When Air India Flight AI171 plunged moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing nearly all on board and dozens on the ground, it marked not just a national tragedy, but a catastrophic failure in understanding — or respecting — physical reality.

An Air India plane carrying 242 people bound for London Gatwick crashed near Ahmedabad airport shortly after takeoff on Thursday. The plane crashed into a medical college about one mile southwest of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Videos from the scene show black smoke and a fire near the mangled Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

According to Air India, there were 169 Indians, 53 Britishers, seven Portuguese and one Canadian national on board the plane.