From bird strike to sabotage, experts offer range of theories for India air crash

Analysts warn against jumping to conclusions and say variety of factors may have been at play in AI171 disaster

• Ahmedabad plane crash: latest updates

A full investigation into Air India flight AI171 will be necessary to determine what caused it to crash shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad but aviation experts say a range of potential factors could have been at play.

Air India 171 – a Boeing 787-8, also known as a Dreamliner – issued a mayday call to air traffic control moments after takeoff. According to the Flightradar24 website, its tracking signal was lost when the plane had reached 625ft (190 metres).