Passenger who flew on same Air India flight hours before crash says he felt
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 13 (ANI): A passenger who claimed to have flown on the same Air India flight just hours before it crashed near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, said he had observed 'something unusual' with the aircraft's flaps during the flight.
'It was the same Boeing 787 Dreamliner...I did not witness any major issues when the flight took off, but I personally felt something was unusual with the plane's flaps outside. Experts will be able to comment on this better. Also, the air conditioning system was not working properly while the flight was on the ground,' the passenger, Akash Vatsa, told ANI on Friday.
'At cruising altitude, I noticed the rear part of the flaps was moving up and down repeatedly. However, many aviation experts have pointed out that it's normal for ACs to be turned off during take-off to give the plane a better thrust,' he added.
Vatsa claims to have flown on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Delhi to Ahmedabad, just hours before the same aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
He further said that he tried to raise the issue of the air conditioning with the cabin crew, but they were unable to address his complaint due to the flight's impending departure.
'I tried to complain about it, but the crew was in a rush because the flight was almost ready for takeoff. Even after the AC was switched on, its temperature kept fluctuating. Later, several passengers also mentioned it. In fact, when we got on the shuttle bus after landing, many remarked that the bus AC was working better than the flight's,' he said.
Air India's flight AI 171 was carrying 242 people when it crashed into a doctor's hostel near the Ahmedabad airport shortly after take-off.
Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those who died in the crash.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met the survivor and other injured people.
According to airline authorities, the passengers on board included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. (ANI)
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The Province
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40 years on, families of Air India disaster find peace and comfort in small Irish town
On Monday, June 23, family members of the people killed in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 will join Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin, representatives of the Indian government and a group of B.C. RCMP officers to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy. Babu Turlapati in Ahakista, Ireland on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Photo by Kim Bolan / Postmedia AHAKISTA, Ireland — As Padmini Turlapati sat on a bench in front of the Air India memorial on Saturday, she looked out at the sea and said she felt her sons Sanjay and Deepak were with her. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'I feel very serene and I see Sanjay in the air, blowing all over me, and Deepak flowing towards me, saying, 'Hi mom, welcome,'' Turlapati, 84, said. 'I feel like I'm connected with them, then I internalize that feeling and take it home with me for another 365 days.' Sanjay was 14 and Deepak 11 when they travelled from Toronto on Air India Flight 182 to visit relatives in India in June 1985. When the plane was brought down near Ahakista by a B.C.-made bomb — their parents' world was shattered. Sanjay's body was among 132 recovered, while Deepak was never found. Padmini and her husband, Babu, have made the pilgrimage to the rocky coastline every June since, to connect with their children and feel the warm embrace of the Irish people who help mourn them. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I feel them when I am here. That's all I have,' Padmini said, with a photo of the smiling boys visible behind her on the memorial wall. Babu said he and his wife 'come here to be with our son, who is still in the waters. We just feel that we are visiting him by coming here every year.' They get strength from the trip despite the tragic circumstances that led to the deep bond they now share with the Irish people. 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They touch their loved ones' names on the memorial wall that was built within a year of the terrorist attack. They walk on the rocky shore and seek solace in the sound of the lapping waves. 'We cannot reverse the events that have happened, but we can come to terms with them and live at peace with them and find beauty in the remaining part of our lives, in the memory of them,' Padmini said. 'The negatives have all gone away. I don't think of anything negative. I only think about me and my children and the peace that has come from that.' Both Turlapatis have been instrumental in organizing the annual service where a moment of silence at 8:13 a.m. on June 23 marks the time the plane exploded. They have worked to create colourful gardens surrounding the memorial wall. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sign at entrance of Air India memorial in Ahakista, Ireland on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Photo by Kim Bolan / Postmedia A larger than usual crowd is expected Monday, June 23 to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing. Dozens of relatives have travelled from Canada. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree will be here, as will Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin and representatives of the Indian government. Several RCMP officers from B.C. are also here to participate. The Mounties and several relatives gathered informally at the memorial Saturday as rain threatened overhead. Saroj Gaur hugged Padmini, who she calls 'auntie' because of the support Gaur was offered by the Turlapatis when her father Om Prakash Sharma died in the bombing. Sharma had immigrated from India to work as a high school teacher in Newfoundland and support his large family. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Air India memorial in Ahakista, Ireland overlooks the ocean near where the plane exploded on June 23, 1985. Photo by Kim Bolan Gaur, who now lives in Toronto, said her dad wanted her to travel with him to India for the summer break. But she was 23, had just finished her studies and wanted to look for work. She was job-hunting in Toronto when she got the news about the flight from a family friend. Despite her father's contributions to Canada, she still feels that Canadians don't care. 'We were living in Canada, paying our taxes. My father was teaching Canadian children, and it hurts when he wasn't recognized. You know that it's a Canadian tragedy,' Gaur said with tears in her eyes. Padmini Turlapati, of Toronto, sits in front of the Air India memorial in Ahakista, Ireland, on June 21, 2025. A photo of her two dead sons Sanjay and Deepak is just above her head. Photo by Kim Bolan / Postmedia She also finds comfort here, near to her father, whose body wasn't recovered. 'This is my third trip. When we were driving down here, I felt something very touching. I felt like I'm coming to my own place,' she said. 'I was feeling so joyous. I felt like I belong here.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She is also grateful to the Irish for their support over four decades. 'The Irish people made this beautiful monument here. It doesn't matter how many times you come here, how many times you've seen it, you still want to come back. This is the place where they lost their life and you can't forget it.' Sanjay Lazar, who lives in Pune, India, was just 17 when he lost his father Sampath, stepmother Sylvia and toddler sister Sandeeta to the bomb planted by B.C. terrorists. His mom's body was recovered, but neither was his dad's nor his little sister's. It is here that Lazar feels closest to his family. For many years after he was orphaned, Lazar ran away from his pain. Four years ago, that all changed here at the memorial when he felt for the first time that his family was sending him a message. 'If I have the means, the ability and the health, I'll come here every year now because it makes me feel one with the family I lost,' he said. kbolan@ Read More
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40 years on, families of Air India disaster find peace and comfort in small Irish town
AHAKISTA, Ireland — As Padmini Turlapati sat on a bench in front of the Air India memorial on Saturday, she looked out at the sea and said she felt her sons Sanjay and Deepak were with her. 'I feel very serene and I see Sanjay in the air, blowing all over me, and Deepak flowing towards me, saying, 'Hi mom, welcome,'' Turlapati, 84, said. 'I feel like I'm connected with them, then I internalize that feeling and take it home with me for another 365 days.' Sanjay was 14 and Deepak 11 when they travelled from Toronto on Air India Flight 182 to visit relatives in India in June 1985. When the plane was brought down near Ahakista by a B.C.-made bomb — and their parents' world was shattered. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. 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It doesn't matter how many times you come here, how many times you've seen it, you still want to come back. This is the place where they lost their life and you can't forget it.' Sanjay Lazar, who lives in Pune, India, was just 17 when he lost his father Sampath, stepmother Sylvia and toddler sister Sandeeta to the bomb planted by B.C. terrorists. His mom's body was recovered, but neither was his dad's nor his little sister's. It is here that Lazar feels closest to his family. For many years after he was orphaned, Lazar ran away from his pain. Four years ago, that all changed here at the memorial when he felt for the first time that his family was sending him a message. 'If I have the means, the ability and the health, I'll come here every year now because it makes me feel one with the family I lost,' he said. kbolan@
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