Air India plane crash: Unwilling to accept ‘pilot error’ as cause, victims’ families demand clear answers

Rafiq Menon, uncle of Sayed Javed Ali, who died in the crash with his wife and two children. FILE PIC/ NIMESH DAVE

While the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report related to the crash of Air India flight in Ahmedabad, the next of kin of the people and crew members who lost their life in the crash feel that deeper investigation should be done to uncover the truth.

Appasaheb Pathak, father of deceased cabin crew member Deepak Pathak of Badlapur, told Sunday mid-day that he would accept the government's decision. "We are not in a position to comment on the technical aspects of the incident. But our family will never overcome the grief of losing my son."

"We are not happy with the AAIB's preliminary report," said Rafiq Abdul Memon, who lost his nephew and family in the plane crash. "We believe that it's not the fault of the pilots. It's not human error but a system error. The pilots are questioning each other about who switched off the fuel switches, which raises concerns about potential technical faults in the system," he added.

Javed Ali had settled in the United Kingdom, where he was married to Mariam and had two children. He came to Mumbai in June for his mother Farida's heart surgery, and had also promised his mother that he would buy a house for her in Dubai soon.

Rajendra Sonaghare, father of cabin crew member Rashmi Sonaghare, expressed deep grief and concern over the uncertainty that continues to haunt the family following the Ahmedabad plane crash.

"We are waiting for clear answers. Rashmi's bag has not been returned yet. When airline officials visited our home, I told them - if you're confirming that you have her bag, please hand it over to us. It contains her phone and documents," he said.

He further stated, "The investigation should be completed as early as possible. The officials who visited our home told us that her nameplate was recovered. If that's the case, then please complete the remaining formalities and return her belongings."

"As a father who has lost his daughter, I don't have the strength to question the findings further. The central and state government are doing their duty, and I cannot comment more on their inquiry or the final report," said Moreshwar Patil, father of crew member Maithili Patil.