Ahmedabad, Jan 28 (PTI) The Baramati aircraft tragedy that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and others has once again brought back haunting memories of the Ahmedabad plane crash for the residents of Shahibaug and Meghaninagar here.
Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical college hostel complex shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on the afternoon of June 12 last year.
The aircraft burst into flames, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 individuals on the ground, in what was among the worst aviation disasters in recent history.
“Those visuals are repeating in my head ever since I heard about the plane crash in Maharashtra today. It has taken me back to the past — to the summer afternoon of that fateful day,” said Rajesh Patel, a businessman who was among the first responders at the Ahmedabad crash site.
Patel, who lives barely 500 metres from the accident site, said he could see thick black smoke and towering flames from his residence. “At first, I thought it was a blast. But one of my employees, who lives closer to the site, informed me that a plane had crashed,” he said.
The businessman said he and his team reached the spot within 10 minutes. “All we could experience was fire everywhere and the strong smell of burning fuel,” Patel recalled. He said they struggled to enter the area for the first few minutes as their eyes began to burn due to the heat and smoke.
The 57-year-old businessman and his team claimed they recovered nearly 70 tolas of gold ornaments, Rs 50,000 in cash, British passports, and a few US dollars from the scene of the deadly aircraft accident and handed over the valuables to the police.
Patel said it was extremely difficult for first responders to enter the crash site as explosions were occurring at intervals due to the aviation turbine fuel in the plane. There was also fear that gas cylinders in the medical college hostel canteen could explode at any moment, he added.
As they retrieved passengers’ belongings, gold ornaments, and cash, they did not find a single intact body, said Patel. “It was only flesh and bones. We collected the remains in bedsheets and bags and handed them over to the officials.” Handling the body of a pregnant woman was particularly difficult, he said.
“My hands were shaking after I retrieved the body of the pregnant woman. It was heart-wrenching to witness the fate of an unborn child,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion.
News of the Baramati plane crash has also revived painful memories for the family of 14-year-old Akash Patni, one of those who lost their lives in the June 12 tragedy.
Suresh Patni, a resident of Meghaninagar and the father of the teenager, said, “Whenever we remember the incident, we lose our appetite. No one should ever have to go through something like this. I pray to God that such a tragedy never happens again. But who can stop destiny?” Akash had gone to deliver lunch to his mother at the family’s small tea stall near the B J Medical College hostel in Meghaninagar when disaster struck.
Another bereaved father, Girdharbhai Jirawala, said with teary eyes, “The Baramati crash brings back painful memories of the terrifying Ahmedabad tragedy. Whenever I hear about a plane crash, it reopens my wounds and reminds me of my son Mahesh. In my old age, bearing the loss of a child is an unbearable pain.” Mahesh Jirawala, a filmmaker and Jeevandhara Foundation Seva Trust NGO founder, was one of the 19 people killed on the ground during the plane crash.
According to the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed when the Learjet 46 they were travelling on crashed at Baramati airport in Pune district on Wednesday morning.
A Gandhinagar-based pilot who flies VIPs and politicians described the Baramati crash as a tragic moment for the aviation community. “It is sad news for the entire aviation fraternity. I also used to meet one of the pilots who lost their lives in Baramati,” he said.
Recalling his association, the pilot said he had flown Pawar at the same airport in 2021 while he was in Mumbai. “We learn from incidents like these,” he added.
Another pilot who flies officials from the Gujarat government said that pilots strictly adhere to standard operating procedures, as safety remains paramount. “However, it is wintertime, which often means low visibility,” he said.
He also said that Baramati airport has an uncontrolled airstrip, meaning it lacks a proper instrument landing system to guide aircraft during low-visibility operations.
“At such airstrips, landing is based largely on pilot judgment and the GPS systems available in the aircraft,” he added. PTI KVM PD NR
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