Ahmedabad Plane Crash: London sisters, aged 8 and 4, orphaned as father dies returning from mother's last rites in Gujarat
7 days ago, Arjun Bhai's wife passed away 💔 — he fulfilled her last wish by immersing her ashes in their village river While returning, he died in the plane crash 💔 — now their two little daughters are orphaned forever 😢🥹Join | https://t.co/bq8DAxMRoA pic.twitter.com/vjqj8zi2aS
A family torn apart in less than three weeks
Their father, 37-year-old Arjun Patoliya, died in the Ahmedabad-bound AI-171 plane crash while returning to London after carrying out his late wife's final rites. Bharti, his wife, succumbed to cancer on 26 May. Her last wish was for her ashes to be immersed in India, a wish Arjun honoured with great devotion.
After performing the rituals at the sacred Narmada River in Poicha and their ancestral village in Amreli district, Arjun was on his way back to London when the tragic crash took his life. The girls, who had only just started processing their mother's death, are now left without both parents.
Arjun Patolia came to Vadiad to perform his wife's final rites as per her dying wishes. A grieving husband boarded the ill fated Air India plane to go back to his 2 kids in London. Never to return back, joining his wife in death. Cruel fate! 🕉️Moksh to all🙏#AhmedabadPlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/u6lbWxtdr7
Childhood hardships returned in a cruel cycle
Arjun's life was shaped by hardship from a young age. He lost his father in 1990 and was raised by his mother in Surat, who sold household items to sustain the family. Arjun pursued education up to Grade 12 at Swaminarayan Gurukul before moving to the UK at 20, where he built a life and family.
In London, he ran a furniture business and met Bharti, an accountant. They created a home, filled with love and dreams, raising their two daughters together.
A family's pain, and the fight to carry on
Arjun's cousin Sanjay shared the heartbreak the family is facing, stating how no one imagined they would be preparing for Arjun's final rites just days after gathering for Bharti's. His mother, now residing in Surat, has provided a DNA sample to help authorities identify Arjun's remains and bring him home to Vadiya for cremation.
Arjun's younger brother, Gopal, also living in London, has now taken responsibility for raising the two girls, who must now grow up with only memories of the parents who loved them dearly.
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Business Standard
7 minutes ago
- Business Standard
AI crash probe should also focus on possible fault in stabilizer: Expert
A veteran pilot and aviation consultant has suggested that investigators should also focus on a possible fault in flight AI171's stabilizer, which he believes could have created conditions for the plane's crash, albeit due to an unintended mistake by the pilot. Air India flight 171, which crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 on board and 19 on the ground, had arrived from Delhi before its onward journey to London Gatwick on June 12. The crew reported a fault with the stabilizer to engineers in Ahmedabad who fixed it, according to a preliminary report into the investigation released on July 12. Aviation expert Captain Ehsan Khalid told PTI that investigators should also check the flight data recorder for stabilizer inputs data, in case it was not fixed properly and created conditions for the crash during the takeoff roll of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The stabilizer is part of the aircraft's tail and helps in pitching up and down its nose on command from the pilot. Khalid has flown Airbus and Boeing planes, including Boeing 737. He said if a fault crops up in the stabilizer during takeoff roll, the pilot flying has to perform the following memorised routine: take one hand off the control column, reach down and turn off the stabilizer control switches located under the thrust lever assembly. As it happens, the orange switches are right next to the fuel control switches, which have become the focus of the investigation and much speculation into the crash. Khalid suggested that there is a possibility the first officer, who was flying the plane, turned off the fuel to both engines by mistake while intending to cut off the stabilizer, even though both switches feel different to touch. During takeoff, the pilot does not look anywhere except straight ahead to ensure the plane is climbing safely, he said. "I have a problem with the Boeing philosophy. It's the pilot flying who is required to turn off the stabilizer in case of a fault and not the other pilot," he said. In its preliminary report on the Boeing 787-8 crash, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after takeoff. "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. According to Khalid, the entire cockpit voice recording could have been made public by the AAIB and if that was released, "these speculations or insinuations or smear campaign would not have been there because a pilot, as a community, feels that they are the goalkeeper of flight safety". He also said the AAIB report has given rise to more speculations, which were not there before. Khalid also noted that an electrical malfunction could also have resulted in the aircraft's fuel switches being cut off soon after takeoff. "While it is also true that the switch may be in one position and that position may be 1 and the second position is 0 in electrical terms... (then) 0 to 1 or 1 to 0 (position) could have transitioned because of an electrical malfunction or a signal malfunction while the switch could be at the same point. "That is why I think AAIB, in their own judgment, were very careful in not using the word that fuel switches were moved. They could have used it. It is not that they do not know about it," he said. Amid speculations that pilot error could have caused the crash, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday said it is too early to reach any definite conclusions on the Air India plane crash as the probe is still on and urged everyone to refrain from spreading premature narratives that risk undermining the integrity of the investigative process amid speculations. Various pilot associations have raised concerns about the AAIB report and have urged all parties to refrain from speculations. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
AI 171 crash: AAIB slams 'irresponsible conclusions' after US media claims says Captain 'turned off fuel switches'
NEW DELHI: Following constant media reports in the west on Air India AI 171 crash that squarely point the blame on the captain of the doomed aircraft based on information from US authorities, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday called out this 'irresponsible' drawing of 'conclusions through selective and unverified reporting. ' The bureau issued this statement after The WSJ in its latest report on the issue said, '…captain turned off switches that controlled fuel flowing to the plane's two engines' accidentally or deliberately, citing people familiar with US officials' early assessment of evidence uncovered in the crash investigation. 'The first officer who was flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner asked the more-experienced captain why he moved the switches to the 'cutoff' position after it climbed off the runway, these people said. The first officer expressed surprise and then panicked, these people said, while the captain seemed to remain calm,' the WSJ report adds. TOI has not independently verified these claims. While promising regular updates into the probe, AAIB said Thursday: 'Certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting. Such actions are irresponsible, especially while the investigation remains ongoing… essential to respect the sensitivity of the loss faced by family members of deceased passengers, crew of the aircraft and other deceased persons on ground. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo ' 'The purpose of AAIB's investigation and preliminary report is to provide information about 'WHAT' happened. The preliminary report has to be seen in this light. At this stage, it is too early to reach to any definite conclusions. The investigation by AAIB is still not complete. The final investigation report will come out with root causes and recommendations ,' AAIB said. The AAIB's prelim report has been panned by experts and pilots for selective indirect quoting of the cockpit voice recorder and on several other grounds. Many seasoned aviators in India say the prelim report seems to predictably shield the original equipment manufacturer (Boeing, in this case) while putting the blame squarely on a pilot who is no longer around to defend himself. AAIB has now defended itself after drawing massive flak since last Saturday: 'AAIB has a flawless record in investigating 92 accidents and 111 serious incidents since its inception in 2012… The VT-ANB (AI 171) accident has been the most devastating accident in recent aviation history and the investigation is being undertaken in a rigorous and most professional manner in accordance with the AAIB Rules and international protocols… not the time to create public anxiety or angst towards safety of Indian aviation industry, particularly on basis of unfounded facts. ' There has been a massive outcry against the prelim report which has spawned the suicide theory. Perhaps in a damage control move, Union aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu hours after its release last Saturday urged people not to 'jump to conclusions' and 'wait for the final (probe) report.' Air India MD & CEO has said the report has 'opened additional questions' and also requested 'everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over. ' After the first Boeing 737MAX of Indonesia's Lion Air crash in October 2019 also, fingers were pointed at pilot — one of who was an Indian — error. It took a second B737 MAX crash, of Ethiopian barely five months later in March 2019, that led to discovery of a major flaw in a software of the plane and led to its global grounding. To be fair, the B787 Dreamliner has had its share of technical issues but had never seen a crash since it started flying in Dec 2009, till June 12, 2025. While there is no information apart from the prelim report in India — where the crash happened on an Indian carrier — US authorities have been speaking to the media and giving out alleged information that seems to be giving a clean chit to compatriot Boeing while blaming the dead Indian pilot. The preliminary report had identified that first officer Clive Kunder was the pilot flying the doomed AI 171 while Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the pilot monitoring. Without mentioning who said what, the report had said: ''One of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.' It was generally inferred that the pilot flying had his hands full and so the one monitoring could have toggled the switch. Now the WSJ report quotes 'people familiar with the matter' that the Captain had turned off the switches. 'The report didn't say whether turning off the switches might have been accidental or deliberate,' the latest news report says. 'The preliminary details have fuelled the belief among some US officials that criminal authorities should review the matter, as would likely be the case if the crash had occurred on American soil, people familiar with the matter said. In the US, accident investigators historically have involved agencies such as the FBI if they believe a potential crime occurred, rather than a safety mishap,' the WSJ says. 'Contents of the flight's cockpit voice recorders have been tightly held by Indian authorities and seen as key to helping fill out the sequence of events in the flight's final moments. Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the US National Transportation Safety Board, has sought to listen to the recording herself, according to people familiar with the matter,' it adds. Homendy's goal, according to WSJ, in working with Indian authorities was 'to quickly determine whether the crash presented any immediate safety concerns to the traveling public.' Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
AI 171 fuel switch-off mystery: All expert theories we have heard so far
There are a lot of theories offering explanations on how the fuel control switch of Air India's Ahmedabad-London 171 flight transitioned to CUT OFF. These theories are all that victims' families and the public have until investigators publish their final report, which may take a year or what do these theories say and which one carries the most weight? To find out, we scoured through dozens of reports published in India Today and several other credible media houses based in the US and the UK. advertisementFormer pilots, engineers, air safety professionals and investigators speaking to the media have offered three potential scenarios to explain the fuel control switching turning off at 1:38:42 pm on June 12. These are:Intentional or erroneous fuel cut off by a pilot,Accidental movement of signal or chip that could have sent wrong messages to the engine's brain ie Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), a digital electronic system managing all aspects of engine performance. The first explanation – that the switches were moved by a human hand – has been backed by the majority of experts. A report published by The Wall Street Journal, based on statements of people familiar with the US' official assessment, identified senior pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal as someone who is likely to have turned off the switch. Former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspector David Saucie told CNN that the switches couldn't be moved only by a person. Many experts said the switches come with a spring-based lock feature and need to be pulled up before moving to RUN or CUT OFF second group of aviation professionals suggest a signal or a chip malfunction. 'When the fuel switch is moved, there are various micro switches that are made contact with. These micro-switches send signals to various aircraft systems, like FADEC or the engine's brain, different spar valves and fuel control valves,' Sharath Panicker, the former Air Force officer who also flew the 787s at Air India, told India Today, suggesting that possible signal malfunction. However, another set of experts cite an earlier FAA circular that said fuel control panels in some Boeing 787 planes came with the lock feature disengaged, suggesting that such a switch, had it been installed in the AI-171, could move automatically or accidentally due to aircraft vibration, contact or quadrant flex. In its preliminary report published last Friday, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the fuel control switches were moved to CUT OFF barely three seconds after the aircraft's lift-off. It also quoted a pilot asking his colleagues as to why he cut off. The colleague denied having done so. The report, however, didn't reveal any cause or recommended any action, and many experts say it left more questions than it provided answers. Commercial pilot associations have cautioned people against drawing any conclusions until the investigation is into aircraft accidents are a cumbersome process and may or may not come to a conclusion. Sometimes they could take years and different investigators involved may contradict each other's findings.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Ahmedabad Plane Crash
