to their loved ones, Salma.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think right now for the families -- and the moment I heard him utter that sentence, that injured people were

potentially taken to the hospital, injured passengers were potentially taken to the hospital.

Your heart begins to sink for those families, Erica, because, right now, what they are facing is confusion. It is only normal and natural to hold

out hope until you absolutely know the facts.

But you are talking about a chaotic situation on the ground, a massive fire, explosion, emergency crews rushing to deal with what may, in the end,

be one of the worst airline disasters in history.

A global effort here because, remember, you have four different nationalities on board that flight -- Indians, British, Portuguese and one

Canadian national. A plane that was supposed to land here in London at 630.

So for those loved ones who just want to know what happened to their family members, this will begin again to give them that fear and that concern and

that worry. They are seeking those answers.

And you heard there from the CEO, his understanding of that need, that hunger for information. He said, we understand that you are eager for

information but we can only give you what is verified, what we know to be true at this time.

So what do we know to be true?

Because it simply doesn't yet answer that question for families of, what is the fate of my loved one?

What we know is that around 1:40 local time, this plane was supposed to take off from Ahmedabad International Airport. Less than a minute after

that departure, flight radar lost signal. We have images now.

We have that video now that shows a plane that should have been taking off, instead nosediving toward the ground, and that fiery explosion. And then,

of course, you're looking at that aftermath footage as well.

Scorched earth, burned out buildings, bits of a plane embedded into a building. Just absolutely horrifying and distressing scenes. And then we've

heard from our local affiliate on the ground, CNN 18. They say the local hospital has received something like 200 bodies already.

But you're hearing from the airline CEO of injured passengers also arriving in that hospital. Again, 242 souls from four different countries, all of

those families pleading for answers.

Hotlines have been set up. You heard again, the airline CEO read out that number. That's how crucial it was for him to pass that -- pass that

information on. He read out that number to the camera to make sure everyone has that number. You can imagine those hotlines right now are flooded with

calls.

In India, the Indian government, from the Indian prime minister all the way down, trying to provide support to those emergency crews on the ground. You

see how people gathered around that scene.

So they need to secure that place, grab every scrap, every bit that might lead to information, not just about what happened but about who was on

board and their final moments as well.

So many more questions. And I fear that that statement from the CEO, of course, meant to give reassurance, to make people understand that they are

ready, they are willing, they are aware, they are engaged. But again, it means there is no clear answers yet on the fate of those 242 souls.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. Salma. Appreciate it.

Also want to bring in Nada Bashir, who's standing by at London's Gatwick Airport, which, of course, is where this flight was scheduled to land at

6:25 pm local time today.

There have been receiving areas set up for families.

Has there been much indication, though not at this point, that families are actually making their way to the airport?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this stage, Erica, airport authorities and officials are treating this as a very delicate situation,

trying to ensure that there is privacy for the family members and relatives of those who were on board this flight.

And, of course, as you can imagine, there has been a huge amount of interest from members of the press. But this reception area that has been

set up by airport officials here at Gatwick, just outside of London, is being treated with the utmost respect and privacy for those loved ones who

are desperately waiting for answers.

[10:30:00]

BASHIR: And updates with regards to the fate of their loved ones and also, of course, any updates on the state of the investigation. Now, of course,

as we know, 242 passengers and crew members were on board; among them 53 British nationals.

So this is also a huge point of focus for government officials here in the United Kingdom. Just in the last hour or so, U.K. officials confirmed that

a U.K. air accident investigation team would be traveling to India to provide support on the investigation front.

That is in addition to an investigation team traveling from the United States as well. And as we know, there were other foreign nationals on board

that flight as well; 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national.

We've been hearing from the Canadian prime minister, who has said that their transportation officials are also in close contact with authorities

in India as well. But as you heard there from Salma, there has been that hotline set up; the British government and the foreign office here has said

that it has stood up.

Crisis teams, both in London and in Delhi to provide support to both officials and family members, waiting for those crucial updates. The prime

minister, Keir Starmer, has said that he is being updated throughout the day. He has described this incident as devastating.

And we've not only been hearing from government officials but also from the royal family. It's important to underscore, of course, that there are huge

and deep-rooted cultural and historical ties between the United Kingdom and India. There is a huge Indian community here in this country.

So this is a crisis that will be felt very deeply by many in this country, not only the family members and loved ones, of those on board.

The king, King Charles, earlier today issuing this statement saying, "My wife and I have been desperately shocked by the terrible events in

Ahmedabad this morning. Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy with the family and friends of those affected by this appallingly tragic

incident across so many nations."

And, of course, we will be waiting to hear more updates from officials and authorities here at Gatwick Airport, as well as potentially reaction from

those family members and loved ones of those who were on board at this stage. It is a very fluid situation as they wait for more information to

come through from those officials.

HILL: Yes. Absolutely. Nada, appreciate the reporting.

And I do just want to update our viewers a little bit more information we're just getting in here now.

The federation of All India Medical Association, which is a doctors' group, saying that at least four, possibly five students who were staying at that

doctors' hostel that we saw in the area where the plane went down, are now missing. Two or three others are in intensive care.

And this group also saying that 50 to 60 students have been admitted to local hospitals. Again, this after part of the plane crashed into this

medical college and hospital. That association also telling us 3-4 relatives of some of the resident doctors are missing and at least one

resident's wife has been found dead.

Again, this is what we are hearing in terms of potential victims on the ground. We will update you with more of that as we learn more.

Also, we have the CEO of Air India saying just a short time ago in a video message that injured passengers, in his words, were, in fact, taken to the

hospital. Our local affiliates on the ground telling us at least some 200 bodies had been brought to hospitals for post-mortems, in addition to other

victims needing medical care.

All these updates, we're continuing to chase down this information for you.

Stay with us. You're watching CNN. We'll have much more ahead after this quick break.

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HILL: Joining us now as we continue our breaking news coverage of the tragic crash of an Air India jet just moments after takeoff, CNN

transportation analyst Mary Schiavo is back with us this hour.

Mary, so we are learning a few more details, right, in terms of those potentially affected, not only the 242 passengers and crew who were on

board but also on the ground.

Learning from a local medical association, a doctors' association, about the dozens, 50 to 60 medical students who have been taken to the hospital

for their injuries. There are also 4-5 students who are missing at this hour.

Given what we saw in terms of the aftermath and how dense this area is, where the plane went down, how do you -- how do you read those numbers,

Mary, in this moment and what they could say about the larger, the larger effect of this tragic crash?

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN TRANSPORTATION ANALYST: Well, the numbers are indeed certainly tragic. And our hearts go out to all of them. But I do expect

that the numbers will rise.

And any densely populated area -- and we've seen it in accidents all over the world -- there are always, you know, persons in cars, persons working

on the ground here, not just the buildings.

They're going to have to look at the at the basements, the structures under the buildings. So I do anticipate that number will go up. But hopefully

some they will find will be able to be saved. They can get them to the hospital. And -- but with that fireball, it was very deadly.

HILL: A massive fireball, as we saw in one of the videos. It was also remarkable to me how quickly it seemed that first responders were there on

the scene, how quickly, from what we've been learning, at least a little bit, we've been able to glean and especially from some of the images coming

from the ground.

How they were perhaps able to put some of that fire out in a fairly swift manner. This happened very close to the airport.

How much of that would be standard training for first responders in the area, when you are in a space close to an international airport, to be

prepared to deal with an event like this?

SCHIAVO: Well, all airports are different and nations have different regulations concerning what equipment has to be at or near the airport.

For example, in many nations, the United States is one of them, you have to have literally in the air traffic control tower a crash phone. You

immediately roll you -- or, you know, dispatch emergency responders.

Now it wasn't right on the airport property but they would have alerted the other responders and they would have coordinated immediately, because this

pilot was able to get a mayday call off.

And, you know, they will have a lot of information about that because it is such a new plane. This new plane had something, the 787 has something

called the Boeing Common Core system, which it coordinates and connects by computer, of course, all the different systems on the plane.

And so there will be a lot of information coming out, you know, very quickly. But in terms of getting this equipment rolling, yes. If the if the

air traffic control tower had a crash phone -- and I assume they did because most aviation nations require it.

HILL: We know teams or India will obviously be leading the investigation. Teams are on their way, of course. And we know support has been pledged,

frankly, from across the globe.

Give us a sense of what is happening in this moment with this investigation. Also, given the fact that that tail does appear to be, you

know, there in that building, which would make access to those black boxes far easier than what we've seen in some other incidents.

SCHIAVO: That's right. I mean, right now what's occurring is the lead investigation agency, which will be India by treaty. It's a well-

established protocol. They're calling in the -- in the -- what will be the representative parties from all over the world for the manufacturer.

It will, of course, be Boeing who manufactured the planes. And I believe Air India has General Electric engines. They're either Rolls-Royce or GE. I

believe they selected GE. So General Electric will participate.

The pilots' union, the airline, they'll have, you know, a number of different, what they call factors groups -- survivability, piloting, all

sorts of conditions. And all those teams are being assembled now.

[10:40:00]

But most important is first to find all of the people and then to secure that area. It's going to be real important that parts of the plane aren't,

you know, accidentally or intentionally carted off or possessions aren't taken away.

Because, again, by treaty and by law, all of those things belong to the investigation and no one is allowed to release them until the investigators

say that they can. And all the property must be returned to the families by law and by treaty.

HILL: What are your initial questions in this moment, Mary?

SCHIAVO: Well, my initial questions, again, I mean, go back to the two things, that there was a mayday call, that the video shows the plane was

not performing and doesn't appear to be configured as it should be for a takeoff.

And, you know, since it is such a new, modern plane, now this one, I believe it was delivered to Air India in 2014. So it's about, you know, 10

years old. But that's not elderly for an aircraft.

But it should have the most modern flight controllers. This Boeing, this Boeing Common Core management system, which, on the flight data recorder,

which would be the most modern, it will tell us, you know, what systems were coordinating, what warnings were given, what was not done.

What was not set properly or what was not functioning properly. And then the 787 also has an -- as an option, airplane health management system. So

the plane itself could have been -- now it was still kind of low and it wasn't long into the flight.

But the plane itself, if they have opted for that system, can broadcast the health of the aircraft back to Boeing and back to the airline base.

So in addition to the black boxes, there is a wealth of information because this is such a new model aircraft. And all those things are being gathered

right now. In fact, if they had the aircraft management, aircraft health system, I'll bet they already had that information to the extent it was

available.

HILL: Which is really important. Mary, always appreciate your expertise. Thank you.

And as we continue to follow this breaking news for you, more details of that crash just ahead after a quick break.

Also following this story for you, the United States suddenly moving to evacuate some of its diplomatic staff from embassies in the Middle East.

That's ahead.

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HILL: Welcome back. We are continuing to follow -- continuing to follow, pardon me -- the breaking news out of India, where an Air India plane

crashed shortly after takeoff.

I do also want to bring you up to speed on some of the other headlines CNN is following at this hour.

The U.S. State Department, we're learning, is relocating some nonessential personnel across some of its embassies in the Middle East and has also

limited movement for staff at its embassy in Jerusalem. It is not immediately clear what has led to the sudden change but, of course,

impossible to ignore that.

It comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel as the U.S. pursues a nuclear deal with Tehran. A sixth round of talks with the U.S. is

set for this weekend. Tehran also threatening to ramp up nuclear activities.

[10:45:00]

CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Oren Liebermann is joining us now with more of these developments.

So Oren, what do we know at this hour in terms of these staffing alerts?

And then also what is happening more broadly in the region?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF AND CORRESPONDENT: Erica, these staffing movements and effectively preliminary lockdowns are

significant and they are widespread.

Last night, the State Department announced that it was removing nonessential personnel from embassies across the region, including in Iraq,

Kuwait and Bahrain. There was also some movement at the consulate in Irbil in Iraq.

So you see that that essentially the steps of caution there. And it wasn't just diplomats. The military also authorized the evacuation of nonessential

personnel from bases across the region. And there are certainly some major ones in Bahrain and Qatar.

So you see, again, that precaution, given the level of rising tension, a defense official said that U.S. Central Command, which governs military

operations in the region, was well aware of the rising tensions and was keeping an eye on this.

Then the announcement this morning that diplomatic personnel in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Be'er Sheva -- that is a major Israeli city in southern

Israel -- they're effectively locked down. They can't leave those cities because of the increase in tension.

Now we don't have any indication that there is a specific piece of intel that says Israel is about to attack Iran. But, of course, the U.S. and

other countries are closely watching what's happening here; that is, the increasing rhetoric we're seeing from Israel when it comes to a potential

preparation for an attack on Iran.

We've seen Israel attack Iran in the past but this is expected to be preparations ahead of what might be an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear

facilities.

In fact, it was president Donald Trump who told Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week to essentially tone back on the

rhetoric and pull back some of those threats as they try to get ready for a sixth round of talks here on Sunday in the region.

Everyone watching this very closely to see which way this goes and whether that eases the tension or ramps it up even more.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. And I also wanted to ask you about some new reports that are coming, in terms of Palestinians who were killed or injured near

another one of these controversial aid sites in Gaza.

What more do we know about what happened?

LIEBERMANN: We have seen, according to the Palestinian ministry of health, a total of 21 Palestinians killed across two different locations, one in

central Gaza. This is one of the newer aid sites from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation that has begun operating.

We have seen repeatedly thousands of Palestinians approaching these sites to try to get the limited amount of food available. And then they come

under fire from Israeli forces. This morning, the ministry of health says it was 13 Palestinians killed and more than 100 injured by Israeli gunfire

there.

Israel says it fired warning shots toward suspects that, it says, posed a threat as they were approaching an Israeli military position. They say the

numbers from the ministry are exaggerated but this is a pattern we have seen play out repeatedly.

The moment there is any indication that any of these aid sites, be it in central Gaza or in southern Gaza, is about to open, you see thousands of

Palestinians effectively rush these sites in the early morning hours, even before sunrise, to try to get some of that little aid that's available.

Because these Palestinians, more than 2 million of them, have endured an 11-week Israeli blockade. And now there is only a trickle of aid coming in.

Meanwhile, the ministry also says eight Palestinians were killed in southern Gaza by Israeli fire. Israel Defense Forces -- that is, the

military -- says they are not aware of such an incident.

HILL: Oren, appreciate the reporting. Thank you.

In Los Angeles, the emergency curfew for parts of the city ended, along with the sunrise today. This followed a sixth night of protests against the

raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as some 700 U.S. Marines also prepared to deploy to Los Angeles.

And the demonstrations are not limited here to L.A. They are also flaring up in other cities.

In Seattle, police arresting at least eight people overnight after they say protesters threw fireworks and rocks at officers and set a dumpster on

fire.

Also in Washington state, the mayor of Spokane declaring a state of emergency, which also allowed the imposition of a nighttime curfew after

protesters blocked some roads in the area. Police say they used nontoxic smoke to disperse the crowds. More than 30 people were arrested there.

Protesters also filling the streets of downtown Chicago and New York City. We're continuing to monitor those protests for you, of course, across the

United States.

Stay tuned here. Our coverage of the breaking news out of India continues in just a moment. We're going to fit in a quick break.

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[10:50:00]

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HILL: We are continuing to follow the breaking news out of India. An Air India Flight 171, that jet crashing just moments after takeoff from

Ahmedabad airport. The Boeing 787 had registered a mayday call earlier, the Associated Press reporting that, according to the police commissioner in

that city, there did not appear to be survivors.

There is a concern, though, about those who have also been affected on the ground. Debris from the plane seen embedded in a medical hospital,

essentially the dining hall for a medical college.

There you can see the tail of the plane there. And one doctors' group says at least four medical students who were at that hospital are now missing;

dozens more, some 50 to 60, have been rushed to nearby hospitals. At least a couple of those, we're told, are in very serious condition.

CNN's Tom Foreman is following more of these developments for us from the Washington bureau.

Tom, a lot of questions about how this happened because it happened so quickly. Also, the state of the plane.

What do we know about the safety of this 787?

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the 787 has been around for a while and has -- and there have been questions raised about it. It's important to

consider the map of this takeoff.

If you look at where it went, right after it left the runway here, this plane never really completed the transition from being in the ground to

being effectively and safely in the air.

It's a -- it's a transitional period of time there. It would have been traveling close to 200 miles an hour upon takeoff. That's what it should be

doing. But many of our aviation analysts have pointed at the configuration of the plane here.

What are some of the possibilities, Erica?

Well, there have been questions raised by a whistleblower at Boeing about two different issues.

One was saying there were holes drilled in the forward bulkhead of the plane, the pressure bulkhead, that were in the wrong place. That could lead

to potentially, over time, a type of catastrophic failure. Boeing looked at that. The FAA looked at that. Boeing concluded it was not the danger that

people thought.

The FAA has also raised questions about the seams around the forward pressure bulkhead, none of which, theoretically, would make a difference at

this altitude, not when they're just taking off.

So what else could be involved?

Last year there was a LATAM air incident, where a plane descended very dramatically. That was traced back to a seat adjustment switch on the back

of the pilot's seat that was accidentally switched; pushed him forward, which pushed the controls and made the plane suddenly drop.

Could that have affected the configuration of the plane?

We don't know. We also know that this particular airport, Erica, has had a higher incidence of bird strike issues. They've been trying to mitigate

that over recent years with vultures and a type of bird called a black kite being in some number around the airport, all of which could cause a

critical failure at that moment of takeoff.

And then, of course, there's always just a question of pilot error, which some of our analysts have talked about. So you can see there are a lot of

possibilities here. And some of them are very different than other ones.

But it is key to keep in mind this happened so, so quickly. Erica. This plane never even got high enough to fly across the island of Manhattan

because there are too many buildings there that are higher than where this plane managed to get.

So a lot of questions. And still at this point and for quite some time, there will be a lot of possibilities as they collect the evidence.

HILL: Yes. Tom, one thing that will be important in terms of collecting that evidence, so we keep seeing these images of the tail of that plane,

right, in this building that -- it's being referred to as a hostel. But really the dining hall for this medical college.

The fact that the black boxes are in the tail, though, that will provide actually some information pretty quickly for investigators.

FOREMAN: That's huge because, in fact, as I looked through pictures of the wreckage here, a lot of pieces of this plane are relatively intact.

[10:55:00]

Compared to some accidents that I've covered over the years, where the plane is just completely obliterated and you have no idea where the black

box might be.

Also, I will point out that some of these crashes happen in very remote, difficult sites and mountainsides and in the woods and in the ocean, where

recovery can be very, very difficult.

You are correct, Erica; the fact that they can get to this data so quickly and there's no reason to believe that these data collection boxes back

there, the black box, as they call it, no reason to believe that it would not have survived in fine shape.

And that will be really key to finding out what was going on in the cockpit and what was going on in the avionics of this plane.

HILL: Absolutely. Tom Foreman, appreciate it as always. Thank you.

And again, we will continue to follow these developments. But again, we are talking about Air India Flight 171, which was scheduled to go from

Ahmedabad, India, to London's Gatwick Airport.

There were 242 people on board; 230 passengers, two pilots, 10 crew members; we know representing four nations -- 169 Indian nationals, 53

Brits, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. That jet crashing just about a minute after takeoff following the issue of a mayday call.

We are continuing to follow all of these developments right here on CNN. Stay with us for the breaking news coverage that will continue on the other

side of this short break.

[11:00:00]

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