Plane crash: He had big dreams, but now everything is shattered, says uncle of crew member
Irfan Samir Shaikh
, one of the cabin crew members of the London-bound Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad, had joined the aviation industry only two years ago and had big dreams, which are now shattered, his family member said.
Twenty-two-year-old Shaikh's family resides in Pimpri Chinchwad area near Pune city.
The
Boeing 787 Dreamliner
aircraft (AI171) with 230 passengers and 12 crew members crashed into the complex of a medical college moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. The horrific crash left 265 people dead.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Book Your Daily Profit By 11 AM With This Superclass By Mr. Bala
TradeWise
Learn More
Undo
Irfan's uncle Firoz Shaikh said his nephew always made it a point to inform his parents about his flight roster.
"On Thursday, when the news of the plane crash was flashed, his mother was devastated as she knew that he was on board that flight," he said.
Live Events
Shaikh said that after the incident, Irfan's mother, father and elder brother immediately flew to Ahmedabad.
"The authorities have collected the blood samples of Irfan's brother for a DNA test, and the family is now awaiting confirmation and the return of his body," he said.
Irfan had joined the aviation industry as a cabin crew member two years ago after completing a course from an institute, his uncle said.
He initially worked with Vistara, and after the Air India-Vistara merger, he began flying on international routes, he said.
"Irfan had big dreams and was determined to excel in the field. But now, all those dreams have been shattered," he added.
According to him, Irfan's father Salim Shaikh runs a shop, his mother is a homemaker and his elder brother works in a software firm.
Irfan had visited his home for Bakrid, he said.
According to Air India, of the 230 passengers on the flight, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. The other 12 people on board were two pilots and 10 crew members.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
32 minutes ago
- News18
Govt Announces Formation Of High-Level Committee To Probe Air India Plane Crash
Last Updated: The Ministry of Civil Aviation formed a committee to investigate the Air India Flight AI-171 crash on June 12, which caused 274 deaths, and recommend improved SOPs. The Ministry of Civil Aviation announced the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the causes of the fatal crash of Air India Flight AI-171, which occurred on June 12 en route from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick Airport, resulting in at least 274 fatalities, including 241 onboard and those on the ground. According to the ministry, the panel will assess the circumstances leading to the crash and evaluate existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and safety guidelines currently in place. In a post on X, the ministry said that the committee's primary objective is to recommend a robust framework for preventing and effectively managing similar aviation incidents in the future. The ministry also clarified that this Committee will not be a substitute for other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations, but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future. First Published:
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Air India plane crash: 'This one felt different', coffin maker after order for 100 units
Representative image (Picture credit: AP) AHMEDABAD: The morning sun had barely warmed the pavement outside Ahmedabad's civil hospital Friday when Nilesh Vaghela, 47, arrived with his truckload of 20 wooden coffins. Neatly arranged, polished to sombre perfection,& lined with care, the coffins bore no names yet, only the weight of untold stories. For most, coffins are a symbol of finality. For Nilesh, they are acts of service. "People talk of borders and visas. But coffins don't ask for passports. They all look the same in death," he adds. Nilesh has been in the trade for 15 years. He works with one helper, making 7 coffins a day. But following the AI-171 crash, which killed 274 people, including 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese and 1 Canadian, he received an urgent request for 100 coffins. "I had over 50 ready in stock. I regularly help send the remains of the deceased abroad, to London, the US. But this felt different," he said. Despite the demand, he refused to hike prices or take advance payments: "This is not the time for profit." As he returns to his workshop to prepare more, Nilesh continues doing his bit.
Hindustan Times
43 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Air India passenger Akash Vatsa, who flagged ‘unusual things' before crash, now shares what he 'noticed'
Akash Vatsa went viral on social media after claiming he had flown on the same Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight just hours before it crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday. His post soon drew widespread attention not just for the timing, but because he claimed to have some important observations about the aircraft's condition. In his post, Akash Vatsa also urged authorities to get in touch with him so he could share his observations about the crashed flight. "I was in the same damn flight 2 hours before it took off from AMD. I came in this from DEL-AMD. Noticed unusual things in the place. Made a video to tweet to @airindia. I would want to give more details. Please contact me," his post had said. Akash, who was onboard during its earlier leg from Delhi to Ahmedabad, spoke with news agency ANI and shared his account. While the flight seemed routine at first, Akash said he noticed something unusual. 'At cruising altitude, I noticed that the rear part of the flaps was moving up and down repeatedly,' Vatsa said while speaking to ANI, adding that he was no expert and someone associated with aviation would understand it better. "I did not witness any issues when the flight took off. I felt something was unusual with the plane's flaps outside. Experts will be able to decode this better. The ACs were not working properly when the flight was on the ground before taking off," he said. However, it must be noted that whether Vatsa's observations have any connection to Thursday's crash is not clear, and the exact cause of the mishap will only be ascertained after a thorough probe, which is underway. The London-bound Air India plane crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad and burst into a ball of fire less than a minute after takeoff. The dead in the country's worst air disaster in recent times included several people on the ground. Air India has confirmed that 241 people, who were on board, were killed in the crash. One person has survived the accident and is currently under medical observation. Meanwhile, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ahmedabad on Friday and took stock of the situation at the crash site. He also met those injured in the incident at the Ahmedabad civic hospital.
