Air India plane crash: Dream of auto driver's daughter to pursue MTech in London ends in tragedy
Days after the horrific Air India flight AI-717 crash, emotional stories of the passengers onboard are coming to the limelight. One such story is of young woman from Gujarat's Himatnagar – Payal Khatik.
Payal, daughter of a loading rickshaw boarded an aeroplane to travel out of the country for the first time on Thursday, reported NDTV. She was amongst the 230 passengers on the Air India Ahmedabad-Gatwick flight which crash after just taking off in Ahmedabad.
Payal was the first member of the family to board a flight and she was travelling to the United Kingdom, to pursue a Master's degree in engineering and technology.
At around 10 am, her family bid a fond adieu to their beloved daughter and went home. However, within hours she was on the list of 241 passengers and crew who lost their lives in the plane crash.
The Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed and inked its name in the worst aviation disaster in 15 years. It hit a medical college building in the city, killing 274 people in total.
Payal's death was confirmed by DNA analysis a day after the plane crash, and authorities are investigating why this happened.
Speaking to ANI, her father, Suresh Khatik said, 'After completing her college, she stayed with us... she wanted to study further in London. So we took out loans to support her education there...'
Suresh stated that he took loans hoping Payal's future job would help pay back and support the family. But now, they have no way to pay back the loans.
"She was the first member of our family to travel abroad... she was going to London. She completed her BTech from Udaipur and was going for MTech. But this tragic incident happened. Our family is deeply saddened..." her cousin, Bharat Chauhan, told another news agency IANS.
As per the details, Payel hailed from Rajasthan's Udaipur, who studied from Class I to Class X at the Adarsh School in Himatnagar. She completed her Class XI and XII from the Himat High School, added NDTV.
"She was educated. She has brothers and sisters... and her father is a driver. But the financial condition of her family was not good," Payal's family friend Sushila Pathak said, whose son she had been tutoring for the past six years.
Another relative said, "The financial condition of the family is not good. Payal used to take care of the family by giving tuition to the students..."
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, Air India flight AI717 – from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick – crashed soon after the take off. There were 230 passengers and 10 crew members onboard. However, only one survived the crash.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, is carrying out the checks on the nation's 787s, Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a press briefing on Saturday in New Delhi.
The minister added that the government had set up a special multi-department team to investigate all the non-technical aspects around the crash and has been given three months to report. India's accident investigation bureau is in charge of probing the technical aspects behind the plane crash.
To determine what caused the aircraft to fail in the deadliest aviation accident in more than a decade, the investigators have been surveying the wreckage of Air India flight AI171.
Investigative teams from the UK and US arrived Friday in Ahmedabad to assist with the crash probe.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Days After Air India Crash: Air Crews Fasten Mental Seat belts Against Trauma
A day after the deadly Air India crash , a copilot withdrew from a scheduled flight even after reporting for duty. His colleagues said the pilot mentioned he was feeling ill, though he did not show any visible physical discomfort. The airline later operated the flight with a separate crew. The June 12 Air India crash killed hundreds and sent shockwaves that are still reverberating through the aviation industry. Flight crews have the added responsibility of dealing with their own grief and fears, while also calming the flying public. 'I could not help but put myself in the shoes of those on board,' a senior pilot wrote in an internal chat group of an airline. 'As someone who is always in transit — boarding flights, chasing on-time performance — (I felt) it could have been any one of us.' 'What struck me hardest was not the crash alone but the quiet, overlooked reality of how we often leave home. No hugs. No pause. No proper goodbye. Just a rush out the door, a distracted wave, or, worse, leaving after a fight or silence. Today reminded me how fragile it all is. And how precious,' the pilot wrote. His line of thought is a common refrain among airline crews in India. Pilots and flight attendants are highly-trained professionals, with sound physical fitness and mental alertness being their core job criteria. However, for many of them, it is still difficult to accept the Air India tragedy, more so due to Boeing 787's enviable safety record. The Dreamliner clocked millions of flying hours across airlines globally and never saw a fatal crash prior to Ahmedabad. The plane has multiple inbuilt redundancies for critical components. Especially then, for people who trust technology thousands of feet up in the air, the helplessness of the Ahmedabad crew strikes deep. A grainy video captured on a smartphone by a student showed the ill-fated aircraft taking off, then descending before exploding into a ball of fire. With a probe into the accident in its initial phase, various theories suggest dual engine failure to possible sabotage. 'We are taught that a double-engine failure is kind of impossible, if not caused by external factors like a bird hit,' said a pilot who operates an aircraft similar to the 787. '(But now) though we are highly trained, doubt starts creeping into the mind; it's natural. Following the crash, pilots have become extra cautious about minute faults in an aircraft, unlike before, he said. 'I am questioning the status of every item in the minimum equipment list (MEL),' the pilot said. MEL specifies which equipment can be inoperative on an aircraft while still allowing it to operate safely. A double engine failure occurring seconds after take-off, when the plane was only several hundred feet off the ground, would have left the two pilots without any time to respond to the emergency. 'Go to the stopwatch on your smartphone. Press start. Wait for 32 seconds. Press stop. Now ask yourself: What could you do in that time? Brush your teeth? Have a shower? Wear your clothes? Have a cup of coffee? None of the above. That is the time the pilots of AI 171 got,' read a message on a pilot's social media group. Continuous coverage on television and social media is further fuelling panic, multiple airline crews told ET, requesting for factual reporting. 'The media starts to conduct parallel trials with ill-informed guests making unsubstantiated accusations. This leads to severe mental trauma and becomes a stumbling block in their performance,' Parliamentarian Priyanka Chaturvedi said in a letter to civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, urging guidelines for reporting aviation accidents. Airlines are also rushing to respond to the new crisis while hoping that it would be self-healing. Air India has established a dedicated 'peer group' to provide mental health support and counselling for crew. Comprising former Air Force officers and experienced female pilots, the group offers pre-flight counselling and emotional support. 'There is no uniform fix to this. It will depend on his/her mental strength on how quickly they can cope with it,' an airline executive said. As airline crews cope with the tragedy and lean on improved mental health resources, they are also returning to the skies. 'When something like this happens, it makes it almost impossible not to feel the weight of the souls on board. I was scared but since I was already at the airport, I decided to be the strength to my team. I check on my colleagues after work and we reassure each other,' said a flight attendant working for Air India. Family members too are burying their fears under hope. 'I used to be very proud of that crisp white shirt but now my heart feels heavy when either of them wears that uniform,' said a mother of two pilot sons. 'Have we chosen a dangerous profession for our sons, I sometimes think. But my husband tells me, there were 29 medical students in the college who also died. Did they choose the wrong profession?'
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Air crews fasten mental seatbelts against trauma
Troubling Theories Live Events No Single Answer Yet (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A day after the deadly Air India crash , a copilot withdrew from a scheduled flight even after reporting for duty. His colleagues said the pilot mentioned he was feeling ill, though he did not show any visible physical discomfort. The airline later operated the flight with a separate June 12 Air India crash killed hundreds and sent shockwaves that are still reverberating through the aviation industry. Flight crews have the added responsibility of dealing with their own grief and fears, while also calming the flying public.'I could not help but put myself in the shoes of those on board,' a senior pilot wrote in an internal chat group of an airline. 'As someone who is always in transit — boarding flights, chasing on-time performance — (I felt) it could have been any one of us.''What struck me hardest was not the crash alone but the quiet, overlooked reality of how we often leave home. No hugs. No pause. No proper goodbye. Just a rush out the door, a distracted wave, or, worse, leaving after a fight or silence. Today reminded me how fragile it all is. And how precious,' the pilot line of thought is a common refrain among airline crews in and flight attendants are highly-trained professionals, with sound physical fitness and mental alertness being their core job criteria. However, for many of them, it is still difficult to accept the Air India tragedy, more so due to Boeing 787's enviable safety Dreamliner clocked millions of flying hours across airlines globally and never saw a fatal crash prior to Ahmedabad. The plane has multiple inbuilt redundancies for critical then, for people who trust technology thousands of feet up in the air, the helplessness of the Ahmedabad crew strikes deep.A grainy video captured on a smartphone by a student showed the ill-fated aircraft taking off, then descending before exploding into a ball of a probe into the accident in its initial phase, various theories suggest dual engine failure to possible sabotage.'We are taught that a double-engine failure is kind of impossible, if not caused by external factors like a bird hit,' said a pilot who operates an aircraft similar to the 787. '(But now) though we are highly trained, doubt starts creeping into the mind; it's the crash, pilots have become extra cautious about minute faults in an aircraft, unlike before, he said. 'I am questioning the status of every item in the minimum equipment list (MEL),' the pilot said. MEL specifies which equipment can be inoperative on an aircraft while still allowing it to operate safely.A double engine failure occurring seconds after take-off, when the plane was only several hundred feet off the ground, would have left the two pilots without any time to respond to the emergency.'Go to the stopwatch on your smartphone. Press start. Wait for 32 seconds. Press stop. Now ask yourself: What could you do in that time? Brush your teeth? Have a shower? Wear your clothes? Have a cup of coffee? None of the above. That is the time the pilots of AI 171 got,' read a message on a pilot's social media coverage on television and social media is further fuelling panic, multiple airline crews told ET, requesting for factual reporting.'The media starts to conduct parallel trials with ill-informed guests making unsubstantiated accusations. This leads to severe mental trauma and becomes a stumbling block in their performance,' Parliamentarian Priyanka Chaturvedi said in a letter to civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, urging guidelines for reporting aviation are also rushing to respond to the new crisis while hoping that it would be self-healing. Air India has established a dedicated 'peer group' to provide mental health support and counselling for crew. Comprising former Air Force officers and experienced female pilots, the group offers pre-flight counselling and emotional support.'There is no uniform fix to this. It will depend on his/her mental strength on how quickly they can cope with it,' an airline executive airline crews cope with the tragedy and lean on improved mental health resources, they are also returning to the skies. 'When something like this happens, it makes it almost impossible not to feel the weight of the souls on board. I was scared but since I was already at the airport, I decided to be the strength to my team. I check on my colleagues after work and we reassure each other,' said a flight attendant working for Air members too are burying their fears under hope. 'I used to be very proud of that crisp white shirt but now my heart feels heavy when either of them wears that uniform,' said a mother of two pilot sons. 'Have we chosen a dangerous profession for our sons, I sometimes think. But my husband tells me, there were 29 medical students in the college who also died. Did they choose the wrong profession?'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Air crews fasten mental seatbelts against trauma
A day after the deadly Air India crash , a copilot withdrew from a scheduled flight even after reporting for duty. His colleagues said the pilot mentioned he was feeling ill, though he did not show any visible physical discomfort. The airline later operated the flight with a separate crew. The June 12 Air India crash killed hundreds and sent shockwaves that are still reverberating through the aviation industry. Flight crews have the added responsibility of dealing with their own grief and fears, while also calming the flying public. 'I could not help but put myself in the shoes of those on board,' a senior pilot wrote in an internal chat group of an airline. 'As someone who is always in transit — boarding flights, chasing on-time performance — (I felt) it could have been any one of us.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jeder schwärmt von dieser Wärmepumpe GmbH Hier klicken Troubling Theories 'What struck me hardest was not the crash alone but the quiet, overlooked reality of how we often leave home. No hugs. No pause. No proper goodbye. Just a rush out the door, a distracted wave, or, worse, leaving after a fight or silence. Today reminded me how fragile it all is. And how precious,' the pilot wrote. Live Events His line of thought is a common refrain among airline crews in India. Pilots and flight attendants are highly-trained professionals, with sound physical fitness and mental alertness being their core job criteria. However, for many of them, it is still difficult to accept the Air India tragedy, more so due to Boeing 787's enviable safety record. The Dreamliner clocked millions of flying hours across airlines globally and never saw a fatal crash prior to Ahmedabad. The plane has multiple inbuilt redundancies for critical components. Especially then, for people who trust technology thousands of feet up in the air, the helplessness of the Ahmedabad crew strikes deep. A grainy video captured on a smartphone by a student showed the ill-fated aircraft taking off, then descending before exploding into a ball of fire. With a probe into the accident in its initial phase, various theories suggest dual engine failure to possible sabotage. 'We are taught that a double-engine failure is kind of impossible, if not caused by external factors like a bird hit,' said a pilot who operates an aircraft similar to the 787. '(But now) though we are highly trained, doubt starts creeping into the mind; it's natural. Following the crash, pilots have become extra cautious about minute faults in an aircraft, unlike before, he said. 'I am questioning the status of every item in the minimum equipment list (MEL),' the pilot said. MEL specifies which equipment can be inoperative on an aircraft while still allowing it to operate safely. A double engine failure occurring seconds after take-off, when the plane was only several hundred feet off the ground, would have left the two pilots without any time to respond to the emergency. 'Go to the stopwatch on your smartphone. Press start. Wait for 32 seconds. Press stop. Now ask yourself: What could you do in that time? Brush your teeth? Have a shower? Wear your clothes? Have a cup of coffee? None of the above. That is the time the pilots of AI 171 got,' read a message on a pilot's social media group. No Single Answer Yet Continuous coverage on television and social media is further fuelling panic, multiple airline crews told ET, requesting for factual reporting. 'The media starts to conduct parallel trials with ill-informed guests making unsubstantiated accusations. This leads to severe mental trauma and becomes a stumbling block in their performance,' Parliamentarian Priyanka Chaturvedi said in a letter to civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, urging guidelines for reporting aviation accidents. Airlines are also rushing to respond to the new crisis while hoping that it would be self-healing. Air India has established a dedicated 'peer group' to provide mental health support and counselling for crew. Comprising former Air Force officers and experienced female pilots, the group offers pre-flight counselling and emotional support. 'There is no uniform fix to this. It will depend on his/her mental strength on how quickly they can cope with it,' an airline executive said. As airline crews cope with the tragedy and lean on improved mental health resources, they are also returning to the skies. 'When something like this happens, it makes it almost impossible not to feel the weight of the souls on board. I was scared but since I was already at the airport, I decided to be the strength to my team. I check on my colleagues after work and we reassure each other,' said a flight attendant working for Air India. Family members too are burying their fears under hope. 'I used to be very proud of that crisp white shirt but now my heart feels heavy when either of them wears that uniform,' said a mother of two pilot sons. 'Have we chosen a dangerous profession for our sons, I sometimes think. But my husband tells me, there were 29 medical students in the college who also died. Did they choose the wrong profession?'
