Teen Witnesses Air India Crash: A Life-Altering Experience

The harrowing experience of Aryan Asari, a teenager who inadvertently documented the catastrophic Air India Dreamliner crash, highlights the profound emotional toll such trauma can inflict on young witnesses.

 

Ahmedabad, India – The sky was a familiar canvas for 17-year-old Aryan Asari, who enjoyed the thrill of spotting planes from his father's terrace. However, last Thursday, that passion turned into horror when he witnessed an Air India Dreamliner 787-8 plummeting to the ground shortly after takeoff, resulting in the death of 241 individuals on board and nearly 30 more on the ground.

The incident unfolded in a heartbeat. Aryan's father, Maganbhai Asari, recollected that his son was capturing video of planes soaring overhead when he noticed something amiss with the aircraft. "It was going down and down. Then it wobbled and crashed right before my eyes," Aryan recounted in an interview, describing how the plane spiraled downward and erupted into flames.

The footage Aryan recorded has become a pivotal piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation into the crash, drawing significant media attention. "We have been inundated with interview requests from reporters at our house day and night," Maganbhai shared with the BBC.

However, the traumatic event has taken its toll on Aryan, who has become increasingly withdrawn. "My son is so terrified that he has stopped using his phone," Maganbhai revealed, emphasizing the mental anguish Aryan has suffered since witnessing the tragedy.

The family had moved to Ahmedabad three years prior, with Aryan experiencing city life for the first time during a trip that took place alongside his sister’s entrance examination. Eager to explore a new environment where planes frequently traversed the skies, Aryan couldn’t have predicted the fateful day that lay ahead.

Post-crash, Aryan quickly realized the severity of what he had seen. After sending the video to his father, he described the distressing scene to Maganbhai, who attempted to reassure him amid his panic. Unfortunately, despite attempts to keep the video private, it rapidly circulated among peers and the media.

As days passed, the Asari family found themselves overwhelmed with visits from journalists and police, making it a nightmare for Aryan. "We could do nothing to stop them,” Maganbhai lamented, expressing his family's frustration over the intrusion into their lives.

Though officials took Aryan for questioning to collect his account of the tragedy, there were no detainment protocols involved. However, the psychological scars have led the family to decide that Aryan would return to their village to recuperate.

Back home, Aryan has resumed school. Yet, he grapples with anxiety, evident in his fright at every phone call, according to his father. “I believe in time he will heal,” Maganbhai said. However, he admits that the experience has likely extinguished Aryan’s once-passionate interest in planes.

This tragic event has not only claimed lives but also rendered lasting trauma on those who witnessed it, revolutionizing their lives in unimaginable ways.