Stories of Loss, Grief and Heartbreaks from Air India Crash
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5 days ago
An Air India flight bound for London, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport. Designated AI171, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off at 1:38 PM IST and crashed near the Medani area just five minutes later. Massive plumes of black smoke were seen as fire engines and emergency teams rushed to the scene. The flight crew included Captain Sumit Sabharwal, an experienced pilot with over 8,200 flying hours, and Co-Pilot Clive Kunder with 1,100 hours. A 'MAYDAY' call was issued moments before communication was lost. The cause of the crash remains unknown and will only be confirmed after the black box is recovered and analyzed.
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Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
'You will be missed': Air India gives ‘final salute' to Captain Sabharwal who died in Ahmedabad plane crash
Air India Plane Crash: Air India, on Tuesday bid an emotional farewell to Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who lost his life in the deadly plane crash in Ahmedabad, along with 240 others on Thursday, June 12. Giving a 'final salute' to Captain Sabharwal, and honouring him as an 'exceptional aviator", Air India posted on X: 'RIP Captain. You will be missed.' The 'exceptional aviator's was laid to rest today, June 17. His funeral was attended by Air India COO, Tata Group's HR Head and Communications Head, Air India shared on X. Hailed as a 'hero' by locals – Captain Sabharwal — who was in the cockpit of the ill-fated AI-I71 flight, reportedly managed to divert the aircraft at the last second to prevent crashing into any apartment block, saving many lives. On June 12 – the 'darkest day in Tata Group's history,' plumes of black smoke filled the skies in Ahmedabad's Mehnaninagar after flight AI171 smashed into BJ Medical College Hostel's Mess, killing 241 people on board, and others on ground. The death toll climbed to 270, including MBBS students, a PG resident doctor, who were having lunch in the mess when the London Gatwick bound plane lost height and turned into a 'fire-ball' – crashing into the hostel. Mumbai, Jun 17 (ANI): Father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, Pushkaraj, pays last respect with teary eyes to his son who piloted the ill-fated Air India plane in Ahmedabad that crashed soon after takeoff, outside their residence at Powai in Mumbai on Tuesday. (ANI Video Grab) Bodies were charred, requiring forensic teams to carry out DNA tests to identify them and hand over to the kin. Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Superintendent Rakesh Joshi said that as of today evening, a total of 163 DNA samples have been matched Only one person – seated at 11A during the time of the crash — Ramesh Vishwas Kumar, miraculously survived. Even in the face of the deadly crash, the late captain of the Boeing Dreamliner is remembered by locals as a 'hero.' Mumbai, India - June 17, 2025: Relatives and neighbors gather outside the Powai residence as the body of captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who died in the ill-fated Air India flight, arrives home on Tuesday morning in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) All 18 families residing in the three-story building beneath the flight path are certain that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal saved their lives. His Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which was heading straight toward their homes, got diverted as skillful handling of the emergency averted the disaster at that place, reported The Sun. Aged 54-years-old, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the son of an officer from India's civil aviation authority. The deceased captain was a seasoned pilot with 8,200 hours of flight experience and also the primary caregiver for his father — currently in his 80s — whom he called just prior to the takeoff.
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
37 years after 133 lives were lost, families of 1988 Ahmedabad air tragedy victims still await "fair compensation"
The deadly crash of Air India Flight 171 has reopened old wounds for several families in Ahmedabad still fighting for justice nearly 37 years after the 1988 Indian Airlines crash in the city. The Indian Airlines Flight 113, flying from Bombay to Ahmedabad, crashed on October 19, 1988, killing 133 of the 135 people on board. Each family was offered a compensation of Rs 2 lakh. But about 20 families are still locked in a legal battle, saying the amount was unfair and too low, as per a TOI report. As quoted by TOI, Pankesh Patel, secretary of the Air Crash Claimants' Association, said, 'We are around 20 families still fighting in court. We believe the compensation should be based on the income and age of the victims. So after the High Court order, we moved the Supreme Court in 2010.'Back in 2003, the sessions court had ordered Indian Airlines and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to pay six percent interest on the compensation. This was later raised to nine percent by the Gujarat High Court in 2009. But families are still demanding Patel, now 74, lost her husband Sharad Patel, a finance director with a German firm. 'My sons were in Class 5 and 3 at the time. I raised them with help from my family. They're now settled in Canada. But yes, the compensation announced after the AI 171 crash is better than what we were offered,' she said. Reetaben Shah, also 74, lost her husband Sunil Shah, an IIM-Ahmedabad graduate. 'Our daughter was 12 years old then. We rejected the Rs 2 lakh and filed a case. We've now taken it to the Supreme Court,' she Patel, who was 26 at the time of the tragedy, lost his father Ranjitbhai Patel. 'He was earning around Rs 1.25 lakh per year. It's been 37 years since our legal fight began. We're still waiting for justice.'The families built a memorial at the Kotarpur crash site, a marble replica of an aircraft. 'We visit it every year on October 19,' said with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, they also developed a memorial garden called Shantivan at the site, planting 133 trees, one for each life lost.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
37 years after 133 lives were lost, families of 1988 Ahmedabad air tragedy victims still await "fair compensation"
The deadly crash of Air India Flight 171 has reopened old wounds for several families in Ahmedabad still fighting for justice nearly 37 years after the 1988 Indian Airlines crash in the city. The Indian Airlines Flight 113 , flying from Bombay to Ahmedabad, crashed on October 19, 1988, killing 133 of the 135 people on board. Each family was offered a compensation of Rs 2 lakh. But about 20 families are still locked in a legal battle, saying the amount was unfair and too low, as per a TOI report. Still Waiting for Fair Compensation As quoted by TOI, Pankesh Patel, secretary of the Air Crash Claimants' Association, said, 'We are around 20 families still fighting in court. We believe the compensation should be based on the income and age of the victims. So after the High Court order, we moved the Supreme Court in 2010.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 혈관이 조여오는 느낌이 드신다면.. 메디셜 더 읽기 Undo Back in 2003, the sessions court had ordered Indian Airlines and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to pay six percent interest on the compensation. This was later raised to nine percent by the Gujarat High Court in 2009. But families are still demanding more. 'My Sons Were in School When I Lost My Husband' Ushaben Patel, now 74, lost her husband Sharad Patel, a finance director with a German firm. 'My sons were in Class 5 and 3 at the time. I raised them with help from my family. They're now settled in Canada. But yes, the compensation announced after the AI 171 crash is better than what we were offered,' she said. Live Events Reetaben Shah, also 74, lost her husband Sunil Shah, an IIM-Ahmedabad graduate. 'Our daughter was 12 years old then. We rejected the Rs 2 lakh and filed a case. We've now taken it to the Supreme Court,' she said. Ketan Patel, who was 26 at the time of the tragedy, lost his father Ranjitbhai Patel. 'He was earning around Rs 1.25 lakh per year. It's been 37 years since our legal fight began. We're still waiting for justice.' A Memorial that Keeps the Memory Alive The families built a memorial at the Kotarpur crash site, a marble replica of an aircraft. 'We visit it every year on October 19,' said Ushaben. Along with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, they also developed a memorial garden called Shantivan at the site, planting 133 trees, one for each life lost.
